Farlight had a stellar 2024, continuing their successful partnership with Lilith Games to bring the much-anticipated AFK Journey to mobile, catering to the ever-growing demand for idle RPGs. As we step into 2025, Farlight is not slowing down, with their latest venture, Ace Trainer, currently in soft-launch in regions such as South Korea and the US, catching our attention.

So, what exactly is Ace Trainer? It's a game that unabashedly draws inspiration from Pokemon, where you collect, train, and level up fantastical creatures to battle on your behalf. However, Farlight adds a unique twist reminiscent of Palworld, transforming the gameplay into a thrilling tower defense experience against hordes of zombies, rather than a traditional turn-based battle system.

But that's not all—Ace Trainer also incorporates pinball mechanics, allowing players to shoot and collect resources, creating an eclectic mix of genres. While this blend of tower defense, pinball, and creature collecting might not be ready for a global release just yet, the soft launch in multiple regions suggests that Farlight has high hopes for Ace Trainer's future.

The phrase "everything and the kitchen sink" aptly describes Ace Trainer based on the initial information available. As someone in the UK, I haven't had the chance to play it yet, but the combination of PvP, PvE, tower defense, and pinball elements is intriguing, if not a bit overwhelming. While it might make some of us roll our eyes, others might find the diverse gameplay elements exciting, given their popularity in today's gaming landscape. The question remains whether this mix can withstand long-term scrutiny.

If you enjoy our candid take on gaming news, be sure to check out the latest episode of the Pocket Gamer podcast, where we dive into the first news highlights of 2025.