Mato Anomalies Reviews
Mato Anomalies brings us a well-measured mix of genres, without much fanfare, but showing correctness in all the aspects it shows, resulting in a very enjoyable game as long as we like visual novels and Japanese-style role-playing games. It won't change our lives but it will give us a good handful of hours of entertainment.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
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.
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 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 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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
It gets points for some slick sensibilities in presentation and attitude, though some aspects are weaker than others
While Mato Anomalies doesn’t execute any of its pieces exceptionally well, I appreciate the fact that there’s variety available, and the ability to quickly skip to the next thing if you desire. There are interesting ideas here, and I’d be interested to see how the team does with their next game, but this feels mildly undercooked.
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 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.
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 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.
Apart from its unique supernatural style and art design, there are hardly any highlights to be found in Mato Anomalies. The plot is disjointed and the storytelling is confusing. The combat and exploration elements are not well designed, and there are a number of problems that detract from the overall experience. Playing the game can be quite an ordeal.
Review in Chinese | Read full review
Mato Anomalies has great strengths in its story and gameplay, introducing homegrown elements that achieve interesting nuances and sensations within the conventions of the genre.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Mato Anomalies features different genres and does not always succeed in making them a worthwhile addition. First of all, it is a good visual novel, with a story that is a bit confusing at times, but interesting enough to intrigue you and make you want to delve deeper into its diverse cast of characters.
Review in Italian | Read full review