The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin is a free-to-play open world anime RPG with flying pigs and minecart levels

The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin is one of many, confounding things. Firstly, it is available now on Steam. Secondly, it is a splashy fantasy open world anime confection, all Disney towers and fluttering windmills and jaunty sailboats and some kind of porcine Space Hopper that transforms into a buzzard. Thirdly, it is a free-to-play game with gacha elements.

I do not like gacha elements and other habit-forming randomised rewards, but I do not think that games featuring them are automatically abominable. Put it this way: our former EIC Graham Smith liked Genshin Impact, and he is both a protective father and a fearful crank who writes mean things about Wholesome games and pretty much just stopped enjoying stuff sometime in 2004.

I also do not particularly like The Seven Deadly Sins source material – I watched half an episode of the anime and there was hilarious oopsy-daisy boob-touching. In general, I find main guy Meliodas to be in sore need of a wedgie. I do quite like the below Origins trailer, though. Look at that pig buzzard go! Is that a bunch of babies having a wizard fight in the woods? Aw, and they’ve done a minecart level, for the Donkey Kongs amongst us.

If you are keen on the manga and anime, Origins features both “compelling new original heroes” and “fan-favorite characters from across the series, transcending timelines and dimensions” As for combat, it’s real-time with streaky slash FX, tag team moves and beam attacks. There is also fishing and cooking, just to fill out the open world bingo card.

Origins is the work of Netmarble, who are also responsible for a middling Game Of Thrones PC adaptation and a reportedly quite decent take on another anime series, Solo Levelling. I have better things to do this evening, but I’m fighting the urge to download this and at least experiment with riding the pig buzzard off the top of the big castle. It’s been a while since I last jumped off a preposterously tall castle, and based on the trailer alone, I’m 90% sure there’s no fall damage to worry about. Learn more on Steam.