So, I’ve been playing Arknights: Endfield, which is basically a new game from the same folks who made Arknights – Hypergryph, published by Gryphline. They first teased it way back in March 2022, and it finally dropped on mobile on January 22nd, 2026. I’m going to give you my full review here and let you know if I think this new gacha game is worth checking out.
In this review of Arknights: Endfield, I’ll share my opinions on how the game plays, its graphics, performance, how it handles in-app purchases, and everything else it offers. I’ve spent 36 hours playing on my Samsung m53 5g, and I’ll let you know if this spin-off of the popular game Arknights is worth your time.
The gameplay in Arknights: Endfield: What if Devil May Cry and Arknights had a baby
Okay, so as a big Arknights fan, I’m really excited about Endfield! Arknights is mostly a tower defense game – you place operators strategically to hold off enemies. But Endfield seems like it’s taking things to the next level, adding a lot more depth and complexity to the gameplay. It’s definitely not just a simple rehash!
Unlike most 3D gacha games, your team is always with you in this game, much like in Aether Gazer. Gameplay is fast-paced and focuses on action combos. You’ll need to carefully manage your team’s energy (SP) to use skills, break enemy defenses, and chain attacks together to win battles.
Unlike some games, every character feels useful and has a clear role within a team. Even those considered the weakest still contribute, and the game ensures that all character types and roles are well-represented.
Is the fighting perfect? Not quite. If you’re looking for super-fast, action-packed battles, it might feel a little slow. Some players might see that as a drawback, but I think it’s intentional. It gives you time to build up your abilities and special points, which eventually makes combat feel smooth and quick.
Don’t expect a fast-paced, action-packed experience where you immediately dominate. The core of this game isn’t actually about fighting; it’s about building and automating a complex factory system.
If not fighting, then what are we doing? Factory Building!
You’ll spend most of your time – around 80% of the game, including the endgame – building up your factory, managing deliveries, and connecting different locations. While you can tackle challenges like Monumental Tower for some action, this game isn’t really designed for players who primarily enjoy fast-paced action games.
As a fan, I’m really excited about building all kinds of structures and even using ziplines to deliver things across the map! A big part of the game seems to be figuring out how to design the perfect factory, and that’s going to take a lot of planning. Now, the developers do offer these ‘Top Notch Facility Blueprint Codes’ that basically let you skip all that building and optimization, and they’re super helpful, but honestly? I think I’d rather do it myself and get that satisfying feeling of creating something awesome from scratch. It just feels more rewarding that way!
Our work significantly impacts the economy, as the market relies on our ability to produce and deliver goods to meet customer needs. Fortunately, we can automate most processes, except for the creation of materials used for character development.
The Visuals and the optimisation: Best one yet
This game boasts incredible graphics for a mobile title, and I believe it’s the most well-optimized 3D gacha game with an open world available. The scope of the game is impressive – even my older Samsung M53 was able to run it smoothly at 60fps on high settings.
The character models are incredibly detailed – everything from individual strands of hair to realistic raindrops is meticulously crafted. This level of quality is exceptional and sets a very high standard for future games. Simply put, they’re the best I’ve seen, and I hope other developers strive for this level of detail.
The UI is sleek, and the controls are smooth
The game’s user interface is excellent – it’s intuitive, well-designed, and keeps things simple. It’s not cluttered at all and is easy to understand. In a genre where many games feel the same, this game’s UI stands out as unique, interactive, clear, and smooth. The text is appropriately sized and readable, and overall, the UI feels high-quality and original – it doesn’t feel cheap or like a copy of other games.
The game initially presents a lot to learn with its factory building and menus, but it quickly becomes intuitive. The controls are responsive and smooth, making both combat and factory management easy. Everything feels well-designed and in its place, although the inability to swim does feel like a strange restriction. Fighting feels satisfying thanks to the solid feedback provided.
The Monetisation
This part of the game could be summed up as “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.” Things start to go downhill from here, especially when it comes to how the game makes money. Simply put, the monetization is poor. Everything offered for free eventually comes at a cost, and in this case, that cost is a weak and overly complicated system for keeping players engaged once the initial rewards wear off.
It can be tricky to understand and expensive to participate in the game’s limited-time banners. Rewards from these banners are often restricted by time limits, and progress doesn’t always carry over. While you’re guaranteed a rare item after 120 attempts, it still requires a significant investment.
Currency and battlepass
As a player, I’m really excited about this new currency called Origeometry! It’s going to help us unlock the second tier of the Battle Pass. Honestly, I think unlocking it should have been free, especially since this Battle Pass only has three tiers, and the free tier feels a bit limited compared to what we usually see in other games where they typically have a nice, clean two-tier system.
The original Arknights game didn’t have a battle pass. While it offered Origeometry to unlock almost all premium outfits, this new game seems to be using a battle pass as a way to make more money. It feels like they’re creating a problem just to sell you a solution. It might seem like a small issue, but it’s concerning that they’re profiting from something that wasn’t needed in the first place.
You don’t need to spend premium currency to get new weapons, which is great for players who don’t want to spend money. However, there’s a catch: you need Arsenal Tokens to pull on weapon banners, and you mostly get those tokens by pulling on character banners. You can’t directly pull for weapons using any other currency. So, if you’re close to a guaranteed weapon pull, it can be really difficult to earn enough tokens from character banners before the weapon banner changes, leaving you short.
Story and all the content: Not the Arknights game I remember
When Endfield launched in 2022, it felt very similar to the world of Arknights, with intriguing hints about its history. Like the main game, you play as a character who’s lost their memory but used to be important. The story emphasizes how much everyone relies on your decisions as the ‘Endministrator,’ even for simple tasks. Thankfully, the music is fantastic – on par with the high quality of Arknights’ soundtrack.
A minor character in The Outpost was surprisingly well-developed, receiving more attention than the main characters. While our contributions feel essential and drive progress, the main storyline uses similar efforts as a simple means to move forward. It might seem like we’re building a thriving civilization and achieving significant industry leadership, but it feels superficial.
We often find ourselves essentially propping up the characters in this story. Despite all the advanced technology and settings, they’re surprisingly incapable of handling even basic issues. They’re constantly on the verge of falling apart and seem to rely on us to solve all their problems, almost as if they don’t even try to help themselves anymore. We’re like a vital necessity they depend on for survival.
While the world itself is well-developed, the main storyline isn’t quite working for me. Even at the conclusion of the current arc in the Wuling region, the villains feel flat and uninspired – they’re simply evil without any compelling motivations or personality. This lack of depth makes it hard to feel invested, and the story doesn’t create a sense of real danger or seriousness.
Compared to the storytelling in Arknights, this feels like a step down. Characters who deserved a meaningful reunion are reduced to one-sided romantic interests. Fans of the original Arknights might be disappointed by how much the story has been simplified and the characters feel less developed.
It’s frustrating to think about how things could have been done differently, and that’s how I feel about the character Gilberta. Many of the operators seem like they have amazing stories just waiting to be told, but we never learn about their pasts or even acknowledge our shared amnesia with them.
Final Verdict
Arknights Endfield represents a significant advancement in 3D gacha mobile games, proving that impressive results can be achieved without overly complex requirements. However, compared to the original Arknights, it falls a bit short. While it won’t appeal to all players, it perfectly suits my gaming preferences.
While the game offers a lot of content, much of it isn’t very polished. It shows potential and could improve significantly with time. However, the constant tutorials and guidance might frustrate many players. If you enjoy fast-paced action, this isn’t for you. I’d suggest it to those who like strategy games and building complex systems.
Arknights: Endfield Review by GamingonPhone
Gameplay Mechanics – 8
Graphics and Music – 9
Controls and UI – 9
Monetisation – 6
Storyline and Content – 8
8
Good
Arknights: Endfield is a significant step forward for 3D gacha games on mobile, showing what the genre is capable of with a strong base. While it’s an improvement, it doesn’t quite reach the same heights as the original Arknights in some areas. It won’t appeal to all players, but personally, it’s exactly the game I wanted and delivers a fantastic experience.
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2026-03-03 04:44