Blue Protocol: Star Resonance's Day One Reception Is Not Looking So Good

Blue Protocol: Star Resonance is finally here, and the new free-to-play MMORPG has already split the room. It shot straight into Steam’s Top 10 Most Played at launch, peaking around 94,000 concurrent players. Sounds good, yeah? Well, the reviews tell a different story. The game sits at “Mostly Negative,” hovering in the 30% range. Most players are not complaining about bugs or stability. Nope. They just do not like the game itself.

A lot of the frustration comes down to design choices that lean far too heavily into mobile territory. Progression is timegated on a daily schedule, meaning players cannot rush ahead even if they want to. At least not right now. Players say it will take about two weeks from today to reach Level 60, which is currently the maximum level. The developers likely want players to progress together for the time being. I like the sentiment, but it just comes off as restrictive. So right now, you log in, play a few story quests, collect your daily rewards, and then log off until the next bit of content becomes available. Some people like that kind of pacing because it prevents burnout. Others, myself included, dislike being told how long we are allowed to play a video game.

Then there is the combat and presentation. A lot of players are saying the animations feel stiff, the cutscenes are awkwardly edited, and half the dialogue is not even voiced. That alone kills immersion for many players who expected a big-budget anime MMO. On top of that, the UI feels “mobile,” even on PC. By that, I mean endless pop-ups, layered menus, and daily claim screens that fill your interface before you even begin to understand what they all do.

To make matters worse, the launch is not truly “global.” The servers are reportedly located in North America, meaning players in Europe, Australia, and Southeast Asia are stuck with awful latency. For an action-combat MMORPG, that is not just inconvenient — it can be game-breaking. Some players are already uninstalling after discovering their ping makes dodging attacks or timing combos almost impossible. 

The monetization has also become a major talking point. The cash shop is packed with cosmetics, which is expected, but the controversy surrounds the “Imagine” and “Battle Will” systems. These are gacha mechanics that provide stat bonuses and even new abilities. You can grind for them, and the game does not feature PvP, but many players still see it as a slippery slope. It is not the most predatory system out there, but it does not feel necessarily fair either.

Despite all of that, Blue Protocol: Star Resonance will probably be fine. It will cultivate a community, though likely a small one. It is an anime-style MMORPG that seems designed for casual players who just want something relaxing to pick up after work. You can run a few dungeons, enjoy the art style, and collect cute outfits with your friends. The world is vibrant, the soundtrack is calming, and it definitely nails the Sword Art Online vibe that a lot of players like myself were craving. If you do not mind a slower pace and can ignore the cash shop, there is a good amount of fun to be had here, I bet.

However, if you were waiting for a true revival of Bandai Namco’s original Blue Protocol, this is probably not what you wanted. Under Tencent’s new direction, the game feels less like a PC MMORPG and more like a cross-platform mobile title. It is packed with systems designed for retention, not immersion. Timegates, auto-combat, layered menus, multiple currencies — it is all here, and on purpose.

In my opinion, Blue Protocol: Star Resonance is a polished but shallow experience. I was excited, I really was, but today I am feeling letdown. All those years of waiting for a half-baked product. The game looks good, runs well, and feels cozy. But there is not much substance beneath the surface. And that sucks. Some players will enjoy the simplicity, while others will bounce off immediately. I am somewhere in the middle.