Mato Anomalies Reviews
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 a very flawed RPG that tried. It had big ideas in its story but god bless anyone who is fat-brained enough to understand it. The gameplay has small sparks of creativity, but it is lost under the woefully low-budget presentation.
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.
This is a game that is very dense, with a time-consuming interface and a story that tries way too hard to be something grand, throwing strained dialogue and empty contrivances together to the point where most of the meaning is lost.
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.
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 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 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.
Strong storytelling does little to make up for the poor gameplay mechanics that drag Mato Anomalies’ potential down.
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 is an ambitious and stylish RPG, but one that ultimately has too many issues to really recommend.
Mato Anomalies is a video game with an interesting premise, but with an execution that is barely capable of keeping up with other turn-based RPGs. Its noir atmospheres mixed with a cyberpunk setting are extremely seductive, but under the bonnet of an interesting vintage car there is an engine whose roar really fails to impress.
Review in Italian | Read full review
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 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
Mato Anomalies is not a bad game, but the impression is that everything in it could be significantly improved. Combat works, but lacks variety and some system that differentiates it from other examples of the genre. The story is interesting and manages to entertain, but it lacks some singular idea that makes it unique. The presentation manages to carry the title, but could have received a more thoughtful finish to make everything even more captivating.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
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.
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
There are several aspects of Mato Anomalies that do not work as we would have liked. Although interesting and engaging, the narrative scaffolding is in fact slowed down by the presence of long-winded dialogues (moreover not dubbed) in visual novel style, while the playful system does not offer particularly original solutions.
Review in Italian | Read full review