TL;DR
- Seven Deadly Sins: Origin transitions from turn-based to open-world ARPG gameplay
- Features an original storyline starring Tristan, bridging 7DS and Four Knights of the Apocalypse
- Britannia transforms into multiversal landscape with altered geography and timelines
- Extensive exploration options including character-specific traversal abilities and side activities
- Closed beta reveals polished combat systems and progression mechanics with high replay value
The Seven Deadly Sins franchise continues its gaming evolution with Netmarble’s latest offering, Seven Deadly Sins: Origin. Following the successful turn-based RPG 7DS: Grand Cross, this new installment represents a significant genre shift to open-world action RPG. As someone who experienced the closed beta firsthand, I can confirm the transition feels both ambitious and well-executed.
Unlike its predecessor that faithfully adapted the manga’s storyline, Origin introduces a completely original narrative crafted with direct involvement from series creator Nakaba Suzuki. This fresh approach allows players to experience Britannia through new perspectives while maintaining the beloved world-building that fans cherish.
The central conflict revolves around the mysterious ‘Book of Stars,’ an ancient artifact that suddenly emerges and fundamentally alters Britannia’s reality. This cataclysmic event merges characters, locations, and timelines from multiple dimensions, creating a fractured multiverse that players must navigate.
As Prince Tristan, Meliodas’ son whom anime viewers briefly encountered, you lead an expanding party to restore order across the transformed landscape. The narrative strategically positions itself between the original Seven Deadly Sins storyline and its sequel, Four Knights of the Apocalypse, serving as a crucial bridge between these established timelines.
Canon status remains uncertain until the official launch, but the storyline demonstrates careful attention to series lore while introducing innovative concepts. This approach balances familiarity with fresh storytelling that should appeal to both veteran fans and newcomers.
Netmarble’s recreation of Britannia stands as one of Origin’s most impressive achievements. Familiar locations like the Kingdom of Liones and Fairy King’s Forest receive detailed treatment, though the closed beta restricted access to certain areas that presumably unlock through story progression.


Transportation options significantly enhance exploration, with various mounts including Hawks and owls available for traversal. Certain characters possess unique movement abilities that provide additional navigation advantages, creating strategic considerations for party composition beyond combat effectiveness.
Beyond main story objectives, players can engage in numerous side activities including fishing, exploration challenges, and environmental puzzles. These diversions not only offer gameplay variety but also reward thorough investigation of the world with valuable resources and lore insights.
The shift to action RPG mechanics represents a fundamental change from Grand Cross’ turn-based system. Players control Tristan directly, investigating anomalies across Britannia while engaging real-time combat against diverse monster types that now infest the transformed landscapes.
Time allocation primarily divides between exploration of kingdoms and dungeons, and combat encounters that test both reflexes and tactical planning. The combat system emphasizes fluid movement, skill timing, and party coordination rather than turn-based strategy.
Progression appears multifaceted, with character development, equipment upgrades, and party management all playing crucial roles. Early impressions suggest depth in customization options that should appeal to players who enjoy optimizing their gameplay experience through strategic choices.
The narrative foundation of Seven Deadly Sins: Origin immediately captures attention, compelling players to prioritize main story missions over optional content during initial exploration. This storytelling strength, however, highlights a significant design gap where side activities begin to feel formulaic after extended play sessions. The puzzle mechanics integrated with The Book of Stars system demonstrate potential but currently lack the complexity veteran players expect from modern RPG experiences.
Character advancement presents an intriguing challenge curve that warrants careful examination. Even with automated mastery systems enabled, progression requirements escalate rapidly, creating unexpected difficulty walls at critical junctures. The Draco King Drake encounter particularly exemplifies this imbalance, where a sudden spike in challenge disrupts narrative immersion and demands unexpected grinding.
Strategic tip: Focus on completing main story chapters first to unlock essential combat abilities before tackling optional content. Many players mistakenly attempt side quests too early, resulting in inefficient progression and unnecessary difficulty.
Common mistake: Underestimating the importance of gear upgrades between major story beats. The 15-20 hour mark typically introduces significant difficulty increases that unprepared players struggle to overcome without proper equipment preparation.
Netmarble’s multi-platform approach for Seven Deadly Sins: Origin demonstrates commendable accessibility, with closed beta testing available simultaneously on PS5 and PC systems. The technical execution generally meets expectations for a title in development, with the PC version via Steam showing particular promise for optimization.
Visual presentation stands as a definitive strength, with character models and environments rendered in a distinctive art style that honors the franchise legacy. Animation quality notably exceeds what fans experienced in the anime’s third season, bringing combat sequences and emotional moments to life with impressive fluidity and detail.
Performance analysis reveals generally stable frame rates across both open-world exploration and confined interior environments. However, a consistent technical issue emerges during item utilization from quick-access slots, where healing potion activation triggers temporary screen freezing lasting 2-3 seconds.
Optimization tip: For PC players, adjusting shadow quality from ultra to high typically resolves the quick-slot freezing issue without noticeable visual degradation. This adjustment can save players from frustrating mid-combat interruptions during critical encounters.
Seven Deadly Sins: Origin positions itself as essential entertainment for franchise enthusiasts while maintaining accessibility for newcomers. The completely original narrative ensures that prior knowledge of the 7DS universe, while beneficial, isn’t mandatory for narrative comprehension or enjoyment.
The current build presents several design challenges that impact user experience, including repetitive mission structures and character progression pacing that may frustrate casual players. Despite these concerns, the compelling combat mechanics and intriguing storyline create sufficient engagement to motivate continued exploration of Britannia’s mysteries.
Players exclusively interested in Prince Tristan’s new storyline should prepare for a progression-heavy experience that demands significant time investment. The game’s structure clearly favors dedicated players willing to engage with its gacha elements and extended gameplay loops.
For experienced gacha enthusiasts and dedicated Seven Deadly Sins fans, this title promises substantial content depth and long-term engagement potential. The scheduled multi-platform release on January 28, 2026, across Android, iOS, PC (Steam), and PS5 ensures broad accessibility for the anticipated player base.
Looking ahead, Tristan’s journey to restore peace presents compelling narrative potential that warrants cautious optimism. The foundation established during CBT suggests a promising, if imperfect, addition to the 7DS universe that could satisfy franchise loyalists while attracting new audiences.
Action Checklist
- Familiarize yourself with Tristan’s character from the anime to better understand his role and motivations
- Practice open-world navigation techniques, focusing on efficient use of mounts and character traversal abilities
- Study the timeline between Seven Deadly Sins and Four Knights of the Apocalypse for story context
- Master real-time combat fundamentals including dodging, skill rotations, and party coordination
- Plan exploration routes through key locations like Liones and Fairy King’s Forest
- Complete main story missions first to unlock essential combat abilities before side content
- Upgrade equipment at 15-hour intervals to prepare for difficulty spikes
- Adjust PC shadow settings to high (not ultra) to prevent quick-slot freezing issues
- Master The Book of Stars mechanics early for puzzle and combat advantages
- Plan for 40-50 hour completion time for main story with moderate side content
No reproduction without permission:Tsp Game Club » The Seven Deadly Sins Origin First Impressions: Gear Up to Unravel a Multiversal Saga
