Seen by some as a “Genshin Killer”, Tower of Fantasy (ToF) has exploded onto the scene since its global release in August 2022. It seems that Hotta Studio have hit a home run by taking many elements players love from a bunch of successful titles and placing them into an incredibly satisfying, new package.

But to call Tower of Fantasy a “new Genshin” would be missing the point, it adds lots of new flavour and takes a slightly different angle to miHoYo’s 2020 hit.

So, let’s take a close look at 10 reasons you need to start playing Tower of Fantasy.

1. A True Mobile MMO

If you’re a fan of MMORPGs, ToF may be the mobile game for you. After all, most of its DNA comes from modern MMOs.

As a reference point, I’d place ToF in the middle of Guild Wars 2 and Genshin Impact, all things considered. While it has a similar visual style and combat type to Genshin Impact, it is a truly online experience. Meaning you’ll constantly be running into other players as you run, fight and glide your way around the open world.

2. Free to Play

So, let’s say you like the look of ToF and are reading this article to figure out whether you want to sign up… Well stop right there. The game is totally free to play, no strings attached. So instead of listening to popular opinion, it’s probably worth downloading the game and seeing if it’s the right title for you.

After all, it won’t cost you a penny!

3. Generous Gacha System

While ToF is free to play, it does contain a Gacha system which may drain your wallet if you don’t practice some self-restraint.

On a more serious note, ToF’s Gacha system is one of the more generous out there. Offering up a tantalising 0.75% chance of getting a character on each pull. Compared to Genshin’s 0.6%, that’s quite an increase.

This translates to you gaining more gameplay options throughout your time with the game, helping to keep things fresh—even if you never pay for a pull!

That said, if you’re looking for a specific item or simulation (character) you may want to save the hassle by purchasing an account that already has that character unlocked—something you can do effortlessly through ElDorado.gg.

4. Loads of Viable playstyles

As is necessary with any successful MMO, ToF is very well balanced. This means that there are plenty of viable playstyles to choose from, allowing you to experiment and find your preference. And thanks to the constant variation provided by the Gachas, you may even find yourself switching playstyle a number of times throughout your time with the game.

5. Memorable visual style

It may resemble Genshin Impact at a glance, but let’s just take a moment to appreciate the visual splendour of ToF. Everything from its splash screens to its vibrant open world to its intricately designed characters screams charm. A factor which may well be the reason you’re even considering playing!

6. Creative Customisation

Unlike Genshin Impact, Tower of Fantasy provides you with a plethora of tools to make your avatar your own. Its extensive character creation tools will ensure that you slay your way through the planet of Aida, giving you the ability to dye virtually any part of your costume to your heart’s content.

Seriously, I’ve spent far too long on character customisation alone!

7. Pick up and play

The heart of most mobile games is accessibility, and ToF delivers here with a combat system that is incredibly easy to pick up and play. Allowing casual gamers to hit satisfying combos with ease. But if you’re looking for depth, don’t let that easy start put you off. The game features detailed combo charts for each weapon, which up the ante if you want to really min-max your time with the game.

8. Available on iOS, Android and PC.

This one speaks for itself. Whether you’re an apple user, an android fan or a PC gamer (or all three) ToF is right at your fingertips. Better yet, you can easily play between devices, meaning you can play on the go on your phone then pick up right where you left off on your PC (with graphics dialled up to max!).

9. Grinding friendly (if you want to)

Grinding is often a part of MMOs, some players love it, and plenty hate it. ToF is very aware of this polarising aspect of MMO design and rolls with it. Keeping in plenty of satisfying grind for those wanting to put in the hours to obtain the best stats and clear the toughest raids.

But for casual players, the grind can be virtually non-existent. Allowing you to focus on the parts of the experience you enjoy.

10. Staggered Release

ToF may have just arrived for global audiences, but the game has been available for a while already. That’s because Hotta Studio initially released the game in China back in December 2021. While this may leave some scratching their heads, it is actually a boon for global players. This is because the game is seeing a staggered rollout of features from the Chinese version, meaning that many aspects have been thoroughly tested (by real players) and tweaked before they arrive on the global server.