Anima: Gate of Memories First Impressions

I am still a firm believer that we do not get enough action RPG titles were combat and exploration fluidly coexist. I hate dealing with the menus that accompany turn based game; To be honest, I’m not being entirely fair as many games with real time battles have come and gone, but I just haven’t enjoyed them. Outside the Tales of series, I thought I might never find one again. Then a review copy of Anima: Gate of Memories was dropped in my lap, and that all changed.

I’m not here to argue that Anima is a perfect game, or one that will appeal to everyone; however, for all intents and purposes, it is a fine damn game, and a perfect option for myself in between my time with Tales of Zestiria and when the next Tales of game launches in 2017. Anima is scratching that itch, and I’m excited to keep moving through it.

Here is a quick synopsis from the developers,

Anima Gate of Memories is a third person action RPG. The game is mostly focused on combat and exploration, but it will also have a huge roleplaying elements. While it is story driven, it doesn’t force you to ride along rails to complete it. The game gives players freedom to explore a rich world and tackle only the obstacles that they want. This way, each player can visit many diverse places and reach very different endings depending on their choices.

They are not lying. While your initial first 30 minutes might feel like a distinctly linear experience, it’s not long before you are given a much larger and more expansive area to explore. Sometimes I found the environment incredibly engaging and interesting, and exploration was something I longed to do. Unfortunately, other times I found them bland and boring. But this is often the norm in an RPG. Different tastes for different players. While I enjoyed the expansive outdoor environments, others might enjoy the darker, more haunting interior areas. To each their own I suppose, but the game never keeps you in one place longer than you really want to be.

I’ve spent considerable amounts of time with Anima: Gate of Legends, and everything is a notch above average, meaning if you are a fan of action RPG’s, this will be something you want to explore! We will have a full review and hopefully and unboxing of the collectors edition soon, so stay tuned to GamesReviews.com!