Anima -Gate of memories (GoM) is a third person brawler set in the anima-universe, which has existed since 2005 in pen-and-paper roleplaying form. It also has a card game and a tabletop miniature game to support it. Made by a small studio GoM is surprisingly good. Animation is solid, controls are fine and the combat system is interesting enough to keep you entertained. Combat encounters switch up enemies and force you to adapt your fighting style to fit the situation. All in all good fun. It can get annoying when facing multiple ranged enemies who attack you from off the camera, doubly so when they have knockdown attacks that break the flow of combat. But in general those are nitpicks in an otherwise solid experience. The areas you visit are varied and interesting. Haunted-manors get switched out for gothic cathedrals and lush open plains, with quick and easy travel between the zones. The game also has scripted segments with fixed camera angles. This might annoy some, but personally I found the experience refreshing. There are also small puzzles, some that require skilled play and some that require you to understand the lore of the world to solve. These also help change up the experience as you play to keep it from getting too boring. The biggest downside of the game is in the writing and voice acting. It's decent but nothing more, and sometimes quite bad. The trailer will give you a general feel for the level. Ergo Mundus in particular deserves a mention for possibly having one of the better voice actors in the game, but whose character -depending on your own preferences- can either be an annoying douche or a refreshing scoundrel in the middle of all the drama. Mileage may vary. All in all I would recommend this game. It doesn't set the world on fire, but it is very much worth the asking price especially for something that clearly has a lot of love and care put into it. If you are really on the fence, wait for a sale, it won't disappoint.
