Gacha game is a term usually used for mobile games that use the lootbox style system. With most of them being Free To Play games featuring anime characters, this type of game is pretty popular these days. Gacha / lootbox elements can be applied to many genres – from strategy to adventure… but the most popular is still JRPG.
In this article, we would list out the top 5 best gacha games in 2021.
1 - Genshin Impact
Genshin Impact is the newest mobile RPG blockbuster this year, made by miHoYo of Honkai Impact 3 fame. The game is probably the most ambitious mobile open-world RPG to date, with beautifully designed maps just as big as any famous open-world titles in the market like Witcher 3 or Breath of the Wild. You would be able to climb mountains, swim across rivers and glide all over the huge world map, taking in beautiful sceneries on the way. No other mobile ARPGs have had this amount of effort put into it.
2 - Fire Emblem Heroes
The game features an ongoing, original story where new characters and dozens upon dozens of battle-tested Heroes from across the Fire Emblem universe meet. There are over 1,300 story stages available as of January 2021. In this game, players would control a party of up to 4 characters and fight armies of various sizes on an 8x6 grid map.
There is a lot of depth in its gameplay – from the different character types and restrictions (cavalry move fast but can’t enter forest tile, infantry is slower but able to pass… etc), along with various RPG elements and Rock-Paper-Scissor style system. The fact that it is fairly F2P friendly and has a good storyline and characters is just the cherry on top.
Upon its initial release date, Fire Emblem Heroes players could potentially access up to 100 distinct controllable units in the game.
3 - Arknights
This game is pretty unique in the genre, being a tower defense with gacha elements. In Arknights, you would build up a roster of characters through the gacha system then use them in place of the “towers” to fend off waves of enemies in maps. Each character would have their own stats, skill, traits, abilities… just like an RPG. The map designs are super unique as well, with each new level a fresh challenge.
In general, Arknights is probably the best tower defense game in the market to date. Levels that have been cleared with a three-star rating can be auto-completed without player input, as the game records the player's actions and replicates them - this saves players a lot of grinding time, as they can just let the game grind itself.
4 - Honkai Impact 3rd
Honkai Impact 3rd is probably amongst the most engaging game on this list, being a 3D hack and slash. The game is made by Chinese developer MiHoYo with extremely high production value, featuring an extended main story and a metric ton of bonus contents. Along with its hack and slash gameplay, other gameplay elements like platforming, bullet hell, shoot ‘em up and dungeon crawling are also included in multiple game modes.
The game has also spawned multiple manhua, an anime, and various promo videos - overall, an excellent game to play in 2021.
5 - Azur Lane
A bullet hell style gacha, with a character roster being the warships from World War 2 personified. In this game, you would control up to 6 characters, advancing in the map to shoot at the enemies that appeared while dodge the bullets fired by them. Accompanied with that is the RPG elements with enhancements, skills and gears, providing extensive depth for the game.
Besides that, Azur Lane also has a pretty high production value, with excellent character designs, music, voice and graphics – if you enjoy a somewhat chill gacha, this is probably your best bet. It is probably the most F2P friendly game on this list - premium currency are given for free in-game constantly.
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