Videos
Reviews:
-
Even with the game’s other failings, compelling and tight combat could have been a real saving grace. Unfortunately, not only is the camera generally your enemy in these sequences, but on the whole fighting tends to fly between being pretty generic and repetitive and just outright cheap. Going up against an array of different generic enemies can have its moments, as the various moves you have at your disposal allow for doing things like juggling and showing some personal flair. However, when you’re facing multiple enemies the combat can feel a bit clunky, even if you use the lock-on system. It’s workable but there doesn’t seem to be a flow to it like there can be in other titles in similar situations. Boss battles, though at least a bit more interesting, can be aggravating and inconsistent. It’s not so much that they’re generally overpowered as both their attacks and your means of winning are often so cheap and unsatisfying. Taking a boss down with superior strategy and execution is satisfying, but wearing them down slowly through repetition starts to feel hollow after a while. Overall, though there’s a fair amount of content between both games and the production qualities are decent on the whole I found Anima: Gate of Memories to be aggravating in both of its forms in this edition. It’s possible I may not somehow be in their target audience but instead I choose to believe that despite whatever lofty goals they had for the title it just isn’t executed very well against its contemporaries. On multiple levels this feels like a game that could have found success one or two generations ago but as titles have broken through and proven what’s possible it now comes up lacking. If you’re interested in the property or are itching for some decent slashing action it has its moments but be warned it can be a bumpy ride.
Justin Nation, Score:Bad [5.5]