The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin Review – Britannia’s Ambitious Anime Open‑World
A fan‑service heavy open‑world RPG that captures the anime look but struggles with bugs, optimization and gacha instincts. Read my hands‑on impressions before you dive into Britannia.
I booted up The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin with equal parts nostalgia and suspicion. Netmarble promised a sprawling Britannia, a new Tristan‑centered story and a roster that pulls from across the anime’s timelines—ambitious stuff. On paper it feels like the Genshin formula re‑skinned for 7DS fans, and in practice that’s both the charm and the problem. If you grew up with the manga or love the anime’s visuals, there’s immediate joy in wandering familiar vistas; if you came for a slick PC experience, expect to grit your teeth at optimization and gacha design choices.
Exploring a Familiar‑but‑New Britannia
Dashed expectations aside, the core loop is straightforward: you run, climb, glide and fight across setpieces pulled directly from the anime’s geography. Quests mix story beats with typical open‑world busywork—findables, small dungeons and a handful of narrative hubs where characters banter. Combat is action‑RPG style: light and heavy attacks, dodge/skill windows, and flashy ultimates that look great when they connect. I spent a lot of time swapping between party members to test combos; switching weapon types on the same character is a nice touch that keeps fights from feeling stale. Exploration also has little pauses of charm—fishing, cooking and scenic vistas that reward you with lore or crafting materials. However, the actual feel of movement and responsiveness sometimes betrays its mobile roots—camera quirks and stiffness crop up during tight platforming or high‑tempo fights.
A Party of Sins, Originals and Gacha Decisions
The roster design leans heavily into fan service: you’ll meet familiar faces and a number of original heroes created for Origin. Building a team feels meaningful at first because characters bring different weapon types and synergies, but the gacha economy is never far in the background. Pull rates, limited banners and early reroll friction are very much present and shape progression more than I’d like to admit. That said, when party synergies click — elemental‑lite reactions, weapon swaps, and ultimate combos — combat can be genuinely joyful. Co‑op or shared activities aren’t a headline feature at launch, but grouping up with AI teammates and NPC banter adds personality. Outside combat, hidden dungeons and loot caves offer bite‑sized rewards, though many of these areas repeat content patterns and can feel grindy if you chase min‑max goals.
When the Engine Groans
Visually, Origin nails the anime look: cel‑shaded characters and sweeping vistas often look like a moving painting and the soundtrack leans into orchestral, heroic cues that fit Tristan’s arc. But the presentation loses points quickly due to technical problems. Many players — and I experienced it too — reported crashes, login soft‑locks, and baffling performance issues even on decent rigs. There are reports of the anti‑cheat/launcher interfering, resolution and FPS limits that feel arbitrary, and inconsistent graphical scaling (4K looking like 1080p). Sound design is hit or miss: music is fine, but there’s a clear lack of English voice options which will disappoint non‑Japanese speakers who’d prefer voiced performances. Accessibility options are present but basic; keybinds and control tweaks are necessary to make the PC port tolerable. Bottom line: the art style and audio ambition are strong, but the engine needs follow‑up patches sooner rather than later.
The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin is a love letter to the IP with real moments of fun, but it launches weighed down by technical woes and gacha realities. Fans will find plenty to enjoy and should try the free experience; PC players expecting a flawless release should be prepared for rough edges. I’m cautiously optimistic: with proper patches and some economic balance, Origin could grow into the game it aims to be.
Pros
- Beautiful anime‑style visuals that nail fan service
- A fresh Tristan‑centric story and interesting original characters
- Flexible combat with weapon swaps and satisfying ultimates
- Small downtime activities (fishing, cooking, exploration) that add charm
Cons
- Poor optimization and frequent technical issues at launch
- Gacha economy and reroll friction push a pay‑centric progression
- Feels like a mobile port in controls and presentation
Player Opinion
Players are split between genuine fandom praise and harsh technical complaints. Many reviews celebrate the faithful art direction and the joy of seeing Britannia come alive, plus a handful of players say the combat clicks when teams are built smartly. On the flip side, recurring criticisms include crashes, login or launcher issues, poor optimization even on decent PCs, and a feeling that the PC port keeps mobile game design choices intact. There’s also consistent anger over censorship and limited English voice options, and players warn about gacha rates and pay‑to‑win risks. If you love 7DS and free‑to‑play gacha loops, it’s worth a try; if you expect a polished AAA PC RPG, maybe wait for patches.