Mato Anomalies

If you’re in the mood for biting social commentary and atmospheric dystopian cyberpunk, play Mato Anomalies. Otherwise, you can safely skip this title. It will make a certain kind of gamer very happy. I certainly had fun in the city of Mato.

Mato Anomalies mixes mystery, turn-based battles, and card-building all into one game with a great look and fun characters. If you like futuristic neo-noir games with a JRPG feel, this title is going to be one you will want to look into, even with a lack of distinct enemies.

Apart from its unique supernatural style and art design, there are hardly any highlights to be found in Mato Anomalies. The plot is disjointed and the storytelling is confusing. The combat and exploration elements are not well designed, and there are a number of problems that detract from the overall experience. Playing the game can be quite an ordeal.

Mato Anomalies is a video game with an interesting premise, but with an execution that is barely capable of keeping up with other turn-based RPGs. Its noir atmospheres mixed with a cyberpunk setting are extremely seductive, but under the bonnet of an interesting vintage car there is an engine whose roar really fails to impress.

Mato Anomalies is an ambitious and stylish RPG, but one that ultimately has too many issues to really recommend.

Mato Anomalies has some good moments but all have caveats. Many quality-of-life features that current turn-based RPGs have are implemented in odd ways, and what new things the game tries tends to fall flat. Combat is enjoyable, but a disjointed user interface and repetitive ability use make it stale sooner rather than later. This is a game that is very dense, with a time-consuming interface and a story that tries way too hard to be something grand, throwing strained dialogue and empty contrivances together to the point where most of the meaning is lost. There’s some fun here, but mostly it is an unintentional headache that is hard to take as seriously as it’s trying to be.

Mato Anomalies has solid RPG fundamentals that can create an enjoyable experience in the beginning. Combat is fun to engage with, the world looks interesting, and the story has an intense start. Unfortunately, the game drags itself down with a narrative that never figures out what it wants to be, throwing in multiple themes which make little sense collectively. Combat requires increasingly large amounts of time investment, which can make you sick of the grind. It’s hard to find yourself continuing to the end, and the game doesn’t make much sense even if you do finish it. If you are looking for an RPG that requires grinding and you don’t mind the repetition, you might enjoy Mato Anomalies. For those looking for a strong narrative that leaves you impressed, look elsewhere.