Ananta developers weigh in on GTA 6 comparisons – ‘there are still very many key differences between us’
With more than fifteen million pre-registrations and counting, Ananta is easily one of the most anticipated upcoming releases. This free adventure wowed with its most recent gameplay trailer, which featured over seven minutes of gameplay footage against the backdrop of its huge, colorful open world.
Featuring insights into everything from Watch dogs-drone piloting style and Yakuza beat-em-up fight for Marvel’s Spider-Man–With its aerial traversal and stealth, it looks like a whole assortment of fun mechanics that I simply can’t wait to master.
Urban fantasy
Ananta also made numerous comparisons with Grand Theft Auto 6with fans pointing out the apparent similarities in its driving mechanics, the way you switch between its range of playable characters, and the overall concept of a realistic virtual world. “Legend has it that GTA6 was postponed for fear of competing Ananta” reads one of the top-rated comments on her memorable State of Play appearance.
It’s a funny and tongue-in-cheek remark, but it got me thinking: Is developer Naked Rain really considering these two titanic experiences living side by side when other studios may have changed their schedules to avoid competing with Rockstar’s next release?
“We really appreciate the comparison with GTA6“, the team told me in a recent written interview. “We think they can definitely coexist. Although both [Ananta and GTA 6] If we fall into the urban open world genre, there are still many, many key differences between us, from art style to character stories to many other aspects.
Perhaps one of the most obvious points of divergence is the conception of that of Anata world. It also takes place in a modern city, but particularly oriented towards East Asia. “We’ve noticed that many city-themed games currently on the market are modeled after American cities like Los Angeles or New York,” the developers explained.
“As there are still very few games set in Asia, we wanted to create a game that captures the essence of modern Asian urban life and shares it with the world.”
Currently, there is only one city in the game, they say, which “remains incomplete” in its current incarnation but will be expanded “gradually” over time. It’s also possible that new maps will be added, which are expected to include renderings of “more iconic locations across Asia.”
While the Grand Theft Auto the series has always pursued photorealism, Ananta is significantly more stylized with cel-shaded visuals reminiscent of animation. The reasoning behind this is simple and, according to Naked Rain, “many team members are anime fans, so there may be a desire to bring these anime-style worlds to life and bring them to a global audience.”
Animation
Don’t be fooled by the cartoon aesthetic; the world in Ananta is far from artificial. One of the most interesting moments in the game’s trailer shows the player taking control of a different character – the camera pans overhead before smoothly panning back to reveal the other protagonist entering the scene in a flashy sports car.
This is reminiscent of the character selection system in GTA 5 which would play short cutscenes with each switch, making it feel like you were interrupting the character’s daily life. This is pushed further into Anantahowever, where the developers explain that “when you switch to a different character, your original character continues to live its own life.”
“As you move from one character to the next, you will witness the progression of their lives and be able to pick up where they left off,” they add. “Our goal is to design a system unique from other RPGs, where diverse people and professions coexist in cities.” This is part of a commitment to creating “distinct characters rather than just characters that players can control.”
This also ties into the studio’s overall intentions for the project. “From the beginning, our vision has remained unchanged,” reveals the team. “Our goal is to create a game that exceeds players’ imagination, allowing them to experience a virtual, fantasy life in an open world.” With this in mind, it is not only important but “essential” that players are able to “fully engage in the lives” of each character as they “face different types of challenges.”
You may be concerned that a free-to-play business model could compromise the integrity of this vision, but the team is careful to assure me that it “does not plan to implement character gacha mechanics” and that even if “Ananta will function as a free-to-play game”, “monetization will mainly focus on character skins”.
“At the heart of this game is the experience of ‘living a character’s life.’ While reality limits us to a single life, here you can enjoy as many unique lives as there are characters to play,” they reiterate. “To fully adhere to this […] We want players to freely choose their characters and explore various life paths – this is precisely why we designed character acquisition without gacha.
Other “customization items” will include upgrades for your character’s homes and vehicles, all of which can be “acquired using in-game currency.”
Although there is no firm release window yet, Ananta is expected to launch on PC, PlayStation 5 and mobile. I’ll definitely be keeping a close eye on updates as its development progresses; I hope there won’t be too much of a wait.
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