Solo Leveling Arise is one of the most high-quality gacha games to date

Throughout my years at Android Authority, I’ve had hands-on expertise with dozens of cellular video games and developed sure expectations. Chief amongst them is that the majority cellular video games primarily based on current franchises are nothing greater than low-cost money grabs. That’s what makes Solo Leveling: Come up such a breath of recent air and our choose for the Finest New Cell App of the Week!

Solo Leveling started as a manhua novel in 2016 earlier than transitioning to the webtoon format two years later. Come up represents the sequence’ first try at a online game adaptation, and regardless of its heavy reliance on in-app purchases, it’s clear that actual care was taken to make sure the story, fight, and mechanics are as much as the identical normal because the manhua or webtoon.

What we love about Solo Leveling: Come up

After I first booted up Solo Leveling: Come up on my Pixel 7, I believed it was going to be like each different tie-in sport I’ve reviewed on this style. Whereas there are apparent similarities, I shortly realized there was extra right here than meets the attention. Not like most tie-in video games with watered-down storylines and mechanics, I used to be stunned by the detailed lore, world-building, and story components.

The sport begins with a brief intro that explains the sport world. In short, there are gates the place monsters always emerge. The one factor stopping chaos from destroying the world are the Hunters. You tackle the position of Sung Jinwoo, referred to as “the weakest hunter of all mankind.”

The sport’s cutscenes use precise panels from the manhua as an instance the story, superbly animated. Simply remember Come up adapts the novel utterly, so taking part in by the sport might spoil occasions that haven’t but appeared within the webtoon. The storytelling and dialogue are so good that it’s nearly like studying the novel.

Whereas Solo Leveling: Come up doesn’t dramatically change the gameplay expertise from different gacha motion video games, it provides RPG-like mechanics that assist it stand out. For instance, whereas the setup is just like Honkai Affect with particular abilities to your character, there are additionally particular weapon abilities that adjust relying on the weapons you utilize.

The preventing expertise relies on brief levels with a couple of random fights sometimes, adopted by a serious boss combat. The principle purpose is to take out the boss for every stage, requiring you to interrupt down their Guard bar with particular abilities and weapons within the course of. As soon as the Guard bar is lowered, the boss turns into briefly susceptible. This expertise may not be novel, however it feels extra impressed and fleshed out than many different cellular titles. Moreover, there are bonus goals in these levels that may allow you to earn in-game foreign money and different rewards.

What we don’t like about Solo Leveling: Come up

Solo Leveling: Come up isn’t with out its faults. As talked about within the cons, loading occasions might be fairly lengthy. The primary boot took me 5-6 minutes because of preliminary downloads, and even in-game transitions might take as much as a minute or extra, particularly throughout moments of server lag.

I encountered a number of bugs, akin to my character freezing throughout a battle and the sport crashing with out warning. These points ought to hopefully be addressed in future updates and aren’t essentially deal breakers, however they’re value noting.

Essentially the most important situation is the aggressive in-app purchases. Whereas the sport feels console-like and polished, the in-app purchases are a continuing reminder it’s a cellular sport. There are digital storefronts, a paid battle go system, and pay-to-win bonuses. The entire expertise is pretty aggressive. The excellent news is that the sport is playable with out spending cash, however it turns into a lot more durable.

Does this contradict my declare this sport isn’t only a money seize? Probably not. Whereas it’s true the corporate has loads of money-making alternatives with their in-app purchases, the precise depth of the sport’s mechanics and story assist make this really feel like a product of affection and never only a solution to make a buck. I simply want there have been a premium paid model that did away with the in-app buy factor.

Regardless of its flaws, Solo Leveling: Come up doesn’t really feel like only a money seize. The depth of the sport’s mechanics and story reveals a product of affection and dedication to the followers, not only a solution to earn a living. I simply want there have been a premium model with out in-app purchases.

Should you’re on the lookout for a gacha sport with a powerful story and deeper mechanics than most, choose up Solo Leveling: Come up. It may not be excellent, however it’s top-of-the-line tie-in cellular video games I’ve ever seen and offers me hope that not all video games like this must be money grabs.