Garena Free City Pre-Registration Opens in SEA, Middle East, Africa

Garena Free City, the latest addition to the developer's extensive lineup, is now open for pre-registration on both iOS and Android platforms across Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. If you've been eagerly awaiting the next installment in a certain iconic series, Garena Free City might just be the perfect interim fix.

Let's get straight to the point: Garena Free City is Garena's rendition of the Grand Theft Auto experience, slated for release on June 30th. Whether this is a positive or negative development largely depends on your personal taste. At first glance, it might appear as just another mobile clone of GTA, but a closer look reveals some promising features.

For starters, the game offers a comprehensive character customization system, reminiscent of The Sims, allowing detailed manipulation of individual features. Moreover, unlike the realistic approach of GTA, Garena Free City introduces more fantastical elements, including giant robots and summonable power-ups like deployable cover.

Bold & Brash However, it's clear that much of the game's design attempts to mimic the allure of Grand Theft Auto Online, which might be a missed opportunity. The more unconventional features, while eye-catching, are somewhat overshadowed by the familiar GTA-like elements.

Garena's timing with the release of Free City could be less than ideal. Although I believe no single app can dominate a genre on mobile, Ananta, another upcoming title, is promising a vast open world and quirky side quests similar to Free City, but with a unique twist. Ananta sets itself apart with its anime aesthetic, which might not appeal to everyone but certainly offers something different. My main critique of Free City so far is its reluctance to fully embrace its unique elements.

If you're keen on staying updated with the latest game launches, don't miss Catherine's regular feature, "Ahead of the Game," where you can discover upcoming titles available to play right now.