What really sets Ananta apart from other GTA-likes?

Its ultra-distinctive anime visual identity in a dense urban world creates a contrast you don't see anywhere else. Add to that an obvious commitment to building attachment to the cast, and Ananta is really trying to carve out a unique place against the competition.

Is Ananta's map really too big?

Gamespot felt that classic tension of ambitious open worlds: lots of square meters, but not necessarily a lot of concrete reasons to stop and explore. That's the game's big challenge: filling that empty space before launch.

How are the dialogue and characters in Ananta?

The missions tested showed solid dialogue pacing and striking character designs. If the studio maintains this writing quality throughout the campaign, it could become a real strength of the game.

Should you be worried about Ananta before it launches?

No major concerns, but one real question remains open: will dense content be enough to fill this gigantic open world? Only a longer test session will tell.

Ananta Preview: Is the anime GTA-like any good? Gamespot's analysis

The Gamespot session lasted two hours, on a demo build, with access to a portion of the map and a handful of main missions. The dominant feeling upon putting down the controller: a mix of excitement and wariness, the journalist tells us. Ananta clearly wants to establish itself as the anime-made GTA-like, and on paper, it works.

What works first is the art direction. The blend between a dense urban skyline and a heavily anime-styled character design creates a contrast we're not used to seeing in this kind of open-world game. Moving around the city is smooth, verticality is well used, and there's that little thrill unique to ambitious open worlds: the urge to stray from the mission path to go see what's three streets over.

Then there are the characters. You can tell the developers are betting big on the player's attachment to the cast. The dialogues that Gamespot saw during missions have real rhythm, and the designs stand out. If the studio manages to maintain this quality of writing throughout a full campaign, it could become a genuine selling point against the competition.

But here's the concern, and it's a big one: the map is massive. Perhaps too massive. In the tested portion, the journalist at times felt that familiar sensation of an open world that fills space more than it truly populates it. Plenty of square meters, fewer concrete reasons to stop there. It's the "déjà-vu" of many GTA-likes: an ambition of scale that can backfire if the content doesn't keep pace.

Provisional verdict: Ananta has a strong visual identity and a cast that makes you want to get invested. But the real question is whether this gigantic open world will be filled with genuine reasons to linger, or whether it will remain just a pretty backdrop. To be confirmed with a longer session, with access to a more advanced portion of the game! Thanks Gamespot!