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 in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Africa. If you're eagerly anticipating a certain sixth installment in a renowned series, Garena Free City might just be the perfect interim fix.

Let's be candid: Garena Free City is essentially Garena's version of Grand Theft Auto, set to launch on June 30th. Whether this is a positive or negative development hinges entirely on your perspective. At first glance, it may seem like just another lackluster GTA mobile clone, but upon closer inspection, it reveals some intriguing potential.

One of its standout features is a robust character customization system, reminiscent of The Sims, allowing for detailed manipulation of individual features. Unlike the more realistic style of GTA, Free City embraces a whimsical approach, complete with giant robots and summonable power-ups like deployable cover.

**Bold & Brash** However, the game also overtly tries to replicate the allure of Grand Theft Auto Online, which somewhat dilutes its unique elements that could have been more captivating.

Garena's timing for releasing Free City might not be ideal. While I believe there's no definitive 'killer app' in any single mobile genre, the upcoming release of Ananta, which promises a vast open world and eccentric side quests similar to Free City but on a grander scale, poses a significant challenge. Ananta differentiates itself with an anime aesthetic that might not appeal to everyone, yet it's this uniqueness that Free City seems to lack, which is my primary critique at this point.

If you want to stay ahead of the game with the latest launches, don't miss Catherine's regular feature, "Ahead of the Game," where you can discover upcoming titles ready to play right now.