Here’s Why Paradise Could Be the Spiritual Successor to GTA

By Ryan Messina New Game Releases
2 April 2025 no comments

After a reveal that caught the attention of some players, Paradise, the GTA-style F2P life sim by Ultra Games, enters Early Access today. Let’s see what the game has to offer!

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Paradise XRPL is an open world life sim in development by the team at Ultra Games, a relatively unknown team from Hong Kong made up of former members from various companies, notably NetEase. The game was first presented in September 2024.

It’s been marketed as a competitor to the popular GTA V, offering a F2P alternative to Rockstar’s iconic title, deeply inspired by it. Find and compare the best prices on Paradise, the GTA-inspired Real-World Simulation!

Paradise: Available Now

After the announcement and reveal of the game in September 2024, Paradise, developed by Ultra Games, is now ready for launch. The game officially debuts today, 2nd April 2025, as an Early Access title. It’s a Free-to-Play game available on both Steam and the Epic Games Store.

Since its initial reveal, the game has attracted significant attention, securing the 60th spot on Steam’s most anticipated games list. A highly ambitious project, though not without many criticisms from the community.

Paradise: Gameplay and Features

Paradise, as mentioned, positions itself as both a spiritual successor to GTA and a true competitor. It presents itself as a “world simulation,” offering a game with a level of interaction enhanced by AI. Players can interact and “chat” with NPCs via text or voice chat.

Additionally, it features an online game world where player decisions can seemingly impact the economy. This is all possible thanks to the integration of the virtual currency PAR. The game is built on Unreal Engine 5, utilizing the latest Nvidia and Epic features for modern graphics.

Paradise: Controversies and Skepticism

Paradise has many theoretically interesting aspects, but it has also attracted significant skepticism from players. With an almost anonymous development team promising an experience capable of rivaling GTA Online. And if that weren’t enough, many users have criticized the game as yet another Asset Flip, given the excessive use of assets from the Unreal Store.

As the cherry on top, the game features the virtual currency PAR, which relies on the XRPL cryptocurrency. Along with some rather strange behavior from the development team, drawing attention from many. Ultimately, it has even been compared to The Day Before for obvious reasons, especially with showcases that show a world that feels lifeless and lacking interaction.

Huge thanks to everyone who joined our latest AMA session on Discord!

It was a super productive and fun event — we showcased our game live, played it together with the community, and even had some hilarious chats with the in-game NPCs! Your questions, feedback, and… pic.twitter.com/8RxwYBXifr — PARADISE XRPL (@paradisevscom) March 28, 2025

In Conclusion

In conclusion, Paradise could prove to be a game with potential. However, there are still significant issues surrounding it, being F2P, but also raising concerns about the growing trend of “pump and dump” games. Games that manage to get approved on platforms like Steam and Epic.

Especially after the recent issues on Steam with fake games hiding malware. Therefore, it remains to be seen how the game will evolve, and we’ll discover whether Paradise is truly a genuine game offering something interesting, or if the community’s doubts are justified.

Ryan Messina

A video game enthusiast ever since I first got my hands on a Game Boy. Over the years, I've played many different games across various genres, discovering hidden gems and niche titles along the way. I'm also passionate about technology, always up-to-date with the latest news and insight in the PC and Console market. Ready to share and bring you the latest news !