The MMORPG Tower of Fantasy (PC, Mobile) is hosting a Closed Beta in China. Several gameplay videos have now been uploaded on YouTube from this test. The game visually resembles Genshin Impact, but with a combat system that places a strong emphasis on action.
What kind of game is this? Tower of Fantasy is an open-world MMORPG that emphasizes exploration and storytelling. Recently, the game made headlines by undergoing a major graphic overhaul that has since made it even more similar to Genshin Impact.
In the game, you can:
- Create your own character
- Complete quests
- Climb, swim, and destroy various objects by throwing them into fire, for example
- Complete dungeons, participate in PvP content, and craft items
- Join a guild
- Talk to NPCs, who are all meant to have interesting personalities
It is being developed by the Chinese Hotta Studio and published by Perfect World, which recently announced 4 more new MMORPGs. It is set to be released for PC, Android, and iOS.
What does the new gameplay show? In China, there was a Closed Beta that was not region-locked. Therefore, players from all over the world were able to create videos of Tower of Fantasy.
Notably, the action-packed combat system and the dark storyline distinctly set this MMORPG apart from Genshin Impact.
You can check out the introduction to the MMORPG in this YouTube video by Steparu:
Action-Packed Fights and Beautiful Anime Graphics
What do the new gameplay videos show? Tower of Fantasy is a game with a lot of dynamism. This is particularly evident in the battles:
- There is an action combat system where you need to aim precisely
- Both mouse buttons execute actions. Additionally, there are other abilities assigned to the Q, E, and 1 keys
- You can switch between your weapons in battle
- You can perform attacks while jumping, allowing you to attack opponents from the air
In the comments about the combat system, many players express that they wish for such a system in Genshin Impact. The battles are also compared to KurtzPel, an anime action game that launched in Early Access in 2019.
You can see how the battles unfold best in this YouTube video by Steparu. He first plays in the open world but shows a boss fight from a dungeon starting at minute 6:18:
In addition to the battles, exploring the open world is a focal point. There, you can jump particularly high, climb, glide, swim, and also use mounts.
Since Tower of Fantasy is set in a rather modern world, you can use motorcycles as mounts, for example.
What is the story? This is currently hard to say, as the game was only playable in Chinese. However, in the first gameplay video, you see a female character who guides us through the tutorial dying. Overall, the story appears darker than in Genshin Impact.
By the way, Genshin Impact just recently received a large new story update and will get housing and new characters with Patch 1.5 at the end of April.
How is character creation? The YouTuber MELOO has created a video about Tower of Fantasy, focusing solely on character creation:
- You choose from pre-made characters, but you are not bound to any class or playstyle with them
- You can visually customize your characters with many sliders afterward
- There are various costumes you can choose from at the start
The beta was not locked for western players, but release is still uncertain
Will the MMORPG come to us? Officially, the developer Hotta Studio and publisher Perfect World have not yet commented on this. Currently, it is only known that Tower of Fantasy is set to launch in China in summer 2021.
However, Perfect World has already released games such as the eponymous MMORPG, Neverwinter, or Magic Legends in the West.
It is also positive that the beta of Tower of Fantasy did not have a region lock. Anyone could play in the West if they wanted, but only with Chinese texts and corresponding voiceovers.
Can you still participate in the beta? No, sign-ups have since been closed. However, you can register for the game in advance:
- For this, you need an account on TapTap or the international version Tap.io
- On both, you can register with a Western email address or phone number
- Then, visit the subpage for Tower of Fantasy (you can simply type it into the search bar). On the page, you can register in advance
While the global release of Tower of Fantasy is still uncertain, the release of a new Chinese MMORPG has been confirmed for us. Swords of Legends will be released in summer 2021 on Steam and Epic for us. You can learn more about the game here:
I played a new MMORPG hope – didn’t understand a word, but already have a conclusion
