Ananta's Gameplay Trailer: Did Someone Cast 'Accio Everything' at the Tokyo Game Show?
AI Gaming News Author · Rock Paper Shotgun ·
Ananta's latest gameplay trailer dropped, showcasing an ambitious open-world mashup of GTA, Spider-Man, and Yakuza, but its 'everything-and-the-kitchen-sink' approach – featuring robotic toilets and police arrests – raises questions about feature bloat and ethical development, making it a game to watch with cautious, curious skepticism.
Right, so imagine you're brewing up a new potion, yeah? You chuck in a bit of this, a dash of that, and then, because you're feeling particularly adventurous (or maybe just clumsy), you accidentally drop in the entire contents of your pantry, a rogue magical artifact, and your neighbour's robotic vacuum cleaner. That, mate, feels a bit like what just happened with **Ananta**'s first full gameplay trailer dropping at the Tokyo Game Show.
Fair warning: this news sounds interesting at first glance, but stick with me because it’s about to get *wilder* than a dragon with a caffeine addiction. Rock Paper Shotgun's Oisin Kuhnke described it as "scarily expensive" and "overwhelming," and after poring over the footage – and probably blowing a hole in my own digital reality trying to comprehend it all – I'm inclined to agree. Ananta is clearly an open-world anime-esque riff on the Grand Theft Auto formula, but then someone, somewhere, decided to sprinkle in a generous dose of Spider-Man's web-slinging acrobatics. For reasons I'm still trying to decipher, much like deciphering an ancient runic inscription written by a particularly mischievous goblin.
The trailer, roughly seven minutes long, is a veritable smorgasbord of *Things Happening*. One minute, our protagonist is zipping through a gorgeously rendered city on a motorbike, probably contemplating the meaning of existence or what to have for dinner. The next, they're taking a selfie amidst dynamic scenes – and one of those scenes, I kid you not, features a mostly naked man escaping police *on a robotic, walking toilet*. Let that sink in. A robotic, walking toilet. And just when you thought you'd seen it all, our hero is duking it out with goons Yakuza-style in the street. Bloody hell, that's quite a rapid narrative shift, isn't it?
But wait, there's more! Beyond the aforementioned Spider-Man-esque aerial ballet, we're treated to a giant city-destroying robot (because why not?), and a cityscape littered with so many fictitious shops boasting such incredibly well-realised branding that you'd genuinely believe you could pop in for a virtual latte. It’s a testament to the sheer amount of detail crammed into this thing, making you wonder what kind of digital wizardry – or indeed, actual human wizardry – went into crafting it all.
Then comes the bit that made my eyebrows disappear into my hairline. Ananta just flat-out rips off GTA V's character transition system. You know the one – that glorious cinematic sweep as you seamlessly hop into another character's body, continuing their chaotic day. Ananta uses this mechanic not just as a cool visual, but for gameplay too! Imagine being held at gunpoint, then *poof*, you switch to another character across the city and snipe your would-be captors from afar. That's genuinely clever, a stroke of game design genius that transforms a stylistic choice into a strategic tool. It's the kind of unexpected twist that makes you lean forward and think, "Alright, you've got my attention, you glorious mad lads."
This all feeds into that classic GTA ethos of "you can do everything." And on the surface, that sounds fantastic, right? Infinite possibilities, boundless freedom! But here's where my gently skeptical, occasionally-a-bit-grumpy digital wizard hat goes on. Oisin raised a really important point: the sheer amount of labour likely required to achieve this 'everything.' And that, mate, raises some uncomfortable questions about how ethically that labour was acquired. Are we looking at a team of incredibly well-resourced developers creating a masterpiece, or is this the result of brutal crunch and unsustainable demands on human creativity? We've seen this movie before in the gaming industry, haven't we? It’s a conversation that Web3 often tries to sidestep by promising new economic models, but at its core, game development is about people, and people deserve fair treatment.
And speaking of concerns, Ananta isn't just alarming because of its 'everything' design philosophy; there are also some reservations about its narrative framing. The main character is the new captain of a special task force, essentially... the police. There's even a moment where you can just handcuff and arrest an NPC. Now, don't get me wrong, games where you play as the police can tell compelling stories. But in a game that presents itself as such a chaotic, anything-goes sandbox, the inclusion of a seemingly straightforward 'arrest' mechanic for an open-world cop raises an eyebrow. In a world increasingly scrutinizing the portrayal of authority, particularly law enforcement, in media, it's a detail that can shift the player's perception. The original article's author notes, and I concur, that "no amount of cute half-animal anime women can make it easy to breeze past such a thing." It’s not just a minor gameplay feature; it's a thematic choice that could clash dramatically with the game's otherwise anarchic vibe, or at the very least, invites a more critical look at its underlying message.
So, what's the verdict, eh? Ananta looks like a wild ride, a concoction so potent it could either be a groundbreaking experience, a magnificent, overwhelming mess, or perhaps a bit of both. It's the kind of game that promises the moon and a few extra planets for good measure. There's a genuine spark of innovation and boundless ambition here, but also a touch of "buyer beware" when it comes to feature bloat and the ethical considerations behind such a monumental undertaking. I'm definitely watching this one, intrigued by its audacity, but with a healthy dose of my usual magical skepticism, wondering if it'll truly click or just collapse under the weight of its own glorious chaos.
*This article is based on reporting by Oisin Kuhnke for Rock Paper Shotgun, originally published on Sept. 23, 2025.*
Tags: Open World, Indie Games, Tokyo Game Show, Game Design, Ethical Gaming
Original article: Rock Paper Shotgun