Blue Archive

About

Blue Archive is a single player role playing game. It was developed by NEXON Company and was released on November 7, 2021. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"Blue Archive" is a single-player Role Playing Game with an intriguing story and compelling mechanics, set in a huge academy city with charming, humorous characters. Players join as an advisor to the Federal Investigation Club, resolving incidents with strategic 3D battles and building relationships through the in-game messenger. Despite some bugs and grinding, the game offers outstanding visuals, a great soundtrack, and a wholesome, exciting story.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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67%

Audience ScoreBased on 9,351 reviews

story513 positive mentions

grinding127 negative mentions

Great character designs and engaging storylines that keep players invested.
Fun gameplay with a unique blend of auto-battling and strategic skill activation.
Generous with in-game currency, allowing for frequent pulls and character acquisition.

Gacha rates are abysmal, making it difficult for players to obtain desired characters.
The pity system resets with each new banner, leading to frustration for players trying to collect characters.
Frequent crashes and long loading times hinder the overall gameplay experience.

story
992 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
44%
4%
The story of the game has received widespread acclaim for its engaging and well-written narrative, featuring charming characters and a mix of humor and drama. Players appreciate the unique character backstories and the light-hearted yet immersive atmosphere, which sets it apart from typical gacha games. However, some users have expressed frustration with the pacing of story progression, often feeling locked behind gameplay mechanics and gacha systems, which can hinder their enjoyment of the narrative.
- “Volume 3 of the story was really amazing and this is one of the few games that kept me playing for the story even when I got tired of the gameplay and gacha.”
- “The story, characters, and music of this game is what sets it apart from other mobile games for me and I think that anyone curious about Blue Archive should give it a try!”
- “The story is so good, the visual is very attractive, the gameplay is okay.”
- “The story is so boring and full of dumb anime clichés, basically just lazy writing.”
- “The story itself is nothing new; you are a teacher that saves a (shooting) school from predicaments, with cute girls.”
- “The story is blocked very early by level lock.”
gameplay
880 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
38%
9%
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players enjoying its fun and engaging mechanics, cute character designs, and strategic elements. However, some find it repetitive and simplistic, often relying on auto-battle features, which can lead to a lack of depth in gameplay. Additionally, issues with gacha rates and the overall balance of the game have been highlighted as points of frustration for players.
- “The gameplay is engaging if you want it to be engaging, but nothing overtly difficult.”
- “The gameplay loop is pretty satisfying/fun, the diversity of skills in the students makes it fun to play around with.”
- “The gameplay is fun, albeit very repetitive.”
- “Gameplay loop is boring, events are boring and a time chore.”
- “Gameplay is too reliant on terrible AI, RNG, and meta characters.”
- “The gameplay is extremely boring and the developers are very clearly taking advantage of the players.”
graphics
421 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
34%
3%
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their stunning visuals, cute character designs, and smooth animations, contributing to an overall enjoyable aesthetic experience. However, some players have reported performance issues, such as lag and crashes, particularly on lower-end devices, and concerns about optimization and graphical glitches. Despite these drawbacks, the art style and music are frequently highlighted as standout features that enhance the game's appeal.
- “Stunning graphics, cute and interesting gameplay, every art in the game is beautiful, music is also good and pleasant to hear, the characters are beautiful and cute, each individual has their own interesting story, the gacha is quite reasonable.”
- “The aesthetic, music, and imagery of this game is very beautiful and wondrous.”
- “The graphics are amazing such a good game.”
- “If you go in with minimum requirements met as far as specs go, you might just have problems clearing the tutorial because it can end up in a crashing loop before letting you into the settings after the tutorial, since the game defaults to high graphic settings.”
- “I feel like it still has FPS stuttering issues; I wish for more optimized graphics and improved anti-aliasing (to be honest, it still has rough edges).”
- “Game runs awfully during battles on a decent phone with 4GB of RAM and an octa-core processor, even with all graphics settings on minimum.”
music
343 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
66%
33%
1%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many players praising its catchy and high-quality soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. Reviewers highlight the music as a standout feature, often describing it as "banger" and "top-tier," contributing significantly to the game's charm alongside its beautiful visuals and engaging story. Despite some technical issues, the soundtrack remains a major draw for players, making it a key aspect of the game's appeal.
- “The story, characters, and music of this game is what sets it apart from other mobile games for me and I think that anyone curious about Blue Archive should give it a try!”
- “The music is outstanding.”
- “The soundtrack is phenomenally pleasing, animation style is vibrant, and the playing style is unique and entices me to come back to it frequently, especially after a stressful day.”
- “The music during the intro started skipping like a scratched CD-ROM, and my phone's UI and side buttons lost all function.”
- “There's a lot of audio stuttering, both music and voice, and it gets worse over time.”
- “The game is good but I just think that there's too many updates; the app is always kicking me out, there's no background music, and the loading screen takes forever to load.”
humor
139 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
99%
2%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its light-heartedness and charm, with many players enjoying the funny dialogue and quirky character interactions that often turn serious situations into comedic moments. The writing is described as engaging and genuinely funny, contributing to an overall enjoyable experience filled with cute and humorous elements. While some players express frustration with gameplay mechanics, the humor remains a standout feature that enhances the game's appeal.
- “The story is light, there are lots of funny moments, and I have some good rest playing it.”
- “Especially the dialogue part of the characters, which are almost all packed with jokes even in the worst situations— even a tense atmosphere can turn into comedy in this game.”
- “Very fun game; was pleasantly surprised by the humor and wit of the story, interesting and likable characters, and fun gameplay.”
- “It is really not a funny joke.”
- “The humor falls flat and feels forced.”
- “I expected more laughs, but the jokes just missed the mark.”
grinding
130 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
98%
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting that while farming can be made easier through features like stage sweeping and auto-farming, the overall experience remains tedious and time-consuming, especially for character upgrades and material collection. Some players appreciate the convenience of skipping repetitive tasks, but others find the drop rates for essential items frustratingly low, leading to a grind that can feel overwhelming, particularly in the late game. Overall, while the game offers enjoyable elements, the grinding can detract from the experience for those who prefer a more streamlined progression.
- “It isn't too grindy either, like some other gacha games out there.”
- “Not grindy, but gacha with the characters.”
- “Haven't yet been disappointed by the publisher, the game is all great, not that grindy, cute graphics, and they can actually call your IGN, which not many games do.”
- “It is also very grindy and time consuming.”
- “The challenges presented are not completable without purchasing high-end units and grinding endlessly for currencies needed to improve said units.”
- “The game hits a steep difficulty curve near mission chapter 13, at which point it becomes significantly more grindy.”
character development
114 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
66%
31%
3%
Character development in the game is highlighted by its exceptional character designs, which are often described as cute, detailed, and diverse, contributing significantly to the overall appeal. While many players appreciate the engaging stories and world-building, some express disappointment in the depth of character development and interactions, noting that the gameplay can feel repetitive. Overall, the character designs and aesthetics are a major draw, even if the narrative and character growth may not always meet expectations.
- “The character designs, both the art and the in-game models, are wonderfully made and super cute.”
- “The story plot and character development is outstanding.”
- “Character designs are diverse with personalities which complement each of them.”
- “Gameplay, progression and story are all abysmally bland, especially character development.”
- “Story is probably its weakest part, it's very lackluster, weak plot, slow-paced with little to no character development and a ton of cheesy dialogue from B-grade harem anime.”
- “Despite my initial enjoyment of the game due to the amazing soundtrack and decent character design, it got very boring as time went on.”
optimization
111 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
48%
29%
The game's optimization has received widespread criticism, with many players reporting significant performance issues such as lag, crashes, and long loading times, even on low settings. While some users have noted improvements in performance over time, the overall consensus is that the game requires further optimization to run smoothly on a variety of devices, particularly lower-end smartphones. Despite its engaging gameplay and visuals, the persistent optimization problems detract from the overall experience for many players.
- “The game's been optimized since my last review; I encountered no issues at all these past months and I really enjoyed playing the game.”
- “Great game, and optimization's getting better with every update so far.”
- “Good game overall, the only problem I have with it are performance issues.”
- “Besides that, it's probably the worst optimized game I've ever seen.”
- “I love this game; it's fun and has a good storyline, but it really needs some optimization because it keeps crashing on my phone even on low settings, and it also uses too much RAM.”
- “Everything is great about it, but optimization is absolutely horrendous; constant freezes and crashes ruin the game experience.”
monetization
51 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
19%
75%
The monetization aspect of the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many users labeling it as a "cash grab" due to aggressive microtransactions, poor gacha rates, and a lack of support for free-to-play players. While some appreciate the absence of ads and the quality of the game's content, the overall sentiment is that the monetization practices, particularly from the publisher Nexon, are predatory and detrimental to the gaming experience. Users express frustration over the game's long-term viability and the feeling that it prioritizes profit over player satisfaction.
- “Every student is useful in some way, there are no paywalls, no ads, a beautiful story, fun characters, gorgeous art, cool and stylish gameplay, and the dailies don't take up your time.”
- “Definitely one of the best games out there in this day and age, doesn't spam you with microtransactions, generous devs who work hard to give a quality product.”
- “No ads.”
- “The low rating, however, comes from the abusive monetization, excessive sub-system to the point stamina is the least of your worries. Maxing out a character is a very long-term goal as a free-to-play player, and if you encounter a bug or anything, forget about any kind of support aside from the bot message saying 'we will forward this to the dev team' and it never gets fixed.”
- “Absolutely abysmal gacha rates (200 pulls without a single 3*, not even just on banner but in general), horrible auto resolve PvP that just makes you angry, and a game mode (Total Assault) purely created for the newest banner unit for cash grabs.”
- “Nexon's advertising and business practices for this game have been flat-out fraudulent.”
emotional
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by its wholesome and heartwarming stories, which often blend humor with touching moments. Players appreciate the lively character interactions and the overall lighthearted tone, although some express disappointment over technical issues and the game's gacha mechanics, which can lead to feelings of frustration and heartbreak. Overall, the game successfully evokes joy and emotional engagement, despite some criticisms regarding its execution.
- “I'm really enjoying the stories; they are either really wholesome or hilarious.”
- “The story is so heartwarming.”
- “All in all, the game is very wholesome and brings joy to me if nothing else.”
stability
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is a significant concern among users, with frequent crashes, freezes, and graphical glitches reported during gameplay. Many players experience issues such as memory leaks, lag, and unresponsive sessions, leading to frustration and a diminished gaming experience. While some users find the game enjoyable, the overall consensus highlights a pressing need for optimization and bug fixes to improve stability.
- “I can still play, but it randomly freezes and crashes. I even went against Binah, but it crashed, and when I finished the raid, I didn't get any rewards at all but consumed one ticket.”
- “I have been unable to play for two days now and have tried some basic troubleshooting (clearing the cache, reinstalling, etc.) to no avail.”
- “Game freezes and crashes way too often lately.”
atmosphere
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
15%
21%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a laid-back yet engaging setting that balances humor and drama, creating a unique and enjoyable experience. Players appreciate the refreshing art style, great background music, and the ability to shift from tense moments to comedic relief, contributing to a comfy and addictive gameplay experience. Overall, the atmosphere enhances the game's charm, making it appealing to those who enjoy a mix of lightheartedness and depth.
- “It has such a laid-back setting and atmosphere but manages to create such a heavy, dramatic, and interesting story with so much plot and background. It's an amazing game, and I recommend it.”
- “The background music is all so good, and it matches the game's atmosphere.”
- “The characters are cute and fun, the gameplay can be surprisingly addictive, and the refreshing style bleeds into every aspect of the game, from the UI to the atmosphere—making it a comfy, pleasant experience all the way through.”
- “Check relaxed sol atmosphere?”
- “I can already tell that this might be another gacha game worth playing, judging from the style and atmosphere from the PV and from the game itself seems like a lot of potential; can't wait to see what this game unfolds.”
- “Like the atmosphere and combat.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
While the game features a variety of playable units, including lower-tier options, some users express concerns about its overall replayability, suggesting that the experience may become repetitive over time.
- “The only problem with this game is its replayability.”
- “Every unit (student) has their niche, and most of them are playable, including the low-end units (1 star).”