Mato Anomalies Reviews
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.
Mato Anomalies had picked the right kind of experience to ape. The Persona series is consistently the most intelligent and thought-provoking in the JRPG genre. The developers have also done a decent effort to understand the thematic basis of those games, and at least attempt their own spin on it. Unfortunately, whether for a lack of resources or an inability to bring the creative elements together cohesively enough, Mato Anomalies’ greatest achievement is simply demonstrating just how hard it really is to make a game like Persona 3, 4 and 5.
Mato Anomalies is relatively short, looks good but not amazing, and loads like I just caught it sneaking in after curfew and asked what it was doing. The voice work is okay but not fantastic, combat is good, card game is awful. It’s just a bit of everything but not enough of something, if that makes sense.
Mato Anomalies is an intriguing RPG that has some cool ideas and an engrossing narrative, but some of its basic gameplay mechanics fall short of the mark. Nothing is outright bad at all, but with combat being a little basic and the dungeon design a little boring, RPG enthusiasts are unlikely to be blown away by the experience. It’s a shame too because I loved the narrative and the dual-protagonist approach is cleverly implemented, whilst the world itself feels great to explore. It just doesn’t offer enough to make up for the fact that the other elements of the game could get repetitive fast.
Mato Anomalies was a kind of game that pushed me away and pulled me in frequently. I found Doe’s investigative side to be boring outside of good story bits and the Mind-Hack card battle segments. Meanwhile, between the Gear system and skill cooldown system, exploring the Rifts and fighting the Bane Tide would be really fun, if not for the lack of enemy variety and non-stop one-liners. The story was good enough to help me look past some of the issues, but ultimately Mato Anomalies has a lot of repetitive annoyances that keep it from being better than many of the RPGs it borrows from.
Mato Anomalies can be tiring with its proposal, but it also glues you to the controller with its story and its characters, its atmosphere and its melodies.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Mato Anomalies is a tough sell; it features some fresh ideas and concepts (which should be applauded) but fails to create a compelling core gameplay loop in the process. With so many other other excellent turn-based titles demanding your attention, it fails to provide a compelling reason to undertake this surreal journey.
With its engaging story, charming cast of characters, and solid RPG mechanics, Mato Anomalies is a game that all role-playing game fans will enjoy, especially fans of the Persona series, by which the game is greatly influenced. Lack of innovation, dull turn-based combat and a wonky English localization impact the experience, but not enough to make it unworthy of a look from fans of the genre.
Mato Anomalies tries too hard to please everyone through various genres. It tells a good story when it wants to, but presenting it in three different styles doesn't always work for the best. The long-winded conversations will make your mind wonder quite a bit until it gets to the point. Thankfully its character design is good, and the soundtrack keeps you occupied. Though it features a decent combat system, getting going can take some time. The biggest downfall of Mato Anomalies is the card battle mechanic that constantly leaves you in an unfair position dragging your progression to a standstill.
Mato Anomalies is a solid visual novel with an engrossing story that will keep you hooked as you meet new characters and experience how they interact. While other mechanics in the game fall somewhat short, players are afforded certain options to clear through them faster and get back to the story without much hassle.
Mato Anomalies is an ambitious indie attempt to create a Persona-like RPG romp through neo-futuristic Shanghai. There's no shortage of good ideas in the mix here, with flashes of inspiration in the fusing of turn-based dungeon combat, mind-hacking card games and stylish visual novel elements. However, for all the ambition on display, it's let down by uninspired combat, repetitive level design, clunky exploration, frustrating card mechanics and writing that just never manages to engage. This one's not entirely without merit, but overall it's an experience that'll test your patience far more than it manages to entertain.
There's clearly passion and commitment behind Mato Anomalies, which is a strange container of a lot of ideas. The problem is that none of these is properly developed, and, unfortunately, the final result is even less than the sum of its parts.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Mato Anomalies loses itself with too many systems, mechanics, and story-telling styles. While ambitious, it never gets good at any of the things it tries to do, which makes the overall experience lackluster at best.
I was starting to get bored and frustrated around the 8-hour mark on Mato Anomalies, thanks to the poor rewards and Gear System. Making the team share a health bar seemed like a good idea. However, it does more bad than good, with enemies barraging with attacks.
With art to die for but pacing that will kill you, Mato Anomalies is a fun time hampered by its own ambition. The city of Mato is worth a short trek, but maybe not as deep a dive as it invites.
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.
Despite the disappointing performance issues, Arrowiz should be extremely proud of what they’ve achieved with Mato Anomalies. They’ve taken inspiration from a beloved series while, admirably, still managing to create a JRPG that feels like nothing else out there at the moment. With its novel card battler mechanics, the snappy and accessible combat system, and the refreshingly straightforward take on character and party progression, Mato Anomalies is an easy recommendation for both fans of the genre who want something a little different, and those who are on the lookout for a more newcomer friendly entry point to the genre. Here’s hoping Mato Anomalies gets the attention it deserves because I, for one, would relish the opportunity to step back onto the streets of Mato with Doe and his crew all over again in a sequel.
Mato Anomalies can be described as a game with a lack of focus. While the ideas for an excellent game are there, and the art style is superb, it is unfortunately submerged beneath the cavalcade of unfinished ideas and a confusing plot. Mato Anomalies does not know where its focus lies, and because of this, every aspect of the game suffers.
Mato Anomalies is not an inherently bad game, it just feels like the repetition of menial tasks slows any momentum the ambitious RPG has going for itself. As it wraps up its 30 hour runtime with a strong twist & solid epilogue boss fight, Mato Anomalies benefits from its smaller scope as it doesn’t overstay its welcome in its eight chapters.
If there’s one reason to pick up this game, it’d have to be the turn-based JRPG combat. The story is good in Mato Anomalies—don’t get me wrong—but the simple, yet highly complex battle system is where it’s at.