The Seven Deadly Sins: Idle Adventure preview - "Same old saga, different package"
- Cute idle hero collector featuring characters from the anime
- Multiple upgrade avenues to bring your dream team to new heights
- Watch your team go ham with a finger's tap
Following the hit release of 7DS: Grand Cross, which contributed 7% to Netmarble's total revenue of $440.86 million for the first quarter of 2024, a new spin-off, creatively titled 7DS: Idle Adventure, opened its floodgates on June 4th for players in Malaysia and the UK. Amazingly, it was slated to remain online until the official worldwide launch (subject to change). As to the decision to single out these two countries…well, we are pretty sure the top brass has its reasons. But let’s not dive too deep into that because as a Malaysian who gets a headstart, I’m elated to give a glimpse of what’s in the box.
It was inspired by a famous anime
This idle RPG lets you command characters from the acclaimed anime series. It wouldn't be the first mobile game inspired by anime. Among its ranks are literal personifications of the biblical sins as well as fodder knights and fairytale creatures. The narrative is a string of recaps of important moments in the series. The only exception is that everything unfolds in this adorable rendition of Britannia inhabited by pipsqueak chibi characters - a far call from the impressive cell-shaded models featured in its cousin.
Despite its supposedly half-baked state, there's an overflow of content, starting with the seemingly infinite amount of story stages with each episode spanning a hundred. You progress by slaying Elite bosses straight out of the pulsating red orb’s maw at the menu corner that, in turn, builds up by wiping the floor with trash mobs. Animated cut-scenes are peppered between, though very rare, with the addition of roguelike stages in Tower of Trials and daily resource dungeons to punch in. For the competitive hunks, you get to whet your appetite and wallet in its PvP mode.
As it is stated in the title, it's an idle game
The game's hands-off nature dials the notion of "convenience at your fingertips" up to eleven, with tons of automation features to get you rolling. Want to bulk upgrade your characters? Check. Performing a bulk summon by the hundreds in one tap? Check. Allowing the story campaign to progress automatically? That's checked and can be done by holding on to the red orb.
Nevertheless, there are also plenty of upgrades to tinker with. Characters receive a glow-up through level pumping and awakening, while additional power and function are gained by levelling up the Tavern. The UI is relatively clean with rounded and organic icons slap-dashed with a vibrant colour scheme. This is instantly smeared over with how chaotic the screen constantly is, with multiple things happening in a concurrent fashion. No doubt if Marie Kondo was handed this game for a preview, it wouldn’t spark any joy within her.
Get used to gacha!
True to incremental RPG fashion, expect to see huge numbers everywhere - from the amount of summons cash-out that goes well beyond hundreds, to individual stats extending beyond thousands and upkeep costs well into millions. To the surprise of nobody, the trend is the opposite when it comes to gacha rates split into general and paid-only banners.
Whereby at the highest summon level of ten, chances of netting a Legendary character is a measly 0.15%, with Unique characters at 8.0%. As they say, patience is a great virtue. Since your progress slows to a crawl past the beginner stages, you need days to months to accrue enough resources to progress onward, or you can just rely on the power of a good ol’ credit card.
If you're looking for a short burst of entertainment or are just a sucker for the anime, Seven Deadly Sins: Idle Adventure will tick all your boxes. That begs the question: How competitive will it get considering the Malaysian market has a fondness towards much more established titles such as Idle Huntress?
