At this year’s gamescom, behind closed doors, I had the exclusive opportunity to spend 30 minutes with one of the most anticipated upcoming titles: Ananta. Originally revealed to the world as Project Mugen, Naked Rain and NetEase’s free-to-play urban open-world RPG is gearing up for a January 15, 2027 release across PC, PlayStation 5, and mobile platforms. Based on my hands-on experience, the immense hype surrounding its debut is entirely justified—it feels like an ambitious, chaotic blend of some of the best mechanics in gaming history, all wrapped in a stunning anime-inspired art style.
The demo was split into two distinct parts: a highly structured Story Mode and an open-ended Exploration Mode.
Action-Packed Narrative and Cinematic Chases
The Story Mode dropped me into a high-stakes mission previously teased in trailers. Playing as the male protagonist, simply known as Captain, things kicked off immediately with a gritty street brawl against a group of thugs. The combat system shines brightly here, heavily inspired by the rhythmic, close-quarters flow of the Batman: Arkham series. Every punch, dodge, and counterattack felt weighty and responsive, making the crowd-control aspects highly satisfying.
The sequence escalated quickly when Richie, a tough female officer from the ACD task force, arrived for a daring rescue, transitioning the gameplay into a high-octane car chase. With Richie at the wheel, I was tasked with leaning out the window and shooting at pursuing enemy vehicles—a set piece heavily reminiscent of classic Uncharted or Grand Theft Auto sequences. Later on, I was able to take the wheel myself to navigate the neon-lit streets. To be perfectly honest, the driving mechanics left a bit to be desired; the vehicles, even the supposed high-end sports cars, felt slightly sluggish and lacked the sharp responsiveness you’d expect. Following the chase, the mission culminated in a cinematic quick-time event (QTE) where Captain is dragged behind a car, dodging urban obstacles in a thrilling, heavily scripted moment.
Exploring the Urban Sandbox
Once the story concluded, the Exploration Mode unlocked, offering a vibrant, living slice of the city to roam freely. Though it was clearly an early build with some missing features and minor bugs, the scope was incredibly impressive. The demo featured three playable characters out of what seems to be a larger roster, allowing players to build a personalized crew. Swapping between them happens on the fly, nearly identical to the seamless character-switching mechanic in GTA V. Each character comes equipped with their own unique inventory, special abilities, and distinct fighting style.
Traversing the sprawling metropolis is where Ananta truly excels. Captain utilizes a grappling and swinging mechanic that is 90% identical to the exhilarating web-swinging of Marvel’s Spider-Man. Combined with the ability to sprint straight up the sides of towering skyscrapers—highly reminiscent of the Prototype series—movement is incredibly fast-paced, fluid, and endlessly fun.
The character variety also deeply changes how you interact with the world. Playing as Richie introduces dedicated law enforcement mechanics: you can stop pedestrians, frisk them, issue citations, make arrests, and even commandeer civilian vehicles simply by asking for them instead of resorting to theft. The city itself feels remarkably alive with activities. You can browse clothing stores to customize your look, grab a drink at local coffee shops, or visit restaurants. While the vehicle variety on the streets was great—I even spotted a fire truck and a city bus—they were unfortunately un-drivable in this specific build.
Ananta is swinging for the fences by borrowing beloved mechanics from multiple legendary franchises. If Naked Rain can polish the driving physics and iron out the lingering bugs before launch, this game is poised to be an absolute powerhouse in the open-world RPG genre.
