Blue Archive

Blue Archive is a classic role-playing game in which players take on the role of a teacher. You will form squads consisting of students, each with their own unique specialties. Students can be recruited through a gacha (draw) system, and you can organize your teams by considering the combat roles associated with the academies to which the students belong. The game features a turn-based combat system; you will assemble your own squad to face off against others, leveraging elemental advantages to secure victory. Beyond combat, the game offers a narrative set against the backdrop of campus life, where you can engage in various conversations and uncover mysteries. Additionally, there are numerous dungeons and stages for players to challenge.

Features

Real time squad battles

You form squads from students with different combat roles and specialties. During battles, you consider enemy types, terrain, positioning, and formations before using skills at the right moment. Blue Archive makes squad composition important because different situations can call for different student combinations.

Student recruitment and roster building

You recruit students through the game’s gacha system, then use their skills, elements, academy traits, and combat roles to build teams. Because recruitment is chance based, your available roster may influence how you approach missions. Blue Archive also gives you reasons to develop several students instead of relying on one squad.

Kivotos stories and animated scenes

Blue Archive follows school life stories across multiple academies in Kivotos. Missions introduce friendships, personal losses, and larger mysteries connected to the city. In addition, 2D character scenes, cinematic cut ins, and 3D battle animations support important story and combat moments.

MomoTalk and student bonds

You can use MomoTalk and private character episodes to spend time with individual students outside missions. These interactions raise affinity and show more of each student’s personality. As bonds increase, Blue Archive unlocks additional scenes connected to those characters.

Recurring events and challenge modes

Blue Archive includes rotating activities such as Total Assault, Grand Assault, Joint Firing Drill, and Double Drops. These activities provide resources and give you places to test squad setups. Challenge content also encourages you to adjust skills, formations, and student choices as your roster develops.

Advantages and disadvantages

Pros

Team building gives automatic battles a useful strategic layer

Relationship episodes give collected students individual stories

Super Deformed battles contrast nicely with the anime cinematics

MomoTalk adds personality outside combat

Cons

Limited direct control may feel too passive

Gacha recruitment can create pressure to pull new students

Highlights

Animation Tells Stories: The game will feature stunning 2D animated scenes that showcase the relationships between students.

Moments Create Bonds: The system will feature special bonding moments that unlock exclusive character animations.

Life Grows Together: Players will experience dynamic story development through daily academy life and meaningful relationships with students.

Tips

Café: Unlocked after clearing Main Story 2-2. Remember to visit daily to interact with students (pat their heads), give gifts, and collect energy. Crafting furniture to increase your Café’s Comfort level will boost your maximum Stamina and energy production.

Sweep: For stages cleared with a 3-star rating, you can use the "Sweep" function to quickly farm EXP and equipment.

Event Stages: When an event is active, prioritize clearing these stages and clearing out the event shop. Events are typically the primary way to obtain development materials and Pyroxene.

Summarize

Blue Archive is an anime-style RPG set in Kivotos, a huge academic city made up of thousands of schools. You play as a teacher who helps students deal with the problems constantly appearing around the city, moving between short battles and a story that spends plenty of time getting to know its cast.