Recently, Ultraman: Assemble, a mobile game developed by CMGE, started its Beta test. As a mobile game licensed by Ultraman's copyright company Tsuburaya Productions, players can collect all the variations of Ultraman, from the original 1966 Ultraman to the Decker Ultraman released in 2022. However, Ultraman fans don't seem to be satisfied with the game and how CMGE has operated it.
As an ARPG mobile game, Ultraman: Assemble was initially advertised in a similar style to Ultraman's TV series, fighting dangerous alien creatures in a bustling city. However, players did not find any of these elements in the beta version. Ultraman and monsters had been shrunk to the size of ordinary humans. The battle scenes were all on other planets with a more fantasy style, rather than in a modern city on Earth. A significant number of Ultraman fans are infuriated by CMGE's false advertising. They claim that the spirit of Ultraman is him standing tall among buildings while fighting huge monsters. This is also one of the core elements of the Ultraman TV series, how the TV production team used miniature building models and filming techniques to highlight the power of Ultraman. CMGE apparently did not take into account the importance of the background setting for Ultraman, most of the backgrounds for the battle scenes are completely black, and there are no human cities found in any part of the Beta test.
In addition to the poor background design, Ultraman has also let players down in the battle design. In the past, CMGE was in charge of Dragon Ball, One Piece and other manga-based fighting games, and their excellent combat design has attracted many players. However, Ultraman's combat system is not as impressive as CMGE’s previous works. Each Ultraman has only one ability and a normal attack that does not show that Ultraman's unique characteristics at all. Before the game test, CMGE promised that each Ultraman would have exactly the same attack action and ultimate ability they had from the TV Series, but players did not find that to be the case once they got into the game. Players have even stated that the Ultraman models could be replaced with anything else, and it wouldn’t feel out of place.
In the BETA test, CMGE also opened the in-game micro-transactions, and the items that players paid for will carry over to the game’s official launch. The micro-transactions are another major reason why players feel dissatisfied. Many players have mentioned ads in the game advertising pay-to-win equipment and items that intrude on the normal playing experience. CMGE even used the slogan “wealth is also part of Ultraman's power”. The game also has a sizeable number of equipment slots, and players will need to equip many paid weapons and talismans to improve their gaming experience.
At present, CMGE has not responded to players’ dissatisfaction, and the game will be officially launched in the fall of 2022. let us hope that CMGE can make changes in time before the launch of the official version and keep its good name in the IP-based mobile game market.