Arknights: Endfield Technical Test on January: the complete review

On 12 January 2024, two years after its development was announced, Arknights: Endfield was revealed during a technical test that allowed a few lucky people to learn more about the heir to Arknights. What gameplay elements were revealed during the test? What can we learn from it? We take a look!

Arknights: Endfield technical test gives a first look at the game

The technical test for Arknights: Endfield took place on 12 January. The test was by invitation only, after a registration period, and was only available on PC. Those selected were able to get a taste of what the game will offer when it is released. During the demo session, players took on the role of Endministrators and explored the planet Talos-II.

Those selected to take part in the technical test of Arknights: Endfield were able to find all the information they needed on the official website, where they could log in and download the test pack. An exclusive Discord has also been set up for participants. More information will be shared on the Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube social networks about possible future test sessions.

This Arknights: Endfield technical test was an opportunity to give participants more details about the exploration system, the scenario and how the AIC works. Here are some more details on the content:

• The nine operators: several operators can be unlocked as you progress through the main story: Fjall, Endministrator, Wulfgard, Chen Qianyu and Perlica. Others can be exchanged for Oroberyls (the game's currency) during the Arknights: Endfield technical test: Angelina, Xaihi, Ember and Avywenna.

• Weapons and equipment: a total of 31 weapons will be available, some of which can only be obtained during the technical test in exchange for Oroberyls.

• The game's five zones: as the main story progresses, five zones can be explored: Quarry, The Hub Base, Blight Zone, Valley Pass and Originium Research Park.

Various missions, including main quests, faction missions, secondary tasks and AIC missions have been specially created for the Arknights: Endfield technical test.

A short but promising trailer for the Arknights: Endfield playtest

To coincide with the technical test, publisher Gryphline has unveiled a trailer lasting just over a minute. Short but intense, this brief video highlights the real-time combat, which promises to be strategic. This 3D role-playing game looks very promising. It will be available on mobile, PC and PS5. In fact, it's the first time this franchise has landed on a home console!

Arknights: Endfield is based on the world of the highly successful Arknights, a mobile game combining tower defence and role-playing mechanics. With more than 100 million downloads and having won the award for Best Google Play Game in 2023 on PC, Arknights offers players a rich title that has been a resounding success. Arknights: Endfield promises to be just as exciting as its predecessor.

What do we know about Arknights: Endfield?

Games like Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail have been extremely popular in recent years. With their 'manga' graphics and generally straightforward gameplay, these kinds of titles have managed to hold their own against other pay-to-win behemoths. So when a new game enters the market with the ambition of competing with its predecessors, it has its work cut out for it!

The year 2024 is when the real competitors arrive, and Arknights: Endfield looks set to be a formidable opponent. Everything presented in the technical test may evolve over time and is therefore not representative of the final game. Many gameplay and graphical elements will change between now and release. However, this test has enabled us to discover the basics of the game, which also benefits from superb graphics anda colourful and accomplished AD.

A semi-open world

Arknights: Endfield takes place in a semi-open world made up of different maps, or zones. During the test, five zones were accessible, but in the final game, there should certainly be two or three times that number. And as it's a free-to-play game like Genshin Impact, there's every chance that the title will benefit from regular updates to add new content.

Game mechanics

The technical test highlighted certain aspects of Arknights: Endfield. The game's mechanics promise to be particularly rich and varied. With real-time strategic combat, a wide range of classes and elements, a fuel system, artefacts, robustness and the factory system (AIC), this title will keep you on your toes for hours on end.

As for the endgame content, this technical test has not yet provided any answers. However, in other games of the same genre, the endgame content is what makes them strong and what keeps players playing. The same will certainly be true of Arknights: Endfield.

Do you need to have played Arknights to enjoy the game?

This is a very pertinent question, and the answer is no. You can play Arknights: Endfield without having played Arknights. The story of this new title takes place several hundred years after the events of Arknights and seems to have no real connection. Perhaps the developers have included a few references to the first game, but nothing that would prevent you from enjoying Arknights: Endfield.

Arknights: Endfield, a Free to Play game based on the codes of Gacha

Arknights: Endfield is a role-playing game, but above all it's Free to Play. This means that when it is released, the game will be free to download. A title of this quality that's free to download is pretty interesting... provided that microtransactions don't directly interfere with the gameplay and player experience!

In Arknights: Endfield, you can collect different operators. But you'll need a certain amount of Oroberyls for their weapons. For the moment, we don't know whether this currency will be easy to find in-game or whether you'll have to go through the 'real money purchase' stage to be able to progress more easily in the game.

No release date has yet been announced, but it looks like Arknights: Endfield won 't see the light of day until 2025! When released, the title will be available on Android, iOS, PC and PS5.