Gran Saga

Dynamic MMORPG with character switching in anime style and fantasy setting, Gran Saga offers an epic storyline dedicated to freeing the native kingdom from the curse of the black dragon, a deep role-playing system, and full-fledged PvE and PvP, including a ranking system, arenas for battles with other players, and cooperative quests. The gameplay focuses on creating your own party of characters, developing their skills, fighting monsters, and completing various quests. For this, the game has a vast open world, with locations crafted in various biomes and filled with adventures that need to be actively explored. In Russia, the game is published by Innova, and the Russian version was released in November 2024.

The game universe of Gran Saga combines elements of Eastern and Western cultures, weaving them into classic themes of the fantasy genre.

The artistic style, character design, and narrative motifs reflect Eastern influence. The impact of anime and manga is felt with their vibrant heroes, complex tragedies, and mythical entities. The influence of the West manifests through dragons, magic, knightly orders, heroic narratives, and a series of epic battles with numerous enemies.

The story begins in ancient times, in the land of Esfrozen. The creator goddess, who granted life to humans, elves, and beastmen, faced the evil Black Dragon — an invader from another world. The dragon imprisoned the goddess in a dungeon and corrupted the inhabitants of Esfrozen, exploiting the weaknesses of their hearts. Gradually, they forgot their creator, and the Black Dragon became the sole ruler of this world.

But hope did not fade. Leon, one of the few who retained faith in the goddess, vowed to save her and destroy the Black Dragon. Hearing the vow, the goddess infused the remnants of her power into the creation of a powerful artifact — the grand weapon. Armed with this gift, Leon and his 13 loyal companions, known as grand knights, set out to battle the dragon. Many years have passed, and now new heroes enter the decisive battle that will determine the fate of Esfrozen.

In Gran Saga, the world is presented as a full-fledged planet with continents, islands, oceans, and seas. The world is very large due to its diverse biomes: from hot deserts with sandstorms to turquoise lagoons stretching to the horizon, from steep canyons where the wind whistles to volcanic highlands spewing fiery lava. There are also calmer places in Esfrozen, covered with dense forests and sunlit green meadows.

The world is not limited to wilderness. Esfrozen is filled with traces of various civilizations. There are lively cities filled with NPCs, featuring majestic buildings of unique architecture, as well as smaller settlements — castles and villages made of stone and wood. Ancient ruins, remnants of old bastions, and familiar dungeons hiding secret paths, treasures, and numerous foes have not disappeared.

The game graphics impress with their stylization. Korean artists have infused the world of Gran Saga with a unique colorful and fairy-tale aesthetic reminiscent of Final Fantasy. Every element, from the environment to the buildings, has been crafted with attention and artistic taste. Moving through the open world enhances the feeling of freedom: players can explore the lands on foot, riding mounts, or using magical portals.

The design of Gran Saga is based on a "gacha" game system, where characters and the formation of combat squads play a key role. At the launch of the localized version for Russia, players were greeted by Las, Seriada, Wynn, Kyu, Carta, and Namarié. In total, there are truly many heroes in Gran Saga, and their roster is regularly updated with interesting newcomers. Only three heroes can be held in a squad at the same time, but the constantly changing conditions and types of opponents encourage players to shuffle them like cards in a deck, expand their collection, experiment with combinations, and find new heroes to strengthen their squad.

Each character has their own damage, health, and defense stats, as well as a special energy gauge that activates an enhanced version of abilities when filled. The abilities themselves are used at intervals. In the spirit of old-school MMORPGs, each character can be equipped in many ways, including grand weapons, armor sets, necklaces, and accessories, artifacts (four of each). An extensive inventory stores all accumulated items, some of which are suitable for specific heroes, while others are for the entire group. The squad usually develops automatically, but there is always the option to redistribute equipment to better match the style and class of a specific character's gameplay.

The class system defines the tactical features of heroes. Mages use spells to deal damage from a distance, while wizards support allies and weaken opponents with their charms. Snipers use firearms for precise attacks at range. Swordsmen and guardians engage in close combat, but while the former deal damage, the latter focus more on protecting the team and taking hits.

Additionally, characters and enemies are divided by elements — fire, water, earth, wind, and darkness. This is a classic "rock, paper, scissors" approach, but with a fantasy twist. For example, Water is strong against Fire but weak against Wind. In turn, Fire is strong against Wind but weak against Water. Meanwhile, Wind prevails over Earth but is weak against Fire. When facing enemies of a superior element, it's wise to switch heroes to those who will have the advantage.

Success depends on the right choice of heroes, their elemental compatibility, and the squad's equipment. The overall power of the team is determined by the characters' stats, levels, and skills, but a more powerful (in numbers) boss or mission difficulty can easily lead to failure.

Most actions in Gran Saga are automated, but players can always take control of what is happening on the screen. Leveling up includes more than 60 levels, each increase unlocking access to new skills, weapons, and equipment, broadening combat possibilities even further. A key role in the combat system is played by grand weapons — unique gear that significantly changes the appearance, combat style, and abilities of the hero. Each character can equip only the grand weapons suitable for their class, allowing them to adapt to various gameplay situations. Artifacts enhance character stats and can be gradually leveled up.

Obtaining grand weapons (and other content) is implemented through a summoning system typical for gacha games. Players spend in-game currency or real money to receive random rewards. Players can earn currency by completing quests or purchase it for real money, with the chance of obtaining a rare item or character varying. A powerful build can be assembled without spending money, as the game provides enough rewards.

The achievement system is one of the most multi-layered features of Gran Saga. Players receive rewards for meeting certain conditions, whether it's leveling up a character, participating in battles, or completing story missions. Achievements are tied to Orders (the local name for guilds), adding passive bonuses and opportunities to improve the combat stats of the squad.

Collected rewards, items, weapons, and equipment can be utilized in the workshop. There, unnecessary items are processed into gems and other resources. From these, players can synthesize new, more useful items, upgrade equipment, or increase its rank. The enhancement process requires significant resources, which become increasingly rare as the item's rank grows.

Traveling long distances can be done using mounts, starting from a basic horse to other, quite exotic options with their own customization. Some "steeds" have unique characteristics, determining their selection for exploring the world or participating in events.

The majority of the game's PvE content is closely intertwined with the storyline, aiming to fully engage the player in the events. Main quests include missions that advance the game's plot. Side quests offer more variety: world exploration, resource gathering, and interaction with NPCs. Weekly events with unique opponents are provided, participation in which brings additional rewards. Gameplay-wise, activities usually boil down to battles with mobs and bosses.

According to the plot, a group of novice heroes wishing to become grand knights faces betrayal from another high-ranking grand knight who stole an important artifact. In pursuit of him, they embark on an adventure that will not only unveil Esfrozen for the player but also help reveal the characters' personalities. The story and cutscenes, directed with attention to detail, play an important role in the process, ensuring dynamic story development and involving dramatic and sometimes touching moments typical of Korean games. Each NPC has its own backstory and motivation. As a result, the PvE mode offers not only a mechanical but also an emotional experience, where every choice and every battle matters in the context of the overall narrative.

More complex PvE events are divided into seasons and usually pit the Orders against each other in a series of global event challenges. Each such event is different from the previous one and usually lasts a season. The Orders compete for top spots in the ranking, battling powerful opponents, culminating in a final showdown. The most successful receive exclusive rewards, artifacts, and permanent titles.

The foundation of the competitive PvP process is the Arena. Players position their characters on a 3 by 3 grid on the map, after which they watch a fully automated battle. Here, much depends on the squad's preparation, its equipment and collected types of weapons, the level of skill upgrades, and even the strategic positioning of heroes. However, once the battle begins, players cannot intervene in its course. In the end, both sides receive ratings and rewards. Rewards can be sold for gold or used in current character sets to enhance them.