➤ Mato Anomalies, review based on private investigators and demon hunters 🕹

In the review of Mato Anomalies we talk about a very fascinating and ambitious title, but also with obvious problems.

It's hard to find something new and immediately recognizable. Peremptory statement, but one that readers will find pleasing; Above all, especially suitable for the world of gaming. While teams that are now widely known can afford to insist on established brands, independent (or simply smaller) developers make enormous efforts to emerge. They are responsible for original paths, for disruptive ideas, for the obvious risks associated with following new paths... but sometimes they fall into the trap of trying to emulate the products of better-known companies, without obtaining the same results.

This is also the case with Mato Anomalies, there is little that can be done. The developers of flechaiz, whose title was recently published by Prime Matter on all available platforms, have evidently relied on a multiplicity of "effective" sources. A quick look at any image or trailer of the game is enough to realize: in Mato Anomalies there is a bit of Persona 5, of Shin Megami Tensei, of Cyberpunk 2077, even of Professor Layton; as well as many different genres juxtaposed in a mix that is now effective, now decidedly less so: the visual novel, the turn-based role-playing game, the investigation, the board game. Variety itself is not a problem; The level of depth of this variety, the way in which it is offered to the player, are in any case the problems.

Without telling you much more, let's go to the heart of the review of Mato anomalies.

Plot: Retrofuturistic crimes and mysteries.

Mato Anomalies, review based on private investigators and demon hunters — A look at the city of Mato Anomalies

The Arrowiz title is set in Mato, a place inspired by a generic one retrofuturistic oriental city: Therefore, it is clear that we are, in fact, projected much further ahead than the current era. Despite this, human evolution has maintained various connections with a type of technology and civilization in general that today we would define as obsolete. In short, Mato's is a very particular, dystopian and, it must be said, also fascinating "future." To enrich everything there are connections with other dimensions - the demons of Baleful Tide inhabit an alternative world, outside of time and space, connected to that of men through the so-called faults - and with themes such as spiritualism and mysticism. Suffice it to say that one of the supporting characters is some kind of ninja exorcist specialized in eliminating the Baleful Tide.

All these aspects may seem positive to you, so positive in fact it seems from the beginning. main narrative. The real protagonist is Doe, a private detective with whom the player immediately sympathizes, because he is determined, good, friendly, witty, often naive, in short, perfectly human. Doe finds himself involved in conspiracies and intrigues far greater than his capabilities: organized crime is now uncontrollable, and a few very rich businessmen rule the city of Mato, while the entire population, made up mainly of the working class, suffers from hunger. . However, Doe will not stop and, together with the aforementioned exorcist Gram, a kind of Robin Hood (Mariposa) and others will try to confront the crime bosses, who among other things are connected to the demons of the other dimension.

Now, beyond the narrative outcomes of the plot, there are basically two problems: the construction of the game world It's quite confusing, despite the efforts and obvious passion put into it by the developers. There are too many names to remember, connections to maintain, characteristics of the society in question to take into account when analyzing places, events and situations; Not everything is necessary, but Mato is never immediately clear about how much is necessary and how much is not.

Furthermore, the rhythm management It is debatable. The progression is linked to a series of scenes, movies, interludes of a real visual novel (too detailed) and sequences in which the American comic style is adopted (among other things, going from 2D to 3D). All of this, taken together, could even work, although the style varies drastically from moment to moment. Except that the individual parts are not well balanced with respect to context, so we find ourselves with endless secondary dialogues to read for several minutes, or very short films that instead seemed really interesting.

Gameplay: Between this world and the next

even the game of Mato Anomalies is affected by the total heterogeneity that has been mentioned. Ideally, progression should be marked by two different moments, characterized by equally different play styles. There is the human world, in which Doe operates; and that of demons, the other dimension, in which the expert is Gram. Doe explores this world, Gram the other. So far everything IS CLEAR. Mato's areas, small and ridiculously explorable, are connected to each other thanks to the general map: simply select an area to be immediately teleported there (bearing the burden of it each time). All main and secondary missions and dialogue possibilities are indicated in the menu: you can't go wrong. Doe moves from area to area, talking to everyone, collecting clues, sometimes interrogating suspects through mental battles, a real card minigame, potentially full of opportunities, ultimately boring and graphically anonymous - forget about playing Gwent on The Witcher 3.

When you pass into the world of Dead Sea, things change radically. Here Doe disappears, because he is not a warrior; the rest of the group takes control, led by Gram. The setting is that of any role-playing game with low-cost turn-based combat: ridiculously short and guided dungeons, repetitive monsters with an anonymous design, a predictable and little varied movement system (you attack or defend yourself with a handful of movements, like you heal yourself a lot, and so on to infinity). By leveling up it is possible to improve characters through new equipment, weapons, specific skills and finishing moves; but even in this Mato Anomalies maintains a rigorous basicity, which is also perpetually guided, continually suggesting to the player what to do and how to do it. You usually progress very smoothly (just remember to use Butterfly's healing power), aside from the boss battles in the second part of the adventure. A little effort is in order here, because suddenly the difficulty increases.

The part the adjustmentTherefore, Mato Anomalies doesn't shine in any specific mechanics; In fact, the combination of multiple mechanics, far from offering the variety desired by the developers, turns the entire set into a cauldron of low-cost special effects. It is true that everything, taken individually, works; but it works at really banal levels, without complexity, offering the minimum wage of each mechanic or idea already seen at much more interesting levels in similar productions. If we add to all this a technical sector that is difficult to justify in new generation consoles...

Conclusions

Tested version PlayStation 5 digital delivery Steam, playstation store, Xbox Store, Nintendo eShop Price 39,99 € Holygamerz.com 6.5 audience ND your vote

Mato Anomalies is not a bad game: lovers of some specific mechanics (turn-based combat, investigation through minigames) or particular contexts (retrofuturism, capitalist dystopia) will probably be able to enjoy it for a good number of hours. However, the developers wanted to try too many avenues, closing very few with more than acceptable results. The two-part structure in narrative and gameplay is interesting, but the individual parts taken on their own seem banal in almost every aspect: simplistic mechanics, limited setting, guided and obvious progression. The desire remains to know where the plot will lead, to delve into the psyche of the protagonists - they are interesting and discreetly characterized - the charm of a multifaceted world remains, full of lights and shadows capable of quickly transforming into each other. . Overall, however, it is a playfully ineffective experience and is offered, among other things, at a considerable price. Assess.