What if there was a world where we could have superpowers of the gods? Who wouldn’t want to control the waves like Poseidon? Summon lightning down on enemies like Thor? Or have powers to do something from a mythology you don’t know about?
That is the basic premise of the Gacha mobile game Dislyte. You build a team of five or more Espers (people gifted the power of a mythological god) and battle various enemies for control of cities in Grandis. You also learn about everyone’s individual story because, deep down, they are all people inside, with likes and dislikes just like us.
Sound like your jam? Well, as someone who has been reading mythology since I was a kid, I can tell you that I saw the ads for this game and was hooked immediately. With the beautiful graphics, the promise of unique music, and a story to keep me engaged, I was willing to dive in.
That was two years ago, and many people on the internet have started to turn against the game, calling it a cop-out and a cash grab. Even though the game is constantly being updated and new modes are added nearly every month, I can see some of the reasons for this game’s negatives and maybe a possible way to bring it back from the dregs of the internet.
The Power of the Gods, In the Palm of My Hand
I want to point out that many different mythologies exist worldwide. I consider myself an expert in Greek mythology because I’ve been reading about it for as long as I can remember. One of my close friends loves Egyptian mythology so much that she did a presentation for our speech and debate club, complete with props and visuals.
One aspect of the game that drew me was seeing it as a learning opportunity. I know of other mythologies, but I don’t know all the characters and their roles in the greater narrative arc in the world we live in today. The game includes Japanese, Chinese, Norse, Mayan, Greek, Egyptian, and even Babylonian characters!
Herein lies a double-edged sword for players: this game is creating awareness for some mythologies to take center stage, but, as you might have guessed, that’s a lot of gods to keep up with and entire pantheons to remember. I spent a lot of time learning Zeus’ family tree; imagine my surprise to learn there were some other minor gods and demigods I had to keep up with.
If I had all the time in the world, I would study mythologies all day, but that’s a lot of knowledge for one person to absorb. I took a Hinduism class in college, which was one of the hardest to keep up with. It took me a while to raise my grade to a decent level I wasn’t ashamed of, not to mention the similar-sounding names and vocabulary from Sanskrit, which I am very unfamiliar with.
Blasphemy! Heresy! Maybe?
If there’s a common thread I’ve seen in the stories the developers have chosen, it’s that all of the gods they choose are from long ago—as in, way before the Common Era. These ancient stories have been translated into our languages and told in more digestible ways for us to understand. Even in my generation, many youths were introduced to Greek mythology through Percy Jackson.
I see a potential problem: what happens when the developers run out of ancient source material? Do they turn to modern faiths and recreate those gods? I am very interested in seeing how different people portray their gods in their artwork, but what if someone or a group is offended by how this diety looks?
Some modern religions I would be concerned about seeing are Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity. Can you imagine the backlash from the Christian community if they tried to turn Jesus into a playable character? The Catholic Church would throw a fit. It’s not their first time, though (trust me, one of my degrees was in History).
Overwhelmed By Content
As I mentioned before, this game is constantly being updated. Every month, a new special event and characters are announced on all platforms. And every month, the sentiment is nearly the same: I wish I could get this new character, but they are locked behind a paywall, or the odds of getting them are not in my favor.
In case you didn’t know, a gacha game (pronounced “gotcha!” like you are pranking someone) is “a video game that implements the gacha (toy vending machine) mechanic. Similar to loot boxes, gacha games entice players to spend in-game currency to receive a random in-game item.”
Like a claw game in the mall, if you want a nice prize, you have to spend money to get it. It is up to the player to spend real-world money on a game like this, but I would say that some of the more money-conscious gamers out there (like me) will stick to in-game currency only. If money is not an issue, sure, go for that rare skin and exclusive rewards.
To build a team, you need at least five Espers to begin the journey. They will provide low-level ones for you to practice and learn the game, and then you’re turned loose. The ranking system goes from highest to lowest, with Legendary Espers being the hardest to get (one guaranteed every one hundred pulls), Epics are every ten pulls, and Rares as fillers.
Are you starting to see the issue? It requires a lot of patience to get enough materials to pull for a decent amount of Espers, let alone get the chance to get a Legendary one that you want after a hundred pulls. I pull every time I have enough materials for ten Espers, then save up until I can do it again.
The game breaks down the statistics for you to get all the characters, but they are not good odds. The newer characters are given the same stats as all the Legendary people, but it is very hard to get the specific one you desire. There is one Esper that I still haven’t gotten since the game was released two years ago. TWO. YEARS. I’ve basically given up hope of getting her on my team.
With so much content being released, you would think this game would never get boring, right? Well… the special events spice things up for the first week after it’s updated, and then you have to wait a few more weeks for the next one to roll around. The cycle never ends.
When these events were announced, the developers would release a teaser trailer to introduce the main character they would be releasing. This would showcase some of their backstory, show off their abilities, and a plot to advance the game’s overall lore.
With so many people added to the roster (146 as of writing this article), there are a lot of characters to keep up with. Included are the individual stories of every character, who they are affiliated with, their ambitions, any family they have, and (more often than not) a tragic backstory that explains their transformation into an Esper.
This doesn’t even get into the leveling system, which I will not discuss. It could be better, but let’s leave it at that.
Is There Hope for Dislyte?
I have a few ideas on what could draw people back into the game:
1. Stop adding so many characters so quickly! There are so many people to keep up with, which is becoming overwhelming. With these events, players can blast through them in a few hours, and they’re done, waiting for the next announcement. Not to mention, these Espers are so difficult to pull after the event. It’s nearly impossible.
2. Bring back quality writing for the stories and music. The game drew me initially for my love of mythology and music. Music is subjective, but as long as they attempt to put good songs out there, that is a mechanic to draw people back in if they have listened to other bangers. And many of the earlier stories were grand adventures; now, it’s the same sob story for every Esper.
3. Establish a cohesive timeline for everyone and everything in this universe. The timelines for these characters bounce all over the place. From days before their transformation into Espers to problems in the present day, there are a lot of years to keep up with. When characters’ stories overlap, it is difficult to know what year they are in or if someone has time travel abilities.
If you want to check out this game, it’s free on the Apple and Google stores. Just remember, these games are designed to suck you in, and they are very hard to get out of. And keep an eye on your wallet because a lot of money might be invested with very little return or no results.
Wondering if others have played this game? Markiplier snagged a sponsorship with them and was featured briefly in the game! MatPat and the Game Theory crew even did a video on it!
Here is my favorite song they have released from this game. Hope you enjoy it!
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