Games worth discovering
Meet the next contender for Genshin Impact’s crown
8K View2023-12-19
SHOULD I PLAY CRYSTAL OF ATLAN?
Absolutely play it once you get the chance! If the ongoing technical beta test is anything to go by, Crystal of Atlan may be the strongest action-RPG competition Genshin Impact has faced since Tower of Fantasy. While it’s too early to say whether Atlan can actually surpass Genshin, I feel confident that it’s well-designed enough to deserve your time and consideration.
TIME PLAYED
I’ve spent around six to eight hours with Crystal of Atlan so far. I’ve worked through the entire first chapter of the story and about half of the second chapter, plus explored a ton of sidequests and other content like exploration dungeons and the player-versus-player arena. I leveled my main character up to level 26 and accessed the advanced class feature, turning my Swordsman into a Magic Swordsman.
WHAT’S AWESOME ABOUT CRYSTAL OF ATLAN?
• Great anime-style visuals and fantasy aesthetic. With thick cel-shading and a mix of high fantasy with some light steampunk elements, Crystal of Atlan looks great. The game did a great job of pulling me into this world and making me want to explore. It’s hard to tell the scope of it right now, but I am eager to keep spending time here.
• Satisfying action combat. Each of Crystal of Atlan’s classes has their own suite of skills that can be learned and upgraded, and so far they all feel great. I mostly spent time playing as the Swordsman and Magic Swordsman, both of which focus on fast-paced melee attacks, but I also experimented with the ranged Sorcerer class and the more unique Puppeteer. No matter who I was playing as, the combat was quick, fluid, and extremely satisfying. A combo meter and grading system for missions also encouraged me to experiment with different abilities and try to master the system.
• Great localization so far. While Crystal of Atlan’s general plot is about as generic as its title, I have been impressed with the English translation work. The overarching narrative about mysteriously powerful crystals and hidden magical forces served well enough to push me along, but I found myself getting genuinely drawn in by the characters, such as the blacksmith Glenn, who I met as he was in the midst of a crisis over his missing daughter. There’s a surprising amount of depth and humanity here, which is not the norm for action-RPGs.
• Bite-sized missions. Rather than focusing on a big open world, Crystal of Atlan’s story is split into chapters, which are then split into smaller missions that can be tackled in very short chunks of playtime. A single mission usually consists of a small bit of exploration, sometimes a puzzle or stealth sequence, and two to three combat encounters or a boss fight. This structure is perfect for mobile, but even playing on PC I appreciated the ability to hop in, make progress, and log off. It’s very easy to get stuff done in a short amount of time.
• The online connection. While Crystal of Atlan isn’t really an MMO, it does offer some light MMO-esque gameplay that makes the world seem bigger and more alive. While in hub areas, such as the main city of Rhine, I could see other players running around and could even interact and emote with them. Add in both grouped PvE content and ranked PvP, and while this isn’t the type of game that will replace Final Fantasy XIV or anything, it definitely has some of that active MMO energy.
WHAT NEEDS IMPROVEMENT IN CRYSTAL OF ATLAN?
• Not much, in terms of gameplay. The core elements of Crystal of Atlan feels shockingly solid for a game that’s only in technical beta. I had very few problems. Still, there are a few concerns about the game that feel worth bringing up.
• Long multiplayer queues. This could be an issue with limited beta players or with the weird hours I was playing, but when I tried grouping up for PvE content, I was left waiting in queue for a long stretch of time. Thankfully, I could do other content while I waited, but I was still only able to successfully group up once. When I did finally get grouped with another player, the boss battle we fought together went very smoothly at least.
• Monetization is still unclear. Crystal of Atlan is like Genshin Impact and Tower of Fantasy in the sense that it’s an action-RPG, but if the game has a gacha system, it doesn’t seem like it will be a character or gear-based system as in those games. There is a premium battle pass option available, but the premium currency store in the test is currently closed for purchases and showcases limited options, so I’m still not totally sure how the game will monetize and whether that could shake out as something pay-to-win.
• The future for developer Nuverse does not seem bright, which worries me. Just last month, Nuverse owner and TikTok parent company ByteDance announced plans to restructure the company and move away from game development. Reportedly ByteDance is not planning to shut down Crystal of Atlan or other currently active Nuverse games, but instead will keep them running while it looks for another publisher to sell the project off to. But that leaves a lot of concern for the future.
What happens if they struggle to find someone to sell the game to? Or what if the publisher they sell to decides to change things or to embrace a worse model for monetization? Only time will tell how this all pans out, but hopefully things are on more solid ground before Crystal of Atlan’s full launch.
PLATFORM TESTED
PC.
Mentioned games
Comments
#My2023Wishlist
Crystal of Atlan is an hub based MMO action RPG set in a floating continent where magic and machines coexist.
Players become adventurers, fighting with magical weapons, exploring ancient ruins, exploring the truth about the destruction of ancient civilizations, and stopping new conspiracies. The style and detail as beautiful and interesting as its inspiration from Genshin Impact and Tower Fantasy.
Anton7942023-01-03
GENSHIN KILLER! CRYSTAL OF ATLAN IS THE REAL DEAL
Game: Crystal of Atlan Platform: PC & Mobile Genre: MMORPG, Magipunk, Adventure Release: GLOBAL BETA Price: FREE TO PLAY (with Minor Microtransactions)
Overview The constant clickbait by content creators in pursuit to lure you in for the next big thing labeled as the "Genshin Impact Killer" is frequently overused and often does not even come close to being true. It has changed this time around. Crystal of Atlan is essentially Genshin devoid of its constituent elements. There are no ridiculous mechanics that will force you to spend your life savings, and even if you did spend money, there is essentially no Pay to Win feature, particularly for PvP.
Pawkt28K2023-12-16
ACT FAST! PRE-REGISTER AND PLAY CRYSTAL OF ATLAN BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!
Crystal of Atlan is a brand new upcoming Anime Gacha RPG.
All credit is given (in the form of "sauce") to the original creators of every piece of art used.
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MMOByte5K2022-09-19
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why compare this game with genshin impact? So stupid, do you really think this game is like genshin impact? there's no gacha system like genshin.just a hack slash game with class changing system.i don't see this game has anything like genshin impact feature.please don't review like shit and always like to compare to genshin impact killer.i don't think you know how to compare genshin impact game feature with this game.
2024-01-22
It feels a lot like Genshin with how it plays. sorry! 🤷♂️
2024-01-22
game of the year
2023-12-21
not this year since it's just in beta, but if it goes full release next year I definitely could see it making my GOTY list!
2023-12-21
idk what to expect all of them says genshin killer, genshin dethrone and genshin crown stealer just wtf? just focus on the game your reviewing and stop comparing them they are both different games you don't even know how to create a game lol
2023-12-20
I'm hoping I said lots about the game beyond the Genshin comparison if you read the words! but you're correct, I don't know much about how to make a game.
2023-12-20