The devs behind stunning open-world RPG Project Mugen explain how it actually plays

Urban open-world RPG Project Mugen popped out of nowhere back in August, and we haven't learned much about the game since the updated trailer publisher NetEase released last month. Even so, the Genshin Impact x Grand Theft Auto themes were more than enough to perk up my ears. But there was still a lot I didn't know about the game, and it's seemingly not coming out anytime soon, so I was eager to talk to the folks at developer Naked Rain about how it actually plays. 

So, I sent some questions over (just before the updated trailer dropped) hoping to learn a bit more. After speaking with lead producer Ash Qi, Project Mugen simultaneously sounds more and less like Genshin Impact than I expected, from combat to exploration. And yes, this comparison – which has colored much of the conversation about the game – is one thing I really wanted to ask about. 

Responses edited for clarity and length. 

So what is Project Mugen, really?

GamesRadar+: Project Mugen has gotten – and will surely continue to get – a lot of comparisons to Genshin Impact. How do you feel about this point of reference? Would you say it's fair? Accurate? Flattering? 

Lead producer Ash Qi: We feel that what makes Project Mugen different and appealing is that it is an urban open world, which means that we can experience many things we don’t have a chance to do in our daily urban lives. For example, we can watch live shows, go to the cafe, play arcade games, and have a ride on a Ferris wheel. The first city, Nova Inception Urbs, holds more than 10 different areas for exploring, including a business district, beach, amusement park, and factory.

The grappling hook-style swinging shown in the reveal trailer resembles the Spider-Man games, especially the modern games made by Insomniac. Can you speak to how this swinging system came about and your goals for it? Can every character swing around like this?  

Our goal was to design a traversal system that required no stamina. Grappling/swinging is just one of these many methods. Players can explore the cities and solve problems by moving freely and seamlessly through the urban landscape, taking advantage of grappling, swinging, parkour and wall-climbing, or by running or driving (and we continue to explore further modes of travel!). Some of the characters have unique moving methods. Take Taffy, for example: her hammer can be used as a weapon for fighting or as a vehicle for riding.

I want to nail down some more basics of gameplay. In combat, will players be rapidly swapping between multiple characters in the party, or focusing more on one character at a time? 

The basic battle mode in this game involves choosing four characters to form the team and then to engage in battle. Each character has different attributes, and some of these attributes may synergize with each other, which hopefully offers up a deep and strategic combat system. Each team can also equip a special ability, including crowd control, telekinesis, buffs, and more to add another dimension to combat.

The open world has been a big hook for a lot of viewers. How big is this urban environment, and how freely can players explore? 

Nova Inception Urbs is the first city players will get to explore and it was developed with influences from East Asian culture. It contains more than 10 distinct areas on a seamless map. These areas include a shopping street, the beach, public parks, an amusement park, and more. There will also be more cities available as we progress, some inspired by European and American cultures. Our aim is to offer players a vast and immersive open world that encourages players to travel around the world.

With this being a free-to-play game, and there being quite some precedent for NetEase games, can you speak to how Project Mugen will be monetized?

We are paying much more attention right now on the game design and content creation to be honest. We will consider the commercial aspects further down the road.  

We only have a limited reveal and early pre-registration right now. Do you have any sort of launch window for when Project Mugen will be playable? Can players expect any sort of early access through beta tests? 

Our team is still working very hard to develop the game so we haven’t committed to a specific launch window yet. We expect a global launch in the future. We also plan to launch localized versions for other markets so this also adds to the development timeline. Please stay tuned!

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