The Pocket Gamer Podcast Episode 102 - Petit Planet, Ratchet & Clank, and player-driven choices in Honkai Nexus Anima
On introverting and caffeinating
What does being cosy mean to you? Do you prefer doing things at your own pace, or would you rather have a proper goal set before you? We tackle everything from introverting to rumbling in this week's (New and Improved!) Pocket Gamer Podcast, where it's a mix of things closing and things launching, as it always is in the world of mobile.
Iwan kicks off the conversation with Ratchet & Clank: Ranger Rumble unfortunately shutting down, which prompts us to question how big the fandom for the franchise really is nowadays. Stephen's hands-on with the arena shooter sheds some light on its possible issues, but perhaps it's simply a case of it not being sustainable in the long run.
This brings to mind the rise of Love and Deepspace despite its recent controversies, because at the end of the day, the success of any mobile endeavour is never a sure thing.
That said, what might just be a hit in the making is Petit Planet, HoYoverse's foray into the cosy life sim space. What might not be so obvious at first glance is how the team has structured this as a gentler and less pressure-filled experience compared to other entries in the genre, which was something I got to see first-hand during the HoYoverse Media Tour in Seoul.
Will then offers his two cents on HoYoverse's other big game in the making, Honkai Nexus Anima, mainly because it's a Pokemon-esque RPG that's got quite a lot of interesting creatures in its roster - especially since they're based on Aspects like Oblivion and even Ugliness! I also brought up how it's aiming to have a player-driven, choice-based narrative as opposed to a character-driven one, in which Iwan schools me on RPG dynamics and the concept of the quantum ogre.
In any case, if you're curious about Honkai Nexus Anima's delightful oddities, you can sign up for the final closed beta that'll start this November 25th ahead of the Spring 2027 launch!
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