Almost ten years after the first title’s release, the RPG Anima series is back in a remastered collection of the first two games. In the era of remasters, does this package stand out? Or are you left wondering why bother?
Remaster, The Trend Of The Decade
Remasters are the go-to trend for developers in recent years. In order to bring older games to new platforms, games have been lovingly and also shamelessly ported over. With that being said, I had immediate scepticism upon seeing the reveal for Anima: Gate Of Memories 1&2 Remaster. Sadly, I was right to fear the worst. This is your run of the mill remaster that serves one purpose and one only, to bring it to current gen platforms. Yawn.
Based on the Spanish tabletop game Anima: Beyond Fantasy, the Gate Of Memories Remaster serves as a two arc story through both games. The first game follows the adventures of a magic-wielding woman known as The Bearer and her sidekick Ergo as they try to retrieve a powerful artefact called the Byblos. After failing to recover the artefact, the two are trapped in a magical tower and must work together to escape. It’s a deliberately vague and mysterious story that invites the player to discover lore and context through the different memories and collectibles. It’s a perfectly acceptable tale that does nothing particularly good or bad.
The very same can be said about the follow up which, this time, puts players in a completely different perspective – that of the villain known as The Immortality. This story goes leans towards the wacky side of things and aims to shock the player with different twists and turns. Once again it’s an acceptable, if rather average tale. The problem with a remaster is that it is meant to have been improved sufficiently to warrant players purchasing the game once again. However, this remaster has virtually no quality of life improvements in regards to story. The lack of improvement in the stale and stiff voice acting is baffling, as is the very clunky dialogue. Fans of this series will also know these games can be extremely unforgiving in terms of guiding the player towards quests and unfortunately this remains the case in this remaster. The addition of quest markers, or more assistance for players would have been greatly appreciated. If you are looking for new content and improvements in the narrative, you will vastly disappointed.
Staggering Lack Of Effort
Like the story, the gameplay loop in Anima: Gate of Memories 1&2 Remaster remains virtually untouched, although there are a few minor improvements. Played from a third person perspective, players engage in fast-paced combat which reminded me a lot of Devil May Cry and Bayonetta. You hack, slash and launch projectiles through vast amounts of enemies. What makes this game different is that during the combat sequences, the camera angles can change dynamically to different perspectives, thus creating more cinematic moments. This also results in a difference in gameplay as the shift in camera perspective changes the controls. A unique and still addictive gameplay loop.
Like other RPGs, these fights all help towards levelling up the players’ skill tree, with a solid amount of depth involved in these skills. This allows you to shape your character to different playstyles if you wish. The gameplay loop in both these games remains as solid as ever and the addition of difficulty adjustments will help newcomers feel accustomed to the gameplay which is very welcoming. Yes, it’s clunky with its animations but it is endearing as well. Some glaring issues remain in the form of enemy ranged attacks which are still wildly inconsistent and the lock on mechanic remains awful!
Platforming remains frustrating but it does its job and doesn’t outstay its welcome. Unfortunately, puzzles are as boring as they were in the original. It’s a shame developers Anima Project have not put more effort into smoothing out the rough edges and fine tuning the gameplay. At least the combat remains the main reason to play these games, but don’t expect too many new bells and whistles.
Visually Improved
Thankfully, I can finally say the developers have improved on the original when it comes to visual presentation. The original titles had a cell-shaded art style which made characters and environments stand out and this remaster only enhances their beauty. Locations have been improved with better draw distance and updated colour pallets, making every area feel vibrant and unique. Character models look crisper and sleeker with the only downside being the clunky animations remaining from the first title. If you are a lover of the original titles then this fresh lick of paint will make this anime graphic style all the more charming.
Conversely, the sound design and musical score remain the same as they did in the original releases but that is by no means a bad thing! The audio design remains strong with every sword hit, spell unleashed and potion consumed sounding as impactful and wonderful as before. The orchestral score remains superb with its grandiose style that propels fights and cutscenes forward and helps to keep the story from becoming too stale. A great RPG soundtrack if there ever was one.
Verdict
When it comes to the category of remasters and remakes, I am becoming disillusioned by the minute with every release. Anima: Gate Of Memories 1&2 Remaster is a needless and quite cynical attempt at porting an older game to current generations. Whilst new visuals will attract some fans of the franchise, there are far too few new additions and updates and this is very disappointing. The developers could have made some vast improvements in the quality of life department but ultimately they chose to make it quick and easy. Overall, it is a profound disappointment. I cannot in good faith recommend this remaster to anyone who already purchased these games almost 10 years ago.
