Anima Gate of Memories the Nameless Chronicles Review
Lamenting in the Shadows
It isn't a stretch to say that the Anima franchise has been on a bit of a journey throughout its being. It originally started out every bit a tabletop serial that, following a successful Kickstarter entrada, was fabricated into a video game titled Anima: Gate of Memories, which itself eventually spawned the sequel Anima: Gate of Memories – The Nameless Chronicles — the game we're looking at right now. In my opinion, series that first out in the tabletop realm generally have a lot of potential. Due to their tabletop status, they frequently times comprise a skillful corporeality of content — be information technology lore, combat mechanics, or what have yous — which, in turn, gives developers a lot to work with. And that's exactly why it was so disappointing to see The Nameless Chronicles not live up to its full potential.
Anima: Gate of Memories – The Nameless Chronicles isn't objectively bad. But it also isn't objectively skilful. It'south one of those middling titles that end up being more or less fine while y'all're playing it, merely are like shooting fish in a barrel to pass over for a different game that does a better job at doing what it's attempting to practise. I think that it tried. Merely, sadly, sometimes trying in and of itself but isn't enough to go y'all all the fashion in that location.
What's in a Name?
Nameless isn't a bad guy, just that doesn't stop nearly everyone he meets from thinking that he is.
The Nameless Chronicles manages to flip the script from the very offset. Rather than placing players in control of some kind of pivotal hero, as it did inside the last game, information technology instead tells the story of Nameless — a man who has wandered the world for over 2,000 years as Death incarnate, only has lost nearly everything (including his sense of self) in the process. The story begins with Nameless who, while visiting the grave of someone important, finds himself nether assault by Inquisitors from the Order of Nathaniel — a religious organization dedicated to preserving what they deem to be righteous.
After a lengthy battle with the Inquisitors Nameless emerges victorious, but soon finds out that information technology wasn't his head that they were after; it was his blood. It seems that, with Nameless' blood, the Order of Nathaniel hoped to revive Baal — an action which is certainly curious for a Church-led organization. Though try he might, Nameless is ultimately unsuccessful in stopping the ritual for which his blood was needed and becomes trapped in an alternating dimension as a result, leaving him with no other choice than to commence on a journey to destroy the fragments of Baal, should he ever wish to escape.
The Nameless Chronicles' story is fairly anticipated, but information technology however isn't bad overall.
All-in-all, The Nameless Chronicles' story can be somewhat dry at times, just information technology isn't bad overall. I enjoyed information technology while I was playing through the game, and institute myself peculiarly interested in the segments near the finish of the game that delved into Nameless past. Unfortunately, the narrative ended suffering a bit due to the game'due south voice interim — something which I'yard not even entirely sure how to explain. It wasn't bad by whatever definition, simply it never quite left the realm of feeling "amateurish". Instances of over or under-acting were noticeable, and some characters seemed to identify weird emphasis on how sure words were pronounced — or, in the instance of the words "Byblos" and "Baal", flip-flop between pronunciations entirely.
Travels Across Time
There'south a whole lot of stuff going on for this to be "Nowhere"
When I was starting time asked what I thought of The Nameless Chronicles, my response was something along the lines of "information technology feels like a PlayStation 2 game, but I'm not sure if that's a adept thing or a bad matter." And, in all honesty, that opinion hasn't changed much since I first said it. The Nameless Chronicles, for amend or worse, feels like information technology was released in the mid-2000s. Information technology's your basic activeness game by all accounts, and features a predictably linear structure primarily equanimous of iii different levels based on the memories of powerful individuals known as "Messengers". And the goal of each level? To make it to the end and defeat its respective Messenger, naturally.
Now, to be fair, levels aren't quite as elementary as going from Point A to Point B. Players are only able to fight each level'southward Messenger after they've collected enough memories. And these memories aren't but lying effectually for the player to pick up along their way. Near memories are protected, in one fashion or another, by enemies that the player must defeat. Occasionally, still, these memories are hidden behind puzzles. To its credit, the puzzles that The Nameless Chronicles throws at its players aren't bad at all. Many of them require some thinking, or, at the very least, the power to recall information, and greatly aid in preventing the tedium brought on by the residue of the level from fully setting in. Puzzles aren't necessarily my favorite thing in an action game, but the ones in this game were so competent overall that I really institute myself wishing for more in the end.
Was the puzzle frustrating, or ingenious? A little of both, actually!
Aside from that, levels are, well, what I already said in the last paragraph. They're pretty darn slow. So much so, in fact, that I'one thousand kind of at a loss when it comes to explaining them. Puzzles aside, y'all're basically just walking effectually and killing monsters, with the odd pseudo-platforming segment thrown in. Sure, this game has its fair share of secrets and everything, but fifty-fifty treasure hunts and subconscious sidequests aren't enough to preclude this game from becoming at to the lowest degree somewhat stale later a while. Everything in The Nameless Chronicles kind of runs together. Mayhap not visually — each of the game's worlds are diverse from 1 another — but the game's small maps and bromidic landscapes don't offering much to the player at the terminate of the mean solar day.
Fighting for Liberty
Combat is easy to both acquire and principal, only Nameless' clunkiness still makes it an uphill boxing sometimes.
Combat is a major focus in The Nameless Chronicles, fifty-fifty more then than exploration, and I would similar to say that it'due south comparatively better than the residual of the game as a result. Regrettably, however, I can't. Combat is straightforward and focuses primarily on chaining together attacks, while making sure that your opponents don't do the same. Coming out on acme in a battle is all about catamenia. If you can get into a adept rhythm of chaining together basic attacks and dodging — peradventure throwing in the occasional special assail for good measure if you're able — and so you should mostly find yourself at an reward in battle.
Unfortunately, all of that is easier said than done. And, ultimately, your biggest adversary won't even exist an enemy. Nope, the most hard thing to deal with when it comes to fighting in The Nameless Chronicles is Nameless himself. And, once again, we discover ourselves dealing with something that, while not terrible, is just "not skillful" plenty to mess up what would otherwise exist fun and fluid combat.
Nameless' Thantos ability is great for dealing out actress harm, but don't rely on it solely!
Everything exterior of Nameless' basic moves and Thantos ability (which is used to power upwards attacks) has a ridiculous filibuster on it, making his most powerful attacks all simply useless against bosses and the game's faster monsters. Arial maneuverability is all only naught thanks to a complete lack of air dodging, coupled with the fact that Nameless stays in the air as well as a lead balloon. And this is all tied together by game'due south camera (which isn't technically Nameless himself, but I'm counting information technology anyway), which fights with you near every bit much as Lakitu did in Super Mario 64. None of the problems with combat are grievous, particularly not on their own. Merely when a game begins to compile several little issues together like The Nameless Chronicles does, it's impossible non to observe.
A Story of Stagnation
I know that I've mostly focused on the negative aspects of this game during my review, but I nevertheless wouldn't call this review a negative one itself. Anima: Gate of Memories – The Nameless Chronicles isn't a game with a huge, overarching problem that totally ruins information technology. It's a game with a lot of small problems which, while like shooting fish in a barrel to overlook on their ain, become annoying when all mixed together. It's playable. It's fifty-fifty fun sometimes. But information technology's not going to exist anything spectacular. Nor will it most probable be something that sticks with you after you lot're done with it. And then long every bit you hold incredibly average expectations going into this game, then you'll probably laying it exist merely fine when yous're actually playing information technology.
Last VERDICT: 3/5
Available on: PlayStation iv (Reviewed), Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PC ; Publisher: BadLand Publishing ; Developer: Anima Project ; Players: 1 ; Released: June xix, 2018 ; ESRB: T for Teen ; MSRP: $19.99
Full disclosure: This review is based on a copy of Anima: Gate of Memories – The Nameless Chronicles given to Hey Poor Thespian past the publisher
Source: https://www.heypoorplayer.com/2018/07/01/anima-gate-memories-nameless-chronicles-review-ps4/
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