Ananta is one of this year’s biggest surprises. It’s a game that’s a combination of multiple games packed into one massive experience. As someone who initially ignored its reveal back then due to its gacha-like systems, I had completely forgotten about its existence until PlayStation dropped a new trailer today showcasing the full extent of its gameplay.
The seven-and-a-half-minute trailer highlighted not only what Ananta is about but also what to expect from its core systems and gameplay loop. To everyone’s surprise, it has mechanics that draw heavily from major titles like Insomniac’s Spider-Man and Rockstar’s GTA series.
Here’s every video game that inspired Ananta’s gameplay mechanics:
Insomniac’s Spider-Man’s Web-Slinging and Combat
Ananta’s traversal is clearly inspired by Insomniac’s Spider-Man movements. From web-slinging to wall climbing, you can tell that NetEase has borrowed that same level of fluid movement that the Sony IP is known for, except that in Ananta, you are not a superhero getting bitten by a radioactive character.
One of the game’s main characters can even be seen perched on rooftops and high places, scouting for threats and looming over thugs during a heist. Sort of like a Batman or Spider-Man situation before they kick criminal scum.
Grand Theft Auto’s Weapon Wheel and Character Switching
Another major inspiration that Ananta took from other games is Grand Theft Auto V’s iconic weapon wheel. In the trailer, one of the main characters is shown switching between weapons on the fly, swapping from rocket launchers to assault rifles with ease. Other weapons shown in the trailer are flamethrowers, pistols, and even everyday objects like a Badminton bat and a massive hammer.
Perhaps the biggest inspiration they took from Rockstar’s award-winning open-world game is the character switching. Using their Smartphone Device (which is also a GTA staple), they can swap between multiple characters instantly. In the gameplay trailer, we could see the main character swap to a police cat-girl (yes, that’s a thing) who then goes about arresting criminals in the streets.
Batman Arkham’s Combat
Apart from the Spider-Man-like web slinging movements, Ananta has also taken a few pages from Rocksteady’s Arkham combat system, where enemy encounters require you to counter and dodge from enemy attacks. While Insomniac’s Spider-Man games also leaned on this system, Rocksteady’s Arkham series is what popularized it, and its influence is clear here.
Watch Dogs’ Drone and Surveillance Gameplay
Ananta has also borrowed what Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs, particularly the hacking mechanics. Players can control drones from its wide range of characters so they can access vents and tight spaces. They even took one of Watch Dogs’ camera hacking systems and spy on enemies. These features were standout mechanics in Watch Dogs, and Ananta seems to adopt them directly.
Genshin Impact’s Anime Aesthetics
The biggest surprise of Ananta is that it borrows heavily from Genshin Impact and Zenless Zone Zero’s anime aesthetic, which is already prevalent in most Gacha games today. The difference is that its gacha elements are surprisingly tame in comparison.
In an interview with Famitsu, Ananta creators NetEase confirmed that while the game shares a Gacha-like atmosphere, it doesn’t feature a character gacha system. Which means all playable characters will be obtainable in the game for free. Instead, the game’s monetization and possible Gacha trap will be for its cosmetics, like new outfits for its cast of multiple playable characters.
So far, the gacha mechanics aren’t egregious compared to its peers. Ananta is already shaping up to be a promising open-world adventure from NetEase. While the similarities to other games are clearly obvious, we still don’t know the full scope of what this game can offer. It could either be one of the greatest games of this generation, or it might collapse under the weight of trying to pack too much into a single title.
For now, though, Ananta has my full attention, and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it once it comes out soon. Best of all, it's free to play.
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