Anima: Gate of Memories

 PlayStation 4
Metascore
52

Mixed or average reviews - based on 13 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 13
  3. Negative: 7 out of 13
Buy Now
Buy on
  1. Digitally Downloaded
    Jun 9, 2016
    40
    Anima is not that engaging at all because of that overreach, and it’s stressful because I really did want to enjoy this. But the games it tries to be like; titles like Nier and Dark Souls, are unforgettable, potent, important titles. I should not be forgetting almost everything about a game that aspires to that level of greatness. But in this case I did just that.
  2. TheSixthAxis
    Jun 8, 2016
    40
    Fundamentally, it feels like the Kickstarter budget should have been a little higher to achieve what Anima: Gate of Memories clearly wanted to be.
  3. GameSpew
    Jun 5, 2016
    40
    I’m finding it hard to recommend Anima: Gate of Memories to anyone outside of diehard fans of the IP and I don’t know a single person that falls into that category, so I can’t really recommend it to anyone.
  5. GameGrin
    Jun 30, 2016
    35
    Anima: Gate Of Memories is probably one of the worst experiences I’ve had on PS4 so far. Boring combat mixed with unlikable and frankly sexist characters, give me no real reason to recommend this game to anyone. Avoid.
  6. GameCritics
    Jul 5, 2016
    30
    When a title shows off obvious influences one hopes that it will rise above them, but Anima: Gate of Memories isn’t fit to shine its influences’ shoes. Its fundamentals are shoddy, and its characters and narrative are a bore. Anima never executes anywhere near the level its considerable ambitions demand.
  7. PlayStation LifeStyle
    May 31, 2016
    30
    Anima: Gate of Memories is a crushing disappointment.
  8. We Got This Covered
    Jun 11, 2016
    20
    Anima: Gate of Memories is a classic example of a developer trying to create something bigger than they're capable of. The game attempts to be a grand RPG with platforming and puzzles, and yet it fails to pull off any of those mechanics off.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 56 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 37 out of 56
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 56
  3. Negative: 11 out of 56
  1. SWERY_51
    Jun 5, 2016
    6
    Anima is a fine indie game inspired by Nier and Drakenguard. The story looks great, the soundtrack is nice, and the gameplay is good in thisAnima is a fine indie game inspired by Nier and Drakenguard. The story looks great, the soundtrack is nice, and the gameplay is good in this APRG. Sometimes it can be a little frustrating and it's not visually astonishing but it's running pretty smoothly (60fps) and i think it worth the try for 20$ if you enjoy ARPG.… Full Review »
  2. BadBenBad
    Nov 27, 2016
    8
    Anima: Gate Of Memories would have been considered a "Triple A" game in the PS2 era what with it's "action platformer" style gameplay, rpgAnima: Gate Of Memories would have been considered a "Triple A" game in the PS2 era what with it's "action platformer" style gameplay, rpg skill-trees, and frentic DMC-esque combat system. (My favorite combos that include starting with launchers to send enemies airborne then following that up with a chain of several more hits) For many this may come off as a nostalgic romp but it also has other trappings of older games that may not go over quite so well. The game's platforming/trap/boss/puzzle segments can be punishingly difficult. Nothing I would call "unfair" but there is certainly very little hand holding throughout. If you're like me and remember the era in gaming when not everything was on rails and there were no shiny icons to tell you EXACTLY what to do, Anima Gate Of Memories will be a breath of fresh air. However, if you hate falling to your death constantly and spending a few rounds in utter defeat until you FINALLY figure out a boss's patterns then yeah,you might find yourself gnashing your teeth instead.

    Regardless,being this is an indie title you cannot help but to be impressed by the beautiful environments and how everything is interconnected in such a way you can revisit old vistas with new powers to find even more helpful gear and other hidden routes. Anima: GOM ended up being far less linear than I thought it would be and that is a good thing in my opinion. (You definitely get bang for your buck,this game is not short by any means,even if you try to blaze thru it at a breakneck pace!)

    The story starts out rather simple. As a type of "Hunter of supernatural monsters" you set forth to find out why your old teacher stole an artifact from the holy order. Along for the ride is a cursed book containing a demon/monster/bad-boy-toy who was bonded to you in a pact. The results of this are "temporal body shifting" in which players can switch between the nameless female protagonist and Ergo (Her perverted wisecracking demonic cohort) with a mere press of a button! Fortunately the plot explains "why" the main heroine cannot remember her past and it has much to do with her strange relationship with her other-wordly partner.

    Some people took issue with the voice acting but I don't expect indie game studios to be able to hire the likes of Troy Baker,Tara Strong, or Laura Bailey without the game production values themselves taking a major hit. Frankly I'm glad Anima:GOM concerns itself more with being a fun Metroidvania action rpg instead of a minimalist "movie" walking simulator with an all star VA cast. For the record, I became fond of Ergo's cheesy innuendo-laced quips but of course we presently find ourselves in a generation offended by everything so mileage may vary. (The voice of the game's heroine is "nice" too. Not "remarkable" but her delivery certainly did not grate on my ears!)

    Sometimes the camera will spin around wildly and work against you but luckily throughout most of the game you can easily adjust the viewing angle to a more advantageous perspective. (Assuming you're using a controller,this is done with the right analogue stick)

    Anima GOM certainly is not "perfect" but it may scratch an itch for people who want another decent action adventure romp in the same vein as Darksiders,DMC,Nier,and Castlevania:LOS 2.    … Full Review »
  3. Anthor
    Jun 8, 2016
    6
    Material Indie español con un muy buen diseño artístico y con gran intención pero que no sabe culminar y se antoja vacío. Interiores muyMaterial Indie español con un muy buen diseño artístico y con gran intención pero que no sabe culminar y se antoja vacío. Interiores muy cuadrados y poco inspirados hacen de su exploración una experiencia no muy gratificante, la cual, con un poco más de dedicación y detalle, mejor conectividad entre zonas y sobretodo menos cargas cortarollos en plena caminata, hubiera sido mejor en conjunto, pues su arte y su robustez de programa son de calidad, roando lo preciosista en algunos exteriores y sin exagerar, gran trabajo artístico sin duda, pero le ha falta un mejor Game Design y una mejor planificación en diseño de niveles y objetivos, ofreciendo sobretodo por un lado esa coherencia de conexión entre niveles para incentivar la exploración y por otro no recurrir a los típicos puzles de siempre, mil veces vistos ya.

    A nivel de mecánica de combate, comentar que si bien el control cumple, el sistema no es impactante ni contundente, es como estar pegando a los enemigos con una espada de papel, los cuales parece que no noten nada, mientras ellos siguen a lo suyo y andas recuperándote del abusivo recovery de tus más bien inútiles dashes. No satisface en combate, le falta garra, velocidad, contundencia y precisión Arcade, aunque de nuevo, la intención es buena.

    Finalmente comentar sobre la estructura general del juego, que abusa demasiado de diálogos e intros constantes para todo. Más de una vez las pasaras rápido por el simple hecho de querer seguir jugando y que el juego no te dé la chapa con otra charla u otra cinemática. Por suerte se ha apostado bastante por meter bastantes Bosses y eso es siempre de agradecer, sin embargo es un producto que de un 6 pelao no pasa. Está bien pero no mata. Pretende abarcar mucho pero se queda a medias y en parte es normal, viene de un equipo pequeño, pero creo sinceramente que el talento artístico y técnico como tienen los chicos de Anima Project, mejor liderado y con un mejor Game Design sobre la mesa, este título hubiera ganado enteros.

    NOTA: 6/10    … Full Review »
See all user reviews »