Masters of Anima

Wizardly nonsense aside, this is one of the defter real-time strategy games we've ever played with a pad. [May 2018, p.85]

Beneath this modest exterior lies an absorbing adventure. Its endearing narrative will draw you in and its superb fusion of action and tactics will keep you hooked. [June 2018, p.96]

Master of Anima has pleasantly surprised me. It's a great real-time tactical game at the core, merged brilliantly with action-adventure elements, resulting in a very delightful gaming experience. The gameplay is immersive, challenging and fun. It's a solid choice for strategy/adventure fans everywhere.

A beautiful game with a simple, engrossing theme running throughout it all. You might think you've seen something like Masters of Anima before, but it has more to offer than it would seem at first glance.

It isn’t exactly new or original, but Masters of Anima deserves to be a sleeper hit. It’s a fun, polished fantasy riff on Pikmin, with the sort of visual style that made the Torchlight games so charming. Well-paced, thrilling and full of heart, this little gem comes warmly recommended.

A very solid action game.

​Masters of Anima is a funny and appealing game but it has a bunch of control flaws.

This niche of the RTS genre isn’t often catered-to outside of the Pikmin series, so it’s nice to see these developers branch out and be successful.

Don't be fooled! Masters of Anima is far more technical than it appears. Combat appears like a game of chess. You'll need a solid knowledge of what your units may do in order to place them wisely and win.

Don't let Masters of Anima's looks deceive you as it is a true strategy games which offers a strong challenge that will test players to their limits. The gameplay is very good and the only drawback are some difficulty spikes that go from a true challenge to outright frustrating.

It isn't particularly deep or complex, but considering the lack of RTS on consoles, Masters of Anima can be a good choice.

Masters of Anima is for those who love to multitask. Ordering various groups of guardians to attack multiple groups of enemies while also moving around, dodging attacks and performing combos can make for a very hectic game. But for those who live for the thrill of a job well done amidst a bunch of chaos, Masters of Anima was made for them.

Masters of Anima is a great indie title that could have been incredible had it had some more work put in the story to break it away from cliché fantasy stories seen so often. The interest regarding cut-scenes and voice acting wane quickly; the constant grading of performance and time taken to complete fights and missions also break overall immersion at times, making the game as a whole feel more stage-based rather than one grand adventure. What is here, though, is impressively polished and easy to learn. The uniqueness of the gameplay makes it worthwhile for most people to try out.

Masters of Anima is a well made blend of action and RTS but it lacks the spark that make a good game a great game. A plot too simplistic and stereotypical and some over repetitive fights partially ruin a bunch of good ideas.

By the time Masters of Anima was over, the repeated battlefields were as tired as its cliche story, and I had spawned and relocated countless units in battle. Thankfully, the minor changes from level to level, were just enough to keep the campaign from overstaying its welcome. Playing commander was engaging for a while, but I don’t see myself returning to explore Spark any time soon.

Masters of Anima gaming is concept isn't original, but the game has solid bases to be enjoyable.

Masters of Anima plays very well with the console controller and it works perfectly on all versions. But this game is missing more ambition, duration, content and opportunities.

The combat requires a combination of both strategy and real-time execution that will keep players at the edge of their seats in tougher encounters. Its simple approach to presentation is enjoyable and light-hearted, and will generally engage players throughout. Unfortunately, with frustrating combat controls, multiple underdeveloped combat encounters, and limited scope of the narrative, characters, and other facets of presentation, the game’s full potential is never realized.

Some people might enjoy the challenge Masters of Anima brings but it requires a lot of patience and luck for little reward. Controls are clumsy on a pad and your adversaries don't offer much in the way of autonomy. It's well-made but unbalanced encounter design results in some long struggles against enemies that will regularly make short work of you.