Earlier in the week, Chinese gaming giant Perfect World (Wanmei) held a media conference to showcase its upcoming slate of over 20 new games. Now known as Perfect World Games for its gaming business, a chunk of these PC and mobile titles will definitely be heading overseas despite mainly being targeted at the domestic market. Here are some of the announced titles which we will briefly go through.
Perfect New World (PC + Consoles)
Developed for consoles and PC, this is a modernized version of the original Perfect World MMORPG targeting the global audience. It is not a remake, but one with new ideas, features, graphics, and more. Perfect New World will be the first console game which is self-developed by Perfect World Games.
Perfect New World (Mobile)
The mobile version of Perfect New World will be different from the PC one (despite having similar names), being a totally stand-alone title. It is powered by Unreal Engine 4, with a game design focus on co-op and a massive number of players appearing on screen. It was also claimed that all NPCs will have their unique looks and move patterns.
New Jade Dynasty World (PC)
Crafted using Unreal Engine 4 and also developed in-collaboration with Nvidia, New Jade Dynasty World is a modernized version of the original Jade Dynasty. Similar to Perfect New World, it is not a remake, but one with new ideas, features, graphics, and more. Expect familiar clans and locations to appear though!
Jade Dynasty 2 (Mobile)
Also crafted using Unreal Engine 4, this is a total departure from the original Jade Dynasty. Schools have replaced clans, and there will be technology (steampunk and robots etc) included in the overall worldview, rather than just fantasy martial arts. Jade Dynasty 2 is developed on 5G connection speed right from the start, which means it can be rather data-hungry.
New Fantasy Jade Dynasty (Mobile)
I don’t remember the original game heading overseas, but Fantasy Jade Dynasty is a key game in the Jade Dynasty IP in China. This is a teenage story about the Jade Dynasty characters using turn-based team combat, something which did not change from the original. Fantasy Jade Dynasty is also introducing an open world system, while also adding an AI system which will create new NPCs and events according to what is happening in the server.
Tian Long Ba Bu 2 (Mobile)
Another game which I did not think managed to get localized for overseas regions, the sequel has since been announced. If you did not know, Tian Long Ba Bu is based on an epic martial arts novel by Louis Cha, which in turn was made into many drama series and movies. TLBB 2 once again will see a massive upgrade from the original with a focus on “original martial arts”, though details have yet to be announced.
Ashes of Love (Mobile)
Ashes of Love is based on a celebrated romance novel which was later made into a massively popular TV drama in 2018 (it is also on Netflix now I believe). It is yet another massive martial arts MMORPG powered by modern techniques, while being touted its movie-like visuals and AI expression system. Basically, everything is about visuals for now.
Chinese Paladin (Mobile)
Yet another IP with tons of TV series and movies in Asia, a new mobile game based on Chinese Paladin was announced. The iconic turn-based combat system will still be utilized here, and overall development will have the IP’s creator as the consultant. The game is also touted as a showcase for Chinese manga.
Chronicle of Infinity (Mobile)
Perfect World Games claimed that Chronicle of Infinity is the company’s vanguard title leading the charge into the action RPG genre on mobile. The team has huge global aspirations for this game (almost confirmed for a future global launch), with over 1 million words, 300 maps, and many more to bring this space-time adventure to life. There is also a MOBA mode teased within the game itself!
Tower of Fantasy (Mobile)
I think that this Unreal Engine 4 mobile MMO is in beta right now, and I got to find time to try it out again. I have already posted about Tower of Fantasy before, and was totally blown away by the scope and ambition. This is Perfect World Games’ FIRST attempt at creating a brand new light sci-fi IP. The game started out as an internal discussion about the relationship between technology, humanity, AI, and global pollution. Players will get to DIY their classes to explore the open world. Of course, there are tons of co-op gameplay modes as well.
Codename: R (Mobile)
To be honest, I thought that Codename: R looked pretty similar to Tower of Fantasy. Here, the worldview features 2 growing ideals, technology and religion, as believers from both sides clash. There is much more steampunk influence as well, with the game categorized as a “steampunk fantasy” title. It was touted that stage-based maps will be made obsolete here, and will instead be merged as continuous maps with “live” elements.
Codename: Million Arthur (Mobile)
Based on the IP from Square Enix, there have already been a couple of mobile games made before. including this one by competitor NetEase. Perfect World Games is next to pick up Million Arthur, and will retain the classic CCG playstyle while adding roguelike elements and co-op functions. I am not sure about touting using popular voice actors and actresses, since it is so common these days. There is little to talk about right now, so we will have to wait for more details.
Project: Prism (Mobile)
Project: Prism is announced as Perfect World Games’ FIRST attempt at a game merging scif-fi, other worlds, and open world elements. While many technical jargons were mentioned, the key focus seems to be about stabilizing the movement + combat to provide players with a smooth experience which will minimize the delay caused by latency.
Project Bard (Mobile)
Compared to previous anime-style games, Project Bard is going the way of a more typical fantasy anime route. It was also confirmed that Project Bard will work with many world-renowned IP in collaborations, though none was named. There is little info on Project Bard for now.
Codename: X (Mobile)
If you did not already know, this is obviously a mobile game based on the famous console JRPG IP from Atlus, Persona. There is nothing much to be said, since Perfect World Games will not be massively changing styles from the original, but rather try their best to enhance it for mobile devices. There is apparently a global launch planned as well!
One-Punch Man: World (Mobile)
One-Punch Man is an extremely popular IP in China, and Perfect World Games has taken on the mantle to create the next mobile game based on it. According to presentation, players will be able to feel what it is like controlling or becoming the heroes. While not being introduced as a massive open world title, it was showcased as a game with “a big world,” along with weather and day/night cycles that will affect the power of villains/ heroes and trigger different events.
