Blue Protocol: Star Resonance First Impressions — A Gorgeous Anime MMORPG With Unfortunate Blemishes

After years of waiting, I finally got my hands on Blue Protocol — now called Blue Protocol: Star Resonance. The free-to-play anime MMORPG launched its closed beta test on August 22, and I have been playing all weekend. My first impressions are mixed, but leaning positive.

Blue Protocol: Star Resonance delivers on its promise of being a true anime MMORPG, with flashy combat, vibrant visuals, and plenty of social features. But Blue Protocol: Star Resonance also struggles with painfully dull quests, questionable monetization, and some frustrating restrictions.

Let us start with the good.

One of the first things that impressed me was the sheer scale. Each line (channel) supports up to 500 players in a single area, and Blue Protocol: Star Resonance really feels like a proper MMORPG. Zones are packed with people running around, and world bosses attract dozens of players at once, making battles feel chaotic and alive.

Combat is another highlight. Blue Protocol: Star Resonance is fully action-based — dodging, aiming, and chaining combos all matter. It feels responsive and satisfying, especially in boss fights where mechanics keep things engaging. These encounters are short, intense, and grindable in a way that makes them worth repeating. The combat is not flawless — it can feel a little spammy — but overall, I am a fan.

That said, I really do not like the auto-combat feature. Sure, it is optional, but it becomes the most convenient way to deal with weak mobs or during world boss fights. It cheapens the experience. And to make things worse, there is no auto-gather. Why can I set my character to auto-attack enemies, but still have to manually hunt down rocks and press “F” on each one just to start mining?

Visually, though, Blue Protocol: Star Resonance is stunning. The anime-inspired art style is beautiful, and the world itself feels carefully crafted. Movement is smooth, and with double jumps and gliding, exploration is a joy. Hunting for treasure chests tucked away on cliffs or wandering just to soak in the scenery often pulled me away from my objectives. Blue Protocol: Star Resonance is a treat for the eyes.

Now, onto the bad.

The story and quests are awful. They drag Blue Protocol: Star Resonance down completely. I skipped cutscenes and dialogue because they were boring, yet I still had to suffer through them since quests are the main source of experience. Progression ends up feeling like a chore, not an adventure. Most tasks boil down to “kill three spider crabs” or “fetch an item across the map,” with very little variety. The contrast between Blue Protocol: Star Resonance’s gorgeous world and its dull narrative is jarring.

Crafting and life skills were a pleasant surprise at first. With 10 professions like alchemy, cooking, and geology, there is a lot to do outside of combat, and the systems feed into each other nicely. But then I hit the stamina walls and daily restrictions. Progression is artificially capped, which makes the whole system feel more restrictive than rewarding.

And then there is the monetization. Blue Protocol: Star Resonance mostly falls into the “pay for convenience” category, with cosmetics, mounts, seasonal passes, and materials to speed up crafting or upgrades. On the surface, nothing essential is locked away — free players can still access all core content. But the sheer number of currencies is overwhelming. There are more than half a dozen different tokens, coins, and gems, each tied to specific progression systems. It is confusing at best and predatory at worst, since complicated systems often disguise real-money shortcuts. I would not call it fully pay-to-win, but the design clearly nudges players toward spending if they want a smoother experience.

In the end, I still cannot wait for the full launch. Blue Protocol: Star Resonance nails what matters most — fun combat, gorgeous visuals, and a lively world — but undermines itself with auto-combat, terrible story quests, and messy monetization. If you are into anime, it is absolutely worth checking out. And since it is free-to-play, you do not have much to lose.