Why Amazon Games is bringing Bandai Namco’s Blue Protocol to the West
Blue Protocol is up against some tough competition. It’s an adorable anime MMO in an environment where that’s the hot new thing. Genshin Impact has been a sensation for several years now, and the recently released Honkai Star Rail has been yet another success for Hoyoverse. If any developer can show the scrappy new kids on the block how to craft a solid anime RPG, it’s Bandai Namco.
Blue Protocol recently released in Japan, and it’s making its way to North America and Europe in early 2024, courtesy of Amazon Games. “The ultimate thing is it’s down to the vision of how we reach the most people worldwide,” Amazon Game Studios’ franchise leader Mike Zadorojny tells us. “Bandai Namco has a very particular vision it wants for the game and it comes through the art style, it comes through the gameplay, and they want to make sure that it reaches that mass market.”
But while the business of video games is all very interesting, it’s the games themselves we’re here for, and a game like Blue Protocol already has an obvious and established market: fans of anime and MMOs. Turns out, there’s a lot of crossover. Who would’ve guessed?
Combat feels great in Blue Protocol.
Amazon Games, Bandai Namco
The game kicks off with a lengthy anime music video, similar to the Tales series. Lots of lingering shots of characters and locations, but the animation is solid and suitably sets the tone: it feels like a fully-fledged, big-budget Bandai Namco RPG out of the gate – no half-measures.
The attention to detail to the world and characters is purposeful, too. “I think the big difference is it’s not just a game, it’s an IP,” Zadorojny says. “The experience is great, right? You get in there, it sets the tone and sets the stage for everything. But what else can we do with it? I think that’s the question that we’ll be answering over the next few years.” I ask if that could be taken as confirmation of an upcoming Blue Protocol anime for Amazon Prime, and the answer is a firm no.
“But you can see where this potentially can lead, it’s that level of connect-the-dots. That’s what we’re doing as well, because we’re really excited about it.”
Fighting big bosses with friends is the best way to play.
Amazon Games / Bandai Namco
Aspirations are nice, but if the Blue Protocol game is the flagship product here, it needs to be good in order to support the ambitions Amazon Games has for the future. So I’m happy to say that I have a lot of fun with Blue Protocol. It’s an action MMORPG, and I was able to see the possibilities of the battle system when I entered a dungeon along with five other players.
The party is made up of varied classes, though all of the players – myself included – were newbies with only a small amount of time to prepare in advance. Despite that inexperience, each player was pulling off flashy combos in sync in order to deal heavy damage to hordes of monsters as we progressed through the dungeon.
The dungeon layout itself was linear, with walls stopping your march forward until you’ve defeated the mobs on the way. It’s a combat challenge, pure and simple, with a few neat strategies and enemy placements to think about.
The world feels fleshed out, similar to a Xenoblade game.
Amazon Games / Bandai Namco
For example, some enemies are placed high up on platforms that can be brought down with nearby explosives, and some areas have sheer cliffs which you can nudge enemies off for an easy win. The cooldown-based suite of abilities across the classes is reasonably diverse, without having any one character seem overpowered, at least for now.
But an RPG is nothing without a strong story, and that’s something that Zadorojny stresses as important. “There really is an immersive storyline that is gonna take you from the beginning, to the end, and beyond,” he explains. “It is a live service game, that means there’s more content coming. There’s a new class, and a number of new chapters are going to be added to the story, too.
“Each character has a personality, their own needs and desires, and some of that comes through when they’re interacting with you as you are discovering and going on your journey through the entire game.”
Customize your character, and then take on enemies!
Amazon Games / Bandai Namco
The fact that you’ll be creating your own custom character doesn’t mean that the cast in that opening anime cutscene will be left behind. “All the characters are a part of this woven tapestry that will help you understand your mission within this world.”
Amazon Games will launch Blue Protocol in the West in early 2024, but you can sign up to be a beta tester for the Western version of the game now on the Blue Protocol website.
