A spin-off game, Arknights: Endfield, was announced for Microsoft Windows and mobile devices in March 2022.[2] An anime television series adaptation produced by Yostar Pictures aired from October to December 2022.[3][4] A second season, titled Arknights: Perish in Frost, premiered in October 2023.
Gameplay
One of the levels of Arknights. In this level, enemies proceed from right to left, and to stop them the player has deployed (from the top) a ranged operator, a melee operator and a healer on the left side of the screen. At the bottom, the remaining deployable operators are displayed.
The core gameplay is that of a tower defense game, with a number of characters ("operators") as towers. Melee operators can be placed on ground tiles and ranged operators on elevated tiles. Melee operators physically block enemies from advancing, and ranged operators deal ranged damage, heal or otherwise support melee operators. Players must place operators on the correct tiles to prevent the enemy from infiltrating the player's base. Once in place, an operator's skills can be activated after a time for special effects, or they can be withdrawn for redeployment after a delay.
Because there is often a limited number of viable solutions, especially at high difficulties, Arknights has also been described as a puzzle game.[5] The gameplay does not require quick reaction times (the game is pauseable, and time slows down while commands are issued), but rather on-the-spot tactical analysis and foresight.[6]
As the player progresses through the game, they unlock more stages, operators and resources, and are also introduced to new types of enemies and gameplay mechanics. Levels that have been cleared with a three-star rating can be auto-completed without player input, as the game records the player's actions and replicates them.
The game also has a base-building aspect, which allows players to construct facilities and assign operators to them. This allows players to increase their resources in the manner of an incremental game.[7] It features the usual array of free-to-play, gacha game mechanics, such as daily login rewards and randomized character acquisition through virtual currency which can be obtained by playing the game, through limited-time events, or optional in-app purchases using real currency. Because of the limited resources available (even if real money is spent), another layer of challenge lies in "internalizing multiple complex economic systems"[6] and in prioritizing the right operators to recruit and develop in order to build a capable roster. Arknights players have created a number of internet resources and tools to assist in this effort.[6]
Seasonal gameplay events introduce more complex but optional difficulties and handicaps, such as the game's semi-quarterly Contingency Contract. Players are awarded with resources and medals exclusive to these events. A roguelike game mode, "Integrated Strategies", was added in 2022.[8]
Plot
The game is set in the dystopian, post-apocalyptic future setting of the planet Terra, where people exhibit kemonomimi features – characteristics of animals or mythological races. Natural disasters leave behind a valuable mineral, originium, which infects people with a progressive disease, oripathy, but also allows them to also use "Arts" (magic). Because oripathy is highly infectious and invariably fatal, the infected are shunned and persecuted. In response, some of them form the Reunion movement, a militant group waging war on the despotic governments of Terra.
The player takes the role of the masked and amnesiac "Doctor", who commands a team of "operators" of Rhodes Island, a pharmaceutical, medical, and self-defense organization. As oripathy spreads, Rhodes Island searches for a cure while defending itself against Reunion and several of the governments of Terra.[7]
Music and voice acting
Arknights has an eclectic soundtrack drawing on a range of Western and Asian musical genres. Hypergryph has partnered with musical groups across the world to release Arknights-related songs and music videos. These include Steve Aoki ("Last of Me"), Yellow Claw ("End Like This"),[9]Starset ("Infected"),[10] and Low Roar ("Feels", later re-released as "Fade Away").[11] Contributing composers include Go Shiina,[12]Kevin Penkin[13] and Adam Gubman.[14]
The Arknights-related song "Renegade" written by Jason Walsh and performed by Substantial and X.ARI was nominated for "Best Original Song – Video Game" at the 2020 Hollywood Music in Media Awards.[15]
The game's characters were voiced only in Japanese at the time of release. Standard Chinese, Korean, and English voice acting is being incrementally added.[16]
In 2022, Arknights announced that voice acting for regional Sinitic languages would also be added. Cantonese, Suzhounese, Sichuanese, Xi'annese, Wuhanese, among others, have also been added.[17] As part of "Il Siracusano" update in November 2022 Italian dub for certain characters (Texas, Lappland, Penance, Vigil, Lunacub) was introduced,[18] while "Zwillingstürme im Herbst" update in November 2023 added German (Viviana, Lessing, Ebenholz, Czerny) and Russian (Zima, Rosa, Gummy, Istina, Absinthe, Hellagur) voice acting[19] to reflect native languages of characters.
Reception
Pocket Gamer highlighted the game's extensive lore and high production values.[20] Julia Lee of Polygon said that the gacha system is better than in Nintendo's Dragalia Lost, and wrote that "Arknights is the only gacha game I recommend to people" because of its art design, lack of purchase pressure and competition, and limited grind,[5] and Sisi Jiang of Kotaku noted that Arknights is rare among gacha games in that its easily obtainable characters are better in some circumstances than the game's rare, high-powered operators.[21]
The game was nominated for Google Play "Users' Choice Game" at the Best of 2020 awards and for "Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Mobile Game" at the 2020 Dragon Awards.[22] It won an award as one of the Best Innovative Games of 2020.[23]
Anime adaptation
In December 2020, Hypergryph released a nine-minute Arknights anime video, "Holy Knight Light", on the occasion of the game's first global anniversary. It was made by the global publisher's in-house studio, Yostar Pictures, which previously made anime trailers for in-game events for the global version of the game.[24]
In October 2021, Hypergryph published a teaser trailer for the first season ("Prelude to Dawn") of an anime adaptation of Arknights, also made by Yostar Pictures.[3] The anime is a television series directed by Yuki Watanabe, with Masaki Nishikawa serving as assistant director, and Yuki Hayashi composing the music.[25]Takashi Matsuyama is cast as Ace.[26] The series aired from October 29 to December 17, 2022, on TV Tokyo in Japan.[4][a]Crunchyroll licensed the series.[28] The anime's opening theme song is "Alive" by Reona, and the ending theme song is "BE ME" by Doul. A second season, "Perish in Frost", was announced at the end of the eighth episode and features returning staff and cast.[29] It premiered on October 7, 2023, on TV Tokyo. The opening theme song is "Ache in Pulse" by Myth & Roid, and the ending theme song is "R.I.P" by Reona.[30]
A spin-off miniseries, Lee's Detective Agency, began airing on Crunchyroll on December 23, 2022.[31]
Episodes
No.
Title
Original air date
OVA
"Holy Knight Light"
December 26, 2020 (2020-12-26)
On New Year's Eve, Penguin Logistics' owner Emperor (Kenjiro Tsuda) is tasked by police officer Hoshiguma (Kiyono Yasuno) to deliver a package to Rhodes Island's leader Amiya (Tomoyo Kurosawa) before midnight. Emperor and his employees Texas (Azusa Tadokoro) and Exusiai (Manaka Iwami) defy the Siracusan Mafia to deliver the package – a timebomb that turns out to be a cake, sent by police chief Ch'en (Shizuka Ishigami) as a prank.
In the city of Chernobog within the Ursus Empire, a group of operators from the pharmaceutical company Rhodes Island led by their leader, Amiya, awakens and rescues their head strategist, the Doctor, who has gone under cold sleep in an underground facility. While helping the Doctor escape from militants of the Reunion Movement, Amiya and her second in command Dobermann discover the Doctor has amnesia and doesn't remember them. After being rescued by elite operator Ace and his team, the Doctor learns Reunion has taken advantage of a Catastrophe storm heading to Chernobog to start their uprising. With the Doctor's help, Amiya and the Rhodes Islanders rescue a mother and child from being killed by a group of Reunion militants. Despite their help, the mother refuses to follow her rescuers due to Amiya being infected with Oripathy. Amiya explains that Oripathy is the result of being exposed to the valuable Originium mineral and despite evidence that physical contact with an Infected will not transmit the disease, many nations are fearful of the Infected due to misinformation, leading to discrimination against them. Unlike the Reunion Movement who wants to overthrow the world's governments for their harsh treatment against the Infected, Rhodes Island seeks to find a cure for Oripathy and end the discrimination, which the Doctor was researching for a cure before their amnesia. As the Rhodes Islanders head to their rendezvous point to escape, they are unaware that another Reunion unit is watching them.
Ursus news claims the government has suppressed the riots, when in reality they are quickly losing control of the city. Amiya and the Rhodes Islanders walk through a park but are attacked by Reunion force led by Crownslayer, who kidnaps the Doctor. Crownslayer interrogates the Doctor, but she is forced to retreat when Mephisto, another Reunion captain, confronts her. Mephisto tries to capture the Doctor himself but reinforcements led by Nearl rescues them and the Doctor. They then retreat after being attacked by a sniper named Faust, Mephisto's partner. While resting in a ransacked secret clinic for the Infected, Amiya explains to the Doctor how Originium is the source for Arts, their world's magic and the power source that modernized their world, and while the Infected can uses Arts using the Originium inside their body without a Originium conduit, it is a dangerous thing to do so since this causes their Oripathy to spread much faster and shorten their lifespan. Rhodes Island head to their rendezvous point but are attacked by a large fire Arts cast by the leader of Reunion, Talulah.
Amiya does her best to shield the Doctor and her friends from both Talulah's attacks and falling meteors from a Catastrophe, but quickly reaches her limit. Ace and his team decide to stay behind to hold off Talulah and her forces to give time for the others to escape. The Rhodes Island team is able to reach their extraction point, but are confronted by another Reunion officer named W. However, W claims she just wanted to see if the Doctor is present and takes her leave. Meanwhile, Ace, heavily injured, takes a wounded Guard to safety before heading back out to sacrifice himself to distract the Reunion forces. The Rhodes Island team is extracted and transported back to the Rhodes Island landship, dejected at Ace's death. During the trip, Amiya explains Catastrophes are caused by Originium, and spread large Originium crystals around the land, which is why mobile cities were developed to avoid them. After getting some rest, the Doctor tours the landship before reuniting with Amiya and assuring her that her ideals are not mistaken. Later, Dobermann briefs the Doctor and Amiya that their next destination is the city of Lungmen, which they believe is Reunion's next target.
The Doctor is introduced to Blacksteel PMC contractors Liskarm and Franka as Rhodes Island makes its way to Lungmen, while the massive mobile city is enforcing stricter policies against the Ursus refugees, fearing the Infected might be sneaking in. the Doctor, Amiya and Dr. Kal'tsit, Head of Rhodes Medical Department and Amiya's guardian, meets with the city's leader Wei Yenwu, and Inspector Ch'en of the Lungmen Guard Department, trying to convince them of the danger that their anti-Infected policies might have in feeding more downtrodden Infected towards Reunion. The two sides spend several minutes negotiating a deal to let Rhodes Island operate in Lungmen in exchange for helping Inspector Ch'en police the Infected citizens. Soon after agreeing to a contract, Ch'en has the Rhodes Island group hunt down a white-haired Ursus girl named Misha. The group finds her in the slums, running away from some thugs, and Amiya manages to gain Misha's trust. Meanwhile, a special unit of Reunion is watching them from a nearby rooftop.
Misha loses trust in Amiya after overhearing her talking with Ch'en about handing Misha to the LGD, but reluctantly stays with them. The slums are full of Reunion soldiers and sympathizers, so the Doctor's group relies on the help of Penguin Logistics employees Exusiai and Texas to find a safe route out of the neighborhood. The group is ambushed by a Reunion unit led by someone in a dark cloak and gas mask, but Texas and Exusiai help the Doctor's group escape. Misha starts losing strength and reveals she is a Chernobog refugee, and that Oripathy lesions have started growing on her leg. Amiya gives her emergency treatment to slow the infection. As the group moves towards the rendezvous point, Amiya decides to help break up a fight between two groups of Infected, though one of the fighters responds harshly that the slums are his home, and he has nowhere to evacuate to. Later, Misha decides to trust in Amiya again.
The Doctor's group hands Misha over to Ch'en and the LGD. Ch'en tells Misha that her father was one of Chernobog's best scientists, and that Reunion wants to capture her, so Misha is being taken into protective custody. Suddenly, the LGD caravan is ambushed by Reunion forces led by explosives expert W and the gas-masked person from before, named Skullshatterer. W manages to escape with Misha while Skullshatterer keeps the Doctor's group occupied, and Talulah herself begins to assault the LGD headquarters. Ch'en decides to tell Amiya why Misha is important to both Reunion and the LGD. Rhodes Island Operators assist the LGD as they engage in open street warfare against Reunion, with Inspector Hoshiguma saving Ch'en from a potentially fatal crossbow bolt.
Misha awakens in a Reunion hideout with Skullshatterer, whose real identity is her brother, an Infected named Alex. Alex tells Misha why he joined Reunion and hopes Misha will join as well. Texas and Exusiai spy on the hideout from afar, and relay the location to Amiya, while Alex teaches Misha how to use his Arts-powered grenade launcher. As Rhodes Island and LGD forces approach the hideout to rescue Misha, W tells Skullshatterer to target the Doctor for a quick victory. Both sides charge at each other in an abandoned rock quarry. The Doctor survives a direct strike from Skullshatterer thanks to Hoshiguma. Skullshatterer fights off Hoshiguma and uses his Arts to turn himself into a suicide bomb. Before Skullshatterer can reach the Doctor, a desperate Amiya pierces his body with her own Arts before he can detonate himself, killing him. Amiya is horrified at her new deadly Arts, while Reunion forces rally to get back Skullshatterer's body, and Misha breaks down after witnessing Amiya kill Alex.
Both sides are licking their wounds as a sandstorm rolls through the quarry. W suddenly appears at the LGD camp to give Amiya a two-way radio before escaping. Misha blames Amiya for her brother's death over the radio, and decides to take Alex's place with Reunion. Ch'en reiterates her mission to get Misha back for the LGD, and Amiya decides to try talking to Misha again. Back at the Reunion camp, Misha decides to take up the mantle of Skullshatterer herself. As the sandstorm passes, the combined LGD and Rhodes Island force slowly push their way through Reunion's forces, but can't locate Misha. Suddenly, Skullshatterer reappears on the battlefield and rallies the Reunion forces. Amiya confronts Skullshatterer by herself and deduces that Misha is wearing his outfit. Before Misha can pull the trigger on Amiya, Ch'en impales Misha on her sword, leading the remaining Reunion forces to surrender. Ch'en yells at Amiya for hesitating and nearly allowing herself to be killed. As Amiya questions whether her ideals still matter in this world, the Doctor encourages her to remain hopeful, as Amiya was able to rescue them with her ideals.
Kal'tsit orders Rhodes Operators Meteorite, Frostleaf and Blacksteel operator Jessica to scout an abandoned city located in the outskirts of Lungmen to find and rescue survivors, only to encounter Reunion. Meanwhile, Amiya still regrets not taking action to save Misha but finds comfort after seeing Ch'en talking to an orphan that Misha care for and also showing remorse for Misha. After Kal'tsit reveals they have lost contact with Meteorite's team, the Doctor, Amiya, Ch'en and Hoshiguma leads a Rhodes/LGD rescue team to find them and stop Reunion. During their search, Ch'en sees Talulah and tries but fails to find her. The Doctor and Amiya are reunited with Meteorite's team which Frostleaf warns they must leave before the Reunion captain whose causing the city's temperature to turn cold will find them. Mephisto goads Amiya to come out of hiding after his men burn a building fill with dead civilians. Before Amiya can fight Mephisto and his men, the entire area is frozen due to the arrival of the Reunion leader of the "Yetis", FrostNova.
Mephisto reveals the people he killed were the wealthiest of Chernobog who cowardly fled when the Catastrophe hit the city, which disgusts FrostNova who disapprove of his cruelty. As they argue, Amiya and her team use the opportunity to escape. While hiding from the Yetis, Amiya uses her Arts to calm Jessica after the latter suffers a panic attack from seeing FrostNova's Ice Arts. Amiya and the others try to regroup with the LGD, only to be cornered by the Yetis. Frostleaf tries to sacrifice herself after suffering frostbite from FrostNova's attack but the others refuse to leave her behind and fight the Yetis to rescue Frostleaf. As FrostNova sings an Arts Incantation to freeze her enemies, the Doctor orders the team to destroy nearby Originium shards to disrupt FrostNova's spell and escape after FrostNova gets sick. As Patriot, FrostNova's father, warns her daughter not to overuse her powers, Talulah commences the next stage of her plans; attacking Lungmen. Amiya manages to contact Ch'en only to learn from the latter that Reunion has attacked Lungmen.
As Ch'en leads her LGD forces to retake Lungmen, she is criticized by her partners, Hoshiguma and Swire, for not acting like herself and abandoning Amiya and her team to pursue Reunion. When Ch'en learns her Reunion informant, Phal, has his identity compromised, Ch'en leads a rescue team to save him. However, Phal later dies after being tortured but not before revealing a location that Talulah is interested in. Ch'en heads to that location, which is revealed to be her father's home, which Ch'en doesn't have fond memories of her father before going inside and finding a picture of her and Talulah as children. While retaking Paci Plaza which is owned by Swire's family, Ch'en refuses to abandon Hoshiguma after the latter protect hers from a explosion out of guilt for abandoning Amiya. After retaking the Plaza and getting Hoshiguma treated for her injuries, Ch'en assembles her forces to retake the LGD headquarters.
