Chinese developer Manjuu Network Technology has announced a new Azur Lane spin-off titled Azur Promilia, a “creature companionship fantasy world RPG” that looks very much like a cross between Genshin Impact and Palworld.
That description may seem a bit reductive to some, but take one look at the gameplay demonstration (shared by Gematsu on YouTube) and you’ll see how apt it is. Azur Promilia looks to be set in an open-world environment filled with fantasy creatures for you to capture and partner up with, just like Palworld, but it also has RPG mechanics, flashy anime visuals, and a copious number of cute anime girls like Genshin Impact.
Azur Promilia doesn’t seem to place as much emphasis on survival mechanics as Palworld. It’s more of a traditional action-RPG. You have multiple party members as well as creatures called Kibo that fight alongside you. You can even ride them to traverse the world, and use them to interact with the environment to gather items. The gameplay video doesn’t demonstrate exactly how you can capture Kibo, but you’re free to fight them in the wild. Unlike Palworld, where you start off weak and need to craft better gear and weapons to survive, it seems Azur Promilia lets you run wild with over-the-top magical attacks and skills from the get-go.
This marks a radical departure for Azur Lane. If you’ve never heard of it, it’s a popular mobile game in China and Japan (it’s available in the West too). It’s a side-scrolling shooter set in an alternate World War 2, where cute anime girls represent different warships. It’s seen an anime spin-off, multiple manga and light novels, and a 3D shooter called Azur Lane Crosswave. Azur Promilia is opting for a fantasy setting instead, and I have no clue if it features any of the same characters from Azur Lane. At the very least, I doubt its creatures will face the same sort of plagiarism accusations as Palworld’s did.
Azur Promilia has no release date yet, but it’s confirmed for PlayStation 5, PC, iOS, and Android, and you can pre-register for the game on its official website.
