It’s always a treat going to Anime Expo NYC every year, as pop culture, anime, and gaming grow bigger every year. Attending the expo with Lord Cognito and Lord Petey, we were able to see exciting things during our time there!
The Everborn Saga at Anime Expo NYC
It wouldn’t be a major gaming event without seeing our man Everborn Saga in the realm. He showed up with an impressive booth, highlighting his latest graphic novels and merch. You can watch our interview with him below.
Seeing someone with a dream doing the hard work to make it a reality is always worth celebrating.
Fighting Monsters on the Go – Kaiju No. 8: The Game
As the last game we played at Anime Expo NYC, this was the one we were most curious about. When you think of anime video games based on huge franchises, it’s easy to assume developers will go in the direction of Demon Slayer or Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm.
Instead, Kaiju No. 8: The Game plays like a turn-based RPG. Commanding a team of four characters from the anime series, you take on massive Kaiju. They can easily crush you, making proper loadouts and good character choices. We learned this firsthand, being defeated twice.
Changing up our team and having a defence-focused character boosting our shields helped us defeat the Kaiju terrorizing us. The turn-based combat was something we enjoyed; however, the visuals and presentation coming from a mobile title particularly impressed us.
You can learn more about the game in our preview here, alongside checking out the game’s Steam Page.
Cross-Platform MMO Action – Blue Protocol: Star Resonance
While Lord Petey is no stranger to the MMO genre, I was, so playing Blue Protocol: Star Resonance intimidated me at first. But to my surprise, the game felt very much at home using a controller, which was provided to me during my play session.
Exploring a beautiful fantasy world, players fight monsters in real-time action combat that feels fast and responsive. In many ways, it reminded me of a faster version of Final Fantasy XIV in terms of overall game feel, though pulling off attacks is quite a bit faster.
The demo had no overall objective; it simply involved me exploring and fighting alongside other online players. What impressed me, Cog, and Lord Petey was learning about the game’s cross-platform ambitions. Not only will the game release on PC, but it will also launch on mobile platforms with feature parity.
Similar to our experience with Kaiju No. 8: The Game, we were taken aback at how far mobile games have come. Now, console-quality experiences can work perfectly on mobile platforms via touch controls, and that will forever be surreal for me to see as a console-focused gamer.
You can learn more about Blue Protocol: Star Resonance by visiting the game’s Steam Page, with it launching on PC and Mobile platforms on October 9th.
A Good Burger – CYBRLICH and the Death Cult of Labor
One of the biggest surprises at Anime Expo NYC this year was the indie boomer shooter CYBERLICH. Going hands-on with the game’s Endless Horde Mode and the intro sequence of the campaign, I loved my time with this one.
Having a distinct Adult Swim vibe, evoking memories of shows like Aqua Team Hunger Force and Superjail, you play as a new hire for a company, but you quickly say ‘screw this’ and start wrecking the place up. The arsenal is composed of kicking with your boot, a pistol, and a sword.
Using all three felt responsive, and reloading your weapons involves smoking weed. After smoking a joint, you recover ammo to continue the onslaught.
Sure, you can talk to NPCs around the area, but I comically just killed everyone during my play session. When it was all said and done, I can’t wait to see what the team at Cybrlich Studios cooks up as development on CYBRLICH and the Death Cult of Labor progresses.
Closing Thoughts on Anime Expo NYC 2025
While I saw less than I did in 2024, it was still an awesome adventure. Seeing new games, hanging out with the Lords, and enjoying the overall experience is always a treat.
Stay tuned for our coverage at New York Comic-Con 2025 and more as the year continues!
