Blue Protocol: Star Resonance Review [First Impressions] – A Decent MMORPG That Still Needs Work

About Blue Protocol: Star Resonance

Introduction

Blue Protocol: Star Resonance is a new MMORPG set in the same universe as the original Blue Protocol franchise. Developed by BOKURA and published by A PLUS JAPAN, this new installment brings players to the world of Regnas, a vibrant land filled with mystery, adventure, and community-driven exploration.

After the original Blue Protocol IP quietly disappeared, fans have been eager to see how this new version reimagines the classic MMORPG experience. The result is a game that shows promise — blending nostalgia, anime-style graphics, and modern mechanics — but still feels a bit rough around the edges.

This review dives into its gameplay, customization, visuals, performance, and monetization to help you decide whether it’s worth your time.

Story and Setting

The story of Blue Protocol: Star Resonance begins in Asterleeds, a peaceful town on the planet Regnas. You play as a mysterious hero who wakes up without any memories. From there, you’re slowly pulled into a larger conflict that hides beneath the calm surface of this beautiful world.

While the game shares the same universe as the original Blue Protocol, there’s no confirmed connection between the two stories yet. The narrative feels familiar — a hero with amnesia, a quiet town, and a mysterious destiny — but it works well as a setup for a long-running MMORPG world.

The main charm lies in its atmosphere. The world feels alive with magical creatures, detailed towns, and other players running around. Story progression happens through questlines, cutscenes, and interactions with NPCs. Although the plot isn’t groundbreaking, it creates a solid foundation for casual players who enjoy exploration and fantasy storytelling.

Gameplay Overview

As a traditional MMORPG, Blue Protocol: Star Resonance focuses on combat, exploration, and social interaction.

You start the game by choosing a class and basic abilities. The combat is action-oriented — players must use skills, combos, and dodges at the right time to survive. Boss fights require coordination, especially in multiplayer dungeons, where teamwork and timing are key.

Classes and Combat Style

Initially, players can select one class, but more become available as you progress. You can freely switch between classes later, allowing flexibility in gameplay.
Each class has a distinct playstyle:

• Tank: Protects allies and absorbs damage.
• Healer: Keeps the team alive with support magic.
• DPS (Damage Dealer): Focuses on high-damage combos and quick kills.

Boss battles stand out as some of the game’s best moments. Each boss has unique attack patterns, forcing players to learn, adapt, and cooperate. Once defeated, players earn rare loot and reputation rewards for their guilds.

Outside of combat, you can gather resources, craft items, mine crystals, fish, or simply hang out in towns. Social activities are surprisingly engaging, from dancing in the town square to participating in local festivals.

Character Customization

One of Star Resonance’s strongest features is its character customization. Many MMORPGs limit players to a few presets, but here, customization is deeper and more personal.

You can modify nearly everything:

• Body type & height
• Hairstyles (three separate layers)
• Hair colors with HEX input
• Eye shape & color gradients
• Facial features and accessories

Although it’s not as detailed as The Sims, it’s one of the better systems for a free-to-play MMO. Early in the game, you also unlock multiple outfits and cosmetics, which give you more ways to stand out in multiplayer zones.

The customization system helps each player look unique, adding a strong social flavor to the game world.

Visuals and Design

Visually, Blue Protocol: Star Resonance captures the anime aesthetic beautifully. It feels like a mix between Genshin Impact and Wuthering Waves, with soft cel-shading, dynamic lighting, and bright, fantasy-inspired colors.

Even at lower graphics settings, the visuals hold up well, which is impressive for a mobile and PC cross-platform release. The main hub, Asterleeds, is full of small details — bustling streets, glowing crystals, and interactive NPCs that make the world feel alive.

Performance-wise, however, there’s room for improvement. While the PC version runs fairly well, the mobile version can feel clunky with noticeable input lag and frame drops during crowded events.

Gacha and Monetization System

Perhaps the most refreshing part of Star Resonance is its optional gacha system. Unlike most modern MMOs, which push microtransactions aggressively, this one keeps it simple — for now.

The current gacha banners focus mainly on cosmetic items like outfits, mounts, and accessories.
Here’s the good part:

• Cosmetics don’t affect stats, meaning no “pay-to-win.”
• Mounts provide small speed boosts but don’t create major gameplay advantages.

As a result, free-to-play players can enjoy the game without feeling pressured to spend money. Hopefully, the developers continue this fair approach in the future.

Performance and Controls

While the game looks great, the animations and controls can feel stiff at times. Movements such as running, dodging, or attacking sometimes appear slightly delayed or unpolished. Character hair and clothing can also clip through models during cutscenes.

Dialog scenes and visual novel-style conversations feel awkwardly animated, especially when lip-sync doesn’t match the Japanese voice acting. These are minor issues, but they can disrupt immersion, especially for players used to smoother action RPGs.

These rough edges don’t make the game unplayable, but they remind you that Star Resonance still needs refinement.

Quests and Exploration

Like most MMOs, Star Resonance relies heavily on fetch quests. Many early missions involve simple objectives like collecting materials or defeating a certain number of enemies.

While this is typical for the genre, the repetition can become tiring after a few hours. However, the game’s world helps balance this — discovering new areas, joining random co-op fights, or exploring hidden spots brings excitement back to the grind.

There’s also a guild system and social features that promise more depth later in the game. Raids, PvP events, and seasonal updates are expected to expand gameplay variety in future patches.

Pros and Cons

Final Verdict

Blue Protocol: Star Resonance is a decent yet unpolished MMORPG. It captures the charm of older MMOs with its world design, community focus, and customizable avatars. The optional gacha system is a breath of fresh air, and the visuals are charming enough to keep you immersed.

However, its stiff animations, repetitive quest design, and technical issues stop it from achieving greatness — at least for now.

If you enjoy anime MMOs and don’t mind a few rough edges, this one is worth a try. But if you’re looking for something revolutionary, you might want to wait for future updates.

Overall Rating: 7.2 / 10
A decent MMORPG with heart, style, and potential — just needs more polish.

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