NetEase is swinging for the fences. Literally. When the first trailer for Project Mugen dropped, the collective internet did a double-take because it looked almost too good to be true. You’ve seen the footage—characters swinging through a neon-drenched metropolis with Spider-Man levels of fluidity, tactical combat that feels snappy, and a world that actually looks alive rather than just a backdrop for gacha pulls. It's ambitious. Maybe a bit too ambitious?
Honestly, the "Urban Open World" genre is getting crowded. With Zenless Zone Zero already carving out its niche and Persona vibes being replicated everywhere, Project Mugen (developed by Naked Rain, a subsidiary of NetEase) has to do more than just look pretty. It has to feel right.
What is Project Mugen actually trying to be?
At its core, it’s an urban open-world RPG. But that label is kinda lazy. It’s better to think of it as a massive digital playground where the environment isn't just a floor for your character to stand on. The developers have been vocal about "infinite" interaction. You can sit on benches, ride the subway, go to the cinema, or just cause a bit of chaos on the streets.
The movement is the real kicker.
Most gacha games give you a dash and maybe a double jump. Project Mugen gives you parkour, wall-running, and web-swinging. If you're a fan of the Insomniac Spider-Man games, the inspiration here is impossible to miss. They call it "urban exploration," but it’s basically high-octane traversal that makes a 500-meter trek to a quest marker feel like a gameplay loop instead of a chore.
The technical wizardry behind the scenes
NetEase isn't just throwing artists at this; they’re throwing tech. The game uses a proprietary rendering engine alongside some heavy-duty procedural generation tools. Why does this matter to you? Because it means the city of "Novis" can be huge without feeling like a copy-paste job.
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They use something called "large-scale city generation technology."
Basically, it allows the team to build a dense, complex urban environment where the lighting changes realistically and the NPCs aren't just walking in circles. We’ve seen a lot of games promise "living cities," but the footage of Project Mugen shows cars reacting to player presence and destructible environments that don't just reset the second you look away. It’s a level of interactivity that usually stays reserved for single-player AAA titles, not free-to-play live-service games.
Let’s talk about the combat and the characters
It's a four-person squad. You swap on the fly. You've probably seen this before in Genshin Impact or Wuthering Waves, but the "Mugen" twist is how it integrates the environment.
See a car? You can probably use telekinesis to hurl it at a monster.
See a giant pipe? You can swing off it to land a plunging attack.
The combat is real-time, flashy, and heavily reliant on "Esper" abilities. Since the story revolves around "Investigators" dealing with supernatural anomalies in a modern city, the power sets are wild. One character might use high-tech drones, while another manipulates gravity. It’s chaotic. It’s fast. It’s very, very colorful.
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The Elephant in the Room: The "GTA" Comparison
People keep calling it "Anime GTA."
That’s a bit of a stretch, but I get why. You can drive cars. You can ride bikes. You can get into fights in the middle of a busy intersection. However, unlike GTA, you aren't exactly a criminal rising through the ranks. You’re more of a supernatural detective. The stakes are "end of the world" rather than "robbing a jewelry store."
Still, the freedom is the selling point. Most mobile-first open worlds are actually just wide-open fields with the occasional hill. Project Mugen is vertical. You spend as much time on rooftops as you do on the pavement. That verticality changes the entire flow of the game.
Why some people are skeptical (and they might be right)
NetEase has a reputation. They’re a massive company with huge hits, but they’ve also faced criticism for aggressive monetization and occasionally abandoning projects that don't hit the "mega-hit" status immediately.
There's also the "Too Good To Be True" factor.
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The physics shown in the early previews—the way characters interact with objects and the sheer speed of the traversal—requires a massive amount of optimization. Doing that for a PC is one thing. Doing that for a smartphone while maintaining a stable frame rate is a god-tier engineering challenge. If they can pull it off, it's a game-changer. If they can't, we might see a significant "downgrade" in the final release compared to those silky-smooth trailers.
What we know about the world of Novis
The lore is centered on a world where urban legends are real. Think SCP Foundation meets Akira. You play as an Infinite Trigger, an investigator who handles "Anomalies" that threaten the stability of the city.
The world isn't just one city, either. While Novis is the main hub we've seen, the devs have hinted at other regions with vastly different aesthetics. The goal is to create a seamless world. No loading screens between the street and the shop interior. That’s a bold claim in 2026, especially for a cross-platform title.
How to prepare for the launch
Since Project Mugen is a multi-platform release (PC, PS5, iOS, Android), your setup matters. If you're planning to play on mobile, you’re going to need a flagship-level chip to see it at its best. This isn't going to run well on a five-year-old budget phone.
- Pre-register early. NetEase usually ties massive reward tiers to pre-registration numbers. You’ll want those free pulls or starter items.
- Check your storage. Based on the assets and the scale of the city, expect a massive file size. We’re likely looking at 30GB+ on mobile and potentially 60-80GB on PC.
- Follow the "Naked Rain" dev logs. They’ve been surprisingly transparent about the development process, showing off how they handle the physics of the swinging mechanics.
The hype is real, but keep your expectations grounded. We've seen "Genshin Killers" come and go. The real test for Project Mugen won't be the day it launches—it’ll be six months later when we see if the city of Novis actually has enough soul to keep players coming back after the novelty of swinging between skyscrapers wears off.
Actionable Next Steps
- Monitor Official Socials: NetEase frequently drops "Technical Test" invites on their official X (Twitter) and Discord. These are often limited to a few thousand players, so keep notifications on.
- Audit Your Hardware: If you are a PC player, ensure you have an SSD with at least 100GB of free space. Modern urban open worlds struggle heavily on traditional HDDs due to asset streaming speeds.
- Compare the Competition: Take a look at Zenless Zone Zero or Tower of Fantasy to get a feel for the current state of "Urban Anime" games. It helps to understand where Project Mugen is innovating versus where it’s following the pack.
- Watch the "Raw" Gameplay: Look for unedited "off-screen" footage from gaming conventions. Trailer footage is often rendered in idealized environments; the raw footage will show you the actual UI and any potential frame drops.