admin Thanks to the lovely folks at Gryphline, I had the pleasure of getting early access to the Arknights: Endfield Beta Test II, hearing some lovely insights from the game’s producer, Light Zhong, and lead designer, Ryan, and also getting to enjoy a live performance from Starset, the band whose music you can enjoy in the Arknights: Endfield beta test trailer.
I’m fairly new to all things Arknights, and was a little concerned that heading into a world with an established fanbase would be daunting. However, before I even had the chance to play, Light assured us that, as the game takes place many years after the original Arknights, it’s a perfect starting point for new fans. Though he did highlight that existing fans will enjoy some easter eggs they’ve sprinkled throughout, including a couple of familiar faces.
If you’re as new to this world as I am, let me give you a quick rundown before I get into what I experienced during my time with the Arknights: Endfield beta. At its core, the game is a sci-fi fantasy action RPG with some gacha mechanics layered on top. You start the game off as either a male or female Endministrator, who is thrown into combat with various gnarly monsters, before suddenly waking up with a bad case of memory loss aboard a large space station.
As the story progresses, the gameplay changes and opens up a massive factory building element that, once again, felt a little daunting as it’s not a genre of game I’ve spent a lot of time with. However, this fear was quickly washed away, as Light explained that in this new beta, they took on player feedback to add blueprints that make the system much simpler. He also said that you don’t necessarily have to take part in the factory element, though it will make everything progress a lot slower.
The action combat is really fluid and tasks you with controlling a single character while three others battle automatically alongside you. You’re able to get them to use different skills, and from my time in-game, your allies seem to work together pretty smartly to take down foes. The producer and lead designer feel that this combat system sets it apart from other games in the genre, and noted that with smart builds, you can use even lower-rank characters without worrying about them being underpowered.
I played the beta on a PC, and it looked absolutely gorgeous, almost to the point where I’m a little worried about how it will perform on mobile. The original Arknights utilizes 2D art and cutscenes, which work really well on mobile, but Endfield’s stunning 3D style may be a bit much for anyone with a slightly older device. However, I’ll reserve judgment on this for now, as Light mentioned that despite how tough it can be rendering for multiplatform, they’re taking the process seriously.
Between betas, Light and the team had to essentially completely remake the entire game. So, for those of you who managed to play the first test, the improvements and changes are likely going to surprise you. We were told when starting that the eight hours we were able to play would hardly even scratch the surface, as there are 50-60 hours worth of content to uncover in Test II.
As this was my first time playing the game, I can’t comment too much on how I think things have improved, but we were told that this new version has a new map, new characters, new gameplay modes, and multi-language support, along with better combat tutorials with extra guides and tips so you don’t get lost trying to work things out.
The area that Light and Ryan shared the most insight into was Wuling, a city inspired by an imaginary futuristic China. They noted that when people think about the East, the stereotype is generally ancient China, and they wanted to subvert expectations and look ahead. So, they based it on a location they know well, the China Academy of Art, and incorporated a theme of water to make interesting puzzles and hidden areas.
Not only does the water theme create interesting scenery, but it’s also a key resource in Wuling. You can pump and store water with your factory, use it to irrigate plants, and access underwater treasure troves by pumping it out. All of this makes me consider what other interesting elements may appear in future areas, perhaps lands of fire or air?
One of the biggest parts of any gacha game is the characters, and Endfield certainly delivers on this front. From Perlica, the adorable girl with cat-like ears, to Da Pan, a massive panda who walks on his hind legs, and even the slightly bizarre owl/human hybrid NPC, Andre. They all look great and are full of personality. Light mentioned that some of them are also known as Reconveners, which means that they’re based on characters from the first title and are set to “fulfill wishes of original game characters.”
Endfield is set to have numerous unique updates for new characters, story elements, maps, and gameplay, with some already nearing completion. We’ve seen plenty of live service gacha games come and go within months, so it’s great to see the team is already considering the future and preparing plenty of events for us going forward.
The last thing I want to touch on is the implementation of monetization. Obviously, as the game isn’t out yet, it’s hard to say how well it will work, and this is an element that can make or break a gacha game. When broaching this topic with Light, he said the team looked at similar games in regards to monetization, and they want to offer more free options for high-ranking characters. He also noted that whether you choose to spend or not, story elements aren’t behind paywalls.
So far, Arknights: Endfield looks really promising, and I can’t wait to get my hands on it when it arrives on Android, iOS, PC, and PS5 in 2026. You can pre-register now on the official Arknights: Endfield website, and if the game hits certain milestones, you can expect to get some free in-game currency and a five-star character.
