Two years ago, we spoke with Ashley Qi, a lead producer at NetEase’s Naked Rain, and directly asked about a game then called Project Mugen – now known as Ananta. We wanted to know if it was actually in development.
He claimed the game was amazing, and after playing the PC version for about 30 minutes, we can now confirm he was right. It truly is impressive!
The game has evolved significantly since it was first created. After speaking with Qi, we were surprised to see how energetic he looked, considering all the long hours he and his team had dedicated to its development.
Positive reactions are incredibly encouraging, and we’re checking in with the developer just a few days after the game’s new trailer reached over 2 million views on PlayStation’s YouTube channel.
We ask him how that feels.
He was clearly excited, saying, “But more importantly, we’ve accomplished a lot over the last two years, and that’s what really matters. We’re glad to finally share what we’ve been working on.”
Naked Rain hasn’t simply improved; they’ve created what many would consider one of the most remarkable games ever.
This release draws inspiration from several popular games, including Marvel’s Spider-Man, GTA 5, Batman: Arkham Asylum, and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.
Qi agrees, but also feels his team has created something special. He explains the developer is aiming for a cool and modern experience that will attract younger players.
He says the game is designed for a younger audience, with a modern and stylish feel. The setting is a city, which helps make the game stand out.
Our demonstration had two main parts: a scripted story mission we’ve already detailed, and the chance to freely roam the open world playing as various characters.
The main story is incredibly impressive, though it’s quite linear and doesn’t allow for much player choice. However, it’s a great introduction to the game’s many unique features and systems.
The game begins with a fight against several enemies outside a restaurant. You punch with the R1 button and counter with L1. The combat feels very similar to the game Batman: Arkham Asylum, but your character, Captain, also has unique moves. He can use the environment – like throwing enemies into car bumpers – and even tie them up with webs, much like Spider-Man. We’ll cover those special abilities in more detail later.
He can also move things with his mind, which lets him lift manhole covers and use them as weapons.
During the demonstration, the player takes the passenger seat with an agent named Richie. The game is a typical on-rails shooter – you use an assault rifle to eliminate enemies while experiencing explosive action all around you.
The car constantly shifts gears, so you’ll need to test drive it to get a feel for it. While the handling isn’t perfect and drifting takes some practice, it’s clear Ananta is almost finished refining all of its technology – it’s impressively advanced already.
As the demonstration progresses, the main character is dramatically pulled along the ground by a truck – a clear reference to a memorable scene from the game Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. The sequence is visually stunning, brought to life with a remarkable amount of unique animations.
We ask Qi how his team have been able to execute on so many different mechanics so impressively.
We don’t add features randomly; everything is intentional,” he says. “We prioritize fun gameplay, but also carefully craft each character’s personality, skills, and background. Ultimately, we create diverse characters with unique playstyles to allow for richer and more varied stories.
Which brings us perfectly to the open world portion of our hands-on.
When the game loads, you’re thrown into the city much like in GTA 5. You’ll quickly spot Captain – who’s become something of a local hero – taking selfies with a group of excited teenage girls.
After the short cutscene, the camera pans back and we have control.
Captain moves around the game in a unique way compared to other characters. He can swing through the environment like Spider-Man, and the mechanics feel just as smooth and enjoyable as those in Insomniac’s Spider-Man games.
I’m really digging the animations and the game feels great to move around in! The physics are *slightly* off, things feel a little floaty, but honestly, it’s still being worked on, so I’m sure they’ll get that dialed in. It’s not a big deal right now.
When you play as a different character, such as delivery driver Taffy, the same limitations from GTA 5 reappear – but this time, you can’t even use a golf swing.
Qi explained that Taffy works as a delivery person, so she’s great at transporting items. However, she isn’t skilled in combat or other types of fighting.
Although Taffy appears to share Captain’s basic fighting skills, we suspect she isn’t as powerful in combat. She does have a unique advantage, though: she can summon a bunny-shaped segway to quickly move around the city, offering a different way to get around compared to Captain.
As you explore the open world, mini events occur.
We once found a man trapped inside an ATM – apparently, these machines in the city have a tricky locking mechanism! A quick kick to the machine sprung him free, and we were able to continue on our route.
We quickly checked out the nearby arcade, and surprisingly, among all the claw machines and silly games, we discovered a simple version of Space Invaders. We could play it by using a little bit of the arcade’s virtual money.
We only had a half-hour to try the game, so we couldn’t experience everything it offered. But we were so curious, we had to ask Qi what the downside was.
We’ve already seen that Ananta is a surprisingly well-made game, and it’s completely free to play – with no frustrating character collection mechanics based on chance.
We point out to Xi just how disruptive this business model is likely to be.
He chuckled, saying they still need to figure out how to make money from the game. However, they’re aiming for a system that doesn’t rely on players having to pay to win.
So, the developers are planning to fund Ananta by selling cosmetics. I’m not sure yet if it’ll be a gacha system like in Infinity Nikki, but they *did* say you’ll definitely be able to buy clothes with the stuff you earn in-game. The really cool, rare outfits? Yeah, those might require you to spend some real money, kinda like how it works in GTA Online.
For Xi and his team, though, the route to making money is creating a game people want to play.
Our priority is creating a fun, high-quality game that people will want to play – both existing fans and new players. That’s the most important thing, even before thinking about profits.”
We’re hoping the game will receive regular updates, similar to Genshin Impact, with new content and stories added roughly every six weeks.
We plan to keep everyone updated regularly,” he said. “But we’re also trying some new things. For instance, there’s a movie theater built right into the game, so players can watch films while they play. We might even add new movies each time you log in.
He added that they plan to introduce new professions to make the game more engaging and affect the story.
With so many features already planned, is there a risk the game is becoming too ambitious for the developer to handle?
Xi explained that their progress isn’t without limits. They carefully assess each step and will continue to move forward in a measured way, ensuring each achievement brings them closer to their ultimate goal.
NetEase hasn’t announced a release date for the game yet, but it’s becoming clear they’re about to launch something truly remarkable.
After playing the game myself, I can assure you it’s genuine. While there are a few small issues – like slight controller oddities, minor physics glitches, and occasional frame rate drops – these actually reinforce the feeling that this is a fully realized, authentic experience, not just a polished demo.
If players feel they’re getting fair value and the game consistently maintains high quality, this could affect not only games that use the ‘gacha’ model, but also traditional, large-budget ‘AAA’ games.
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2025-09-26 02:09