The Grand Finals for the PUBG EMEA Championship: Spring – an online PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS tournament hosted by KRAFTON, Inc. – will run for three days from 24 – 26 March where 16 of the region’s best rosters will compete for a share of the $100,000 prize pool. The tournament is a chance for the squads to earn PUBG Global Championship (PGC) Points, which will help them secure a place at PGC 2023 later this year. The teams placing first and second in the Grand Finals will also automatically earn places at PUBG Global Series 1 (PGS 1) in April.
The PEC: Spring Grand Finals is the first premier EMEA PUBG Esports event of the year and offers teams a chance to put down their marker for the season ahead. With an increased number of global LAN events coming in 2023 (PGS1, PGS2, and PGC) squads will have more prizes up for grabs but will first need to test their mettle against their regional counterparts and prove that they’re ready to face the best squads in the world.
24 squads entered the Playoffs and 16 have qualified through to the Grand Finals. At the beginning of the season several teams underwent a thorough reshuffle of their rosters and their first results did not disappoint. FUT Esports stormed their way to the top of the leaderboards and are looking very strong going into the finals. FaZe Clan and Digital Athletics are two other notable examples of refreshed rosters that have made it into the Grand Finals.
Other squads like Question Mark, Natus Vincere, and Twisted Minds, who have stuck with their 2022 rosters, have also shown outstanding performances, taking second, third, and fourth place in the Upper Bracket of the Playoffs. Joining them this weekend in the Grand Finals are The Woo, Acend Club, HOWL, BBL Esports, PolishPower, Exalt, FullTilt, mForce, DiNG, and SARVEM ESPORTS.
Fans will be able to watch every match live on the official PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS Twitch and PUBG Esports YouTube channels. Guiding viewers through the action every step of the way will be PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS Talents: Sam “Tech Girl” Wright, Marten “Avnqr” Gøth, James “Kaelaris” Carrol, Richard “Saga” Sharples, and Tobias “TheNameIsToby” Wiinblad.
Matches will take place on 24 – 25 March at 18:00 GMT and on 26 March at 18:00 GMT.
Frontier Developments have announced Jurassic World Evolution 2: Feathered Species Pack, a new PDLC available Thursday 30th March on PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, Windows Store and GeForce Now, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One for a suggested retail price of £5.99/$7.99/€7.99.
Jurassic World Evolution 2: Feathered Species Pack invites players to expand their parks with four eye-catching prehistoric species, each sporting magnificent plumage that is bound to captivate guests.
Yutyrannus, whose name translates as ‘feathered tyrant,’ lives up to its moniker as one of the largest known feathered carnivores ever discovered. First discovered in Northeast China, this bipedal predator boasts a light yet dense coat that insulates against cold weather conditions.
Equally as mesmerising is Jeholopterus, an agile flying reptile whose only paleontological specimen is among the best preserved of any pterosaur. The smallest species to weave through the skies in Jurassic Word Evolution 2 to date, Jeholopterus is said to have exhibited a coat of short, delicate fibres. Guests will be able to spot the diminutive species feeding from the new insectivore feeder.
Park managers can also welcome Deinocheirus, one of the largest ornithomimosaurs ever discovered. While its long arms, duck-like bill, and humped back cut an intimidating figure, Deinocheirus is the second omnivorous species to arrive in Jurassic World Evolution 2, and is the first to feed on both plants and fish.
As well as these majestic marvels, Sinosauropteryx is a fascinating addition to any park. Discovered in 1996, this compact pack-hunter’s fossil was the first to suggest the existence of feathered dinosaurs. Guests will delight at its long, striped tail and thick feathered coat.
The PDLC arrives alongside an exciting free update offering existing players a range of new features and enhancements. The new Log Viewing Gallery and Dome Viewing Gallery bring avid builders even more ways for their guests to observe pre-historic residents, while the introduction of a Cinematic Camera Mode allows players to capture their parks in all their splendour. Zip line variants and additional square levels allow players to get even more creative.
Platforms Available On: Xbox Series X/S and One, PS5/4 and PC.
Reviewed on Xbox Series X, a code was very kindly supplied for the purpose of this review.
Overview
Mud, sweat, fun and adrenaline: find the rider in you and jump into the action with Monster Energy Supercross 6! Live all the emotions of the Monster Energy Supercross 2022 Championship with the official bikes, riders, and tracks. Take advantage of the wide range of settings to customise every detail of your game experience, freely choosing the amount of realism and riding ease. This year, Supercross 6 follows an entirely new and unique perspective – yours!
YOUR PERSONAL COACH Leave your mark in the Supercross world with the aid of your coach and mentor, the legendary Jeremy McGrath! Learn all of his tricks in the Supercross Academy and rely on his teachings to reach the peak of the Championship in a Career mode that is more immersive than ever. Rack up successes, impress the sponsors, race through unique rivalries, and become the Supercross world champion!
LET’S GO FOR A RIDE From the airport to the mine, from the mountain to the stadium, the new Supercross Park offers unique locations to explore on your own or with friends! Every area is connected by Supercross circuits and motocross tracks that you can use to practice, perform stunts, or simply take in the view.
RHYTHM ATTACK You. Your opponent. A straight road. Everything else is superfluous. Open the throttle and follow the flow to cross the finish line first in the new Rhythm Attack mode. Prove your worth, race after race, in the single elimination tournaments that take place in breathtaking locations like canyons and forests.”
YOUR CHALLENGE, YOUR JOURNEY Customise every part of your climb until you become the world champion! Ride your bike with an ultra-realistic feel, or take advantage of the riding aids. This way, you will always be able to approach each race with a style that suits your needs. Choose how to develop your rider’s skills and adjust each detail of your bike’s setup. And that’s not all! Build your ideal track with the Track Editor, create an unmistakable style with the Helmet Editor, and customise the rider and the bike thanks to a wide range of accessories.
RACE ONLINE Crossing the finish line before everyone else, performing perfect manoeuvres, riding for hundreds of miles on your bike – thanks to the new online ranking system, you can earn points and climb the leaderboards with these or other activities, or even by specialising in the ones you prefer. And everything is integrated with the new cross-play function, so you can play with your friends on any console!
Overview taken from the official game description on the Xbox marketplace store page.
Review
For the last few years I have been lucky enough to review the Monster Energy Supercross games and each one have been games I really enjoyed making me look forward to this year’s addition which is volume 6. The main danger I find with games that have yearly releases is that you tend to see the only difference being a bit of spit and polish on the visuals and a little jig about in the background but with Monster Energy Supercross each release seems to be a vast improvement on the previous with lots of new content added.
This year’s offering comes with a whole new mode, Rhythm Attack which is a straight race 1 v 1 side by side on a straight flow section competing in an elimination format where only the winner progresses, this is more of an adrenaline rush than the normal races and really pushes you as a rider. In addition to this new mode in the career mode as you start out your journey into Supercross stardom you are guided through by none other than superstar Supercross rider Jeremy McGrath bringing his years of vast expertise to the game giving you all the advice you need to become the world’s best.
Other additions to the game include crossplay online mulitplayer and online leaderboards, opening up the gaming world allowing you to game with friends whatever platform they have and also claim those important bragging points as you claim the top leaderboard spots. The other main update which really adds more to the game is the improved compound which is now Supercross Park. At Supercross Park you get a huge open world setting allowing you to home your skills on a series of jumps and tracks along with different areas such as Airport, Dam and Stadium each offering their own challenges. The Park offers different styles of tracks to entertain you, you can either choose from Motorcross or Supercross tracks, with the Supercross tracks giving you more elaborate jumps and stunts such as jumping over planes.
The gameplay is the next part that has had a bit of a shake up with the AI in game now having more diversified behaviour giving a more realistic feel when you’re playing against bots. For those that are new to the series you can use the riding aids to give you a more smoother introduction to the game or if you’re a more seasoned pro you can keep it more of a simulation and keep the riding feeling raw, it’s up to you how you want to play. One thing you do really need to keep an eye on within career mode is the condition of your rider as you performance will deteriorate depending on fatigue and injuries so make sure to keep your rider in tip top condition by completing challenges which will slowly bring your condition back to peak level. I personally enjoyed this more authentic feel that this edition was giving and thought it added more depth to the overall gameplay.
As with most racing games the fun begins once you take it online, don’t get me wrong the game is as final as it always is in single player / career mode but the fun starts when you are on the start line revving your engines next to real people the adrenaline sure does get pumping and with this year’s addition of cross platform multiplayer it is now much easier to play with friends whatever the platform. I also feel the addition of online leaderboards really gives the players that visual challenge of trying to hit that best time level, whether you want to be number one in the world or just beat your mates it’s definitely something to feel proud of when your on top looking down.
As much as I really enjoyed last year’s offering I really feel that the developers have brought alot to this year’s game and made it far better and definitely more competitive and the gameplay or handling of the bikes feels much more realistic ( not that I ride bikes, but if I did they would definitely feel like this ) Along with the usual track editor and deep career mode I feel this edition has brought the series up a level giving the adrenaline gamers what they really want.
Graphics and Sound
In terms of graphics there isn’t much that differs from the last installment apart from the updated rides and rider roster along with the licensed outfits and bikes. I felt the game still has a great look to it with the developers putting everything into making this the most authentic Supercross experience yet. Although there still isn’t track degradation it does feel more realistic with different tracks making the handling more challenging, for example the softer dirt tracks are a little more slippy on the turns.
The soundtrack of the game is as always full of punchy music that builds the atmosphere well, the in game sounds are as authentic as they need to be and the bikes sound great racing around the track, the added benefit of having Jeremy McGrath talking you through your career a great touch.
Summary
Time now then to put my thoughts into a summary, I would compare Monster Energy Supercross to a bottle of good wine it just gets better every year, I have been a fan of the series for years and it always seems the best yet then they improve with the next one. If you’re an adrenaline junkie this a game that you need in your collection, the ultimate Supercross experience.
Verdict-Out of 5 ⭐
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Excellent
I give Monster Energy Supercross 6 an excellent score of 5 ⭐, the ultimate Supercross experience that is vastly improved from last year and that was good in itself. A definite recommendation from me.
Grab your copy of Monster Energy Supercross 6 on Xbox now click here
Today Ubisoft and BLAST have announced details for the first BLAST Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six® Siege Major of the year, which will take place in Copenhagen, Denmark, from 24th April to 7th May.
Introducing a new revamped format, the event will welcome a live audience, during the competition’s final weekend from 5th to 7th May at the Forum Copenhagen in the heart of Denmark’s capital.
Phase 2: 29th April to 3rd May – not open to public.
Phase 3: 5th to 7th May – open to the public at the Forum Copenhagen
With Stage 1 of Season 2023 underway, teams have already begun to compete across all nine playing regions to qualify for the BLAST R6 Copenhagen Major. The top 24 teams will earn their spot to travel to Denmark where they will compete for the title, their share of the USD $750,000 prize money, and points to qualify for the Six Invitational 2024 in Brazil.
Denmark has a strong association with Rainbow Six Siege esports and a passionate community, having produced a legend of the scene in 2-times World Champion, Niclas ‘Pengu’ Mouritzen, and the most recent Six Invitational winner and MVP of the competition, Benjamin ‘Benjamaster’ Dereli.
The BLAST R6 Major is one of the biggest esports events of the international calendar year and will be Copenhagen’s first-ever Siege large-scale event. The second BLAST R6 Major of 2023 will take place in November in the United States.
Additional details on the format, venue, ticketing, and more are available here
PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS’ 6YEARS & 6EYOND anniversary celebration took an exciting turn on March 18, with an information-packed Dev Talk hosted by several developers in which they laid out what’s ahead for PUBG in its 6th year of life.
At the highest level of the development team’s thinking, 2023 is a moment when we’ll be taking a long look at the game with the goal of delivering updates that ensure long-term success while preserving the core of the PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS experience. This includes in-game tweaks that will ripple into every corner of the playing experience as well as improvements to anti-cheat and quality-of-life features.
Some of the highlights that players can expect throughout 2023 are below, you can find the full update here
Keeping Normal Chill – Normal Mode is meant to be PUBG’s fun zone, a place where our Survivors can go to get away from the focused tactical intensity of Ranked matches. To support our vision of Normal offering a faster-paced take on PUBG, we’ll be looking at item, vehicle, and Blue Zone spawn rates. We’ll also implement a new revive system that stands apart from Comeback BR, and we’ll deliver a top-to-bottom gear overhaul that will touch every corner of the PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS experience.
Ranking Up Ranked Mode – Survivors who crave stiffer competition haven’t been forgotten. Ranked rewards being boosted, we have decided to close the gap between Ranked and Esports, meaning the modes will soon have identical settings. This also means that future Ranked mode updates will be applied to official PUBG Esports tournaments as well. Fans can finally experience the same gameplay as their favorite pros.
Neon Lights Up a Changing World – A new map, codenamed “Neon,” is coming at the end of this year. If that codename summons up visions of concrete-and-glass urban jungles, you’re on the right track. Neon will feature multiple areas, including a modern city full of gleaming skyscrapers and all of its surrounding rural areas. Neon will also feature a range of transportation options via land, water, and air, as well as a new type of gameplay that we’re not quite ready to share more on just yet. Our world changes extend beyond Neon, as well: Erangel and Miramar, PUBG’s oldest maps, will get a visual makeover that includes large-scale improvements and new locations.
Improving Life on the Outside – An upcoming Arcade revamp will introduce new ways to play (drawing from existing LABS modes in some cases), and the addition of a rewards system will create even more reasons to check them out. We’re also planning a mid-year debut for our long-awaited Clan system, and we’ll be rolling out a pair of Survivor Pass updates that aim to ease the difficulty of earning rewards. A complementary update to progressive weapon skins will make the pursuit of those rewards even more tantalizing, with level-based visual effects, greater color variety, re-releases of some old favorites, and exciting brand collaborations. Lastly, we’ll be stepping up our anti-cheat efforts with help from machine learning technology that knows how to look for red flags like illegal software use and abusive behavior.
It’s been a busy year so far, and as you can see here, the best is still yet to come. There’s plenty to enjoy in our latest March update and content drop, but stay tuned for more on the bigger changes as we head into April. In the meantime, more information on PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS is available at the official site
A while ago I was lucky enough to review King of Fighters XV on PS5, here I have the pleasure of taking a look at the Season 2 DLC character pack.
If you want to take a look at the main review you can do so here
Overview
SHINGO YABUKI, the first Season 2 DLC character to launch, will release along-side a massive character refinement patch. In addition to KIM, SYLVIE PAULA PAULA and NAJD were also announced to join as Season 2 DLC characters!
Taken from the official description on SNK website.
Review
If you have read the main review (if not go do it now) you will see that I really enjoyed the main game with it’s varied roster to choose from some new and some iconic characters. This series has been going on now for over 15 years so keeping fresh and relevant is definitely something that is important for the game to be successful, which thanks to it’s massive following.
The DLC pack starts off with Shingo Yabuki then later in the year (2023) other characters will be unlocked at different stages, the next releases will be Kim Kaphwan (around spring release) then Sylvie Paula Paula (around summer release) and lastly Najd (around summer release).
Shingo Yabuki for me is the perfect addition to the roster of fighters, bringing his speed and agility as a welcome addition to the fighters. Of all the fighters I’ve used I got used to Shingo quite quickly in terms of his move set and felt more comfortable using him above the others, using his speed as an advantage I found it relatively easy to pull off the moves to take down opponents.
Summary
Time now then for me to put my thoughts into a summary, overall I thought the DLC was worth forking out for, it would’ve been better to receive all the characters at once but then I think having them spaced out a bit keeps the interest in the game.
Verdict-Out of 5 ⭐
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Good
I give King of Fighters XVSeason 2 DLC a good score of 4 ⭐ a decent add on to the game, Shingo Yabuki is a great addition to the roster with the others being released later in the year. In my opinion well worth getting this DLC.
Grab your copy of King of Fighters XV Season 2 DLC on Playstation now, other DLC add ons are also available see here
PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS is on the brink of its 6th anniversary this month, and they have several themed activities to celebrate the occasion with the community, including a new Dev Talk, a fun collaboration with artist Tristan Eaton, special in-game item drops, new background music and more. Whether you’re a new player dropping in for the first time or you’ve been eating Chicken Dinners for a while now, it’s never been a better time to check out PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS. So, see below for a deeper dive into what you can expect for the 6th Anniversary Celebration.
On March 18 (7am GMT), they will be hosting a live-streamed Dev Talk that will highlight the planned 2023 roadmap of content for PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS. PUBG Studios’ in-game, out-game and anti-cheat teams will have a lot to share, including a new map, Arcade improvements, the increased alignment of Ranked mode and Esports, and more. Those interested can tune in at the official PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS YouTube and Twitch channels.
The in-game collaboration with celebrated toy designer and street art muralist Tristan Eaton is now live in-game on PC and will go live on consoles next week. Eaton’s remarkable art is featured in various parts of our game, including the loading screen, world objects in Erangel, Miramar, Sanhok, and more. Tristan’s incredible creations are here as a tribute to all the amazing Survivors who first dropped into Erangel six years ago, and to all who joined in the days since.
To add to the excitement, there will be a wealth of Special Drops that will not only grant exclusive 6th Year skins, but also an abundance of Hideout and Workshop rewards. Players won’t want to miss out on this opportunity to unlock a treasure trove of rewards and add them to their collections.
Finally, our latest original background music – PUBG 6th Anniversary (6years & 6eyond) – is now available in-game on PC and will be available next week on consoles. In addition to listening to it in-game, the new background music is available to stream across many platforms, including Spotify and YouTube.
PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS’ 6th Anniversary is just the start of what we feel will be a hallmark year for the game, and we look forward to revealing more through the Dev Talk later this week. In the meantime, more information on PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS is available at the official game website
Platforms Available On: Xbox Series X/S and One, PS5/4, Nintendo Switch and PC.
Reviewed on Xbox Series X, a code was very kindly supplied for the purpose of this review.
Overview
Batora: Lost Haven is a choice-driven isometric action adventure with RPG elements and a unique duality system affecting combat, story, dialogues, puzzles, and endings, that will make you question the meaning of sacrifice.
Throughout Batora: Lost Haven, you will navigate your way through a range of unique alien planets and discover a galaxy in which morals are blurred, and the line between right and wrong is mercilessly thin. Wield unique abilities and perfect different combat styles to defeat deadly foes, solve intricate puzzles, and take on quests from curious alien inhabitants. Every choice you make will shape your journey and forge the way you carry out your final mission… Restoring your Lost Haven.
THE CALL OF DESTINY
After losing her entire family, Avril has learned to be a survivor. She never imagined what her future would hold. To fulfil her destiny, she must journey across the universe to uncover ancient secrets, while making life-changing decisions.
MULTI-LAYERED COMBAT
Harness the dual powers of Sun and Moon and leverage the power of your mind and body in frenetic battles against deadly enemies and unearthly foes.
CHOOSE YOUR PATH
With multiple endings, the choices you make decides the fate of the universe and those who inhabit it. What are you willing to sacrifice for what you love?
PUT YOUR MIND TO THE TEST
Solve intricate and otherworldly challenges in beautiful atmospheric puzzlescapes.
Overview taken from the official game description on the Xbox marketplace store.
Review
At the moment there seems to be a whole host of RPG titles coming to consoles and some good ones at that, the latest one to enter the throw is the choice driven action adventure Batora: Lost Haven which sees you play as Avril who has lost her whole family and now must travel the universe to connect all the loose ends.
Batora: Lost Haven is a choose your own adventure style game where your choices determine the out come with multiple possible endings each playthrough could be different each time. Leading Avril through the galaxy was a little like playing a Tomb Raider title with Lara and Avril having the similar attributes in terms of exploration and adventure and certainly style.
The adventure side of the game is quite in-depth and the story itself is immersive giving the player a good all round experience at first but after a while I felt like I was doing the same thing over again and the enjoyment faded slightly for me, with the save points not being particularly frequent it was kind of annoying to have to go and repeat the process over again.
To be fair to the game it does have fun elements involved when it comes to the various puzzle solving activities you need to complete to progress and the intense story does add more depth to the game, a far from perfect game but does have a charming style to it that will appeal to most RPG players.
Graphics and Sound
The graphics of the game had a certain charm to them, it had a retro style top down over the shoulder viewpoint but it had the next gen shine to it which to be fair looked really good. The game worlds were really well crafted and you can see that the developers have really made the most of the next gen power.
The soundtrack of the game worked well with the overall feel of the game certainly adding more to the tense atmosphere. In game the sound effects were decent enough and I found the cutscenes were definitely an engaging way to tell the story.
Summary
Time now then to put my thoughts into a summary, overall I would say I enjoyed the game although personally I would think that it may get lost in an already saturated RPG market but if you do come across it I would recommend you having a go.
Verdict-Out of 5 ⭐
⭐⭐⭐
Good
I give Batora: Lost Haven a good score of 3⭐ it does have some good points within the game and the story is well written but overall I do think that it may get lost amongst the others. Although I did find it got repetitive after a while I would still recommend it.
Grab your copy of Batora: Lost Haven on Xbox now click here
Ubisoft have announced that the latest The Crew 2 free update, Season 8 Episode 1: USST Cities, now available on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, as well as Windows PC through the Ubisoft Store, Epic Games Store, and Steam. Players can also subscribe to Ubisoft+ on PC and Amazon Luna.
In this first episode of Season 8, The Crew 2 welcomes back the US Speed Tour, which previously had players traveling the country from East to West in Season 3. This time, they will put their driving skills to the test by mastering brand-new tracks deployed within the largest US cities. From the streets of New York, by way of Miami, Seattle or Los Angeles, focus will be key, as the slightest mistake could send them to the last position in the blink of an eye. The USST Cities episode includes two new events each week, for a grand total of 16 events over the next eight weeks.
USST Cities also introduces a brand-new Motorpass, featuring 50 tiers of new exclusive rewards, both free and premium. They include high-performance vehicles, such as the Pagani Zonda F Primary Edition (Hypercar), the Mini Cooper S Checkered Edition (Touring car), the Chevrolet Corvette C8.R, the Audi RS 5 Coupé USST Official Edition (Street Race) or vanity items, outfits, currency packs (Crew Credits and Bucks), and more.
In Season 8 Episode 1, vehicles from previous Motorpass will continue coming back in the shop, allowing players to purchase them vehicles with bucks or CCs. The vehicles that will make their comeback are the Bentley Mulliner Bacalar (Street Race), the Jaguar F-Type SVR Coupé Professional Edition (Street Race), the Jaguar E-Type Series 1 Convertible (Street Race), and the KTM 450 EXC Nighthawk Edition (Motorbike).
And the shop will also continue to grow with the addition new vehicles such as the Saleen S1GT4 Cup (Touring car), the Spyker C8 LaViolette GT2-R (Touring car), the KTM X-BOW GT2 (Touring car) on 15th March. S8E1 also comes with new customisation options with 40 new vanity items, including avatar outfits, smokes, tyres, under glows, window tints, and more.
In USST Cities, players will also get to compete in eight new weekly LIVE Summits, where there is only one goal: getting as high up the leader board as possible. Each week, the best players will be rewarded with exclusive items and vehicles based on their ranking.
But that’s not all! For the most curious players, a new playground will be available in free ride: the Motorflix Arena, located on the shores of Lake Michigan, near Chicago. Players will experience the fun of riding big curves, and underwater tunnels right at Season 8’s launch.
For the latest news on The Crew and all of Ubisoft’s games, visit the official game site
Platforms Available On: Xbox Series X/S and One, PS5/4, PC and Nintendo Switch.
Reviewed on Xbox Series X, a code was very kindly supplied for the purpose of this review.
Overview
Mato Anomalies is a turn-based RPG that takes players on a journey across Mato, a fantasized neo-futuristic version of a bygone oriental city. Take control of the Dual Protagonists Doe and Gram to investigate strange anomalies around the city, or venture into rifts to battle demonic abominations determined to bring about the city’s downfall.
Team up with unlikely companions and unravel the dark secrets in this story of Duty, Hope and Justice.
DUAL PROTAGONISTS Take control of not just one, but two very distinct protagonists. Gather intel and knowledge to unravel the mystery behind the city of Mato as the private detective Doe, or venture into rifts and battle demonic abominations as the mysterious exorcist Gram.
ANOMALIES Find clues throughout Mato by talking to NPCs, taking on missions and visiting shops to pinpoint Rifts, portals to the demonic creatures attacking the city. Enter at your peril and defeat them in battle and collect abundant rewards.
WILL JUSTICE PREVAIL? Insidious factions are somehow involved in the dark fate befalling Mato. Can our heroes find out what’s going on? Or will they themselves fall victim to despair?
BAND OF MISFITS The enemy of your enemy is your friend. Difficult circumstances make for unlikely friendships. Find new allies during your investigations and gain their trust through conversation and shared experiences.
SMART COMBAT Mato Anomalies provides a unique and challenging battle experience highlighted by shared health across all team members, gear matrix and dual-talent system. A unique combat strategy will be needed if you want to succeed!
Overview taken from the official game description on the Xbox marketplace store.
Review
Recently I’ve been going on a bit of a Manga rabbit hole and must say I’ve been enjoying myself so far, when the opportunity to review a new title that is very much Manga inspired came up I straight away wanted to take a look and the title was Mato Anomalies, a turn based RPG taking heavy inspiration from the Manga side of the entertainment world from the developers that brought you HERMITAGE: STRANGE CASE FILES, Arrowiz.
You mainly play as Doe a private detective hunting down the answers to these mysterious goings on in the fictional setting of the city of Mato after you speak with the equally mysterious Nightshade as she gives you the task of hunting down the answers. You switch between the main characters when it comes to combat bringing in the character Gram a mysterious exorcist who can more than handle himself when it comes to wielding a samurai sword as he takes down the many enemy demons that are lurking as your investigations take you to different parts of the city and even different realms.
The combat feels a little rigid but that is the turn based format, I would’ve really preferred to have a more slasher feel to it think it would’ve added more to the overall game. Having said that the combat is still engaging thanks more to the cinematic effects when you pull off the attacks which are really well done
The uniqueness of the gameplay really shines through early on as the game begins as a visual novel then seamlessly turns into a JRPG style then when it comes to combat you use a turn based system, you utilising the RPG mechanic early on as you ask various NPC a series of questions to get the answers that will get you to where you need to go. Mixing the gameplay with the investigating side really adds depth to the gameplay creating a full bodied game.
Normally with a game that is reading heavy I find that it kind of gets a bit tedious however with Mato Anomalies as it blends the different styles of game together it keeps your interest and feels fresh when you play it, even the parts that are reading as you can set it to auto play it feels more like a animation so it’s a little more interesting, although being a comic fan I did enjoy the more comic like cutscenes more.
I found the overall as story quite intense as you follow Doe unraveling the many mysteries in Mato, it follows a similar pattern to most sandbox games where you have the main story arc and missions but you also have many side missions that are available along the many streets, with missions flowing between each one, at first glance you would think the different blend of genres would confuse the gameplay however it doesn’t it feels more fluid as it moves between each style it kind of makes it all feel quite an immersive experience.
This has been the first visual novel/RPG title that I can say I really enjoyed, the style of the game worked and the different genres blended together well adding depth to the game.
Graphics and Sound
The graphics of Mato Anomalies are good, the developers have gone for a cell shaded anime look and it looks great, the combat scenes are incredible and the cinematic scenes are probably my favourite from the game. The movement of the characters are good and look pretty detailed, I liked how the game went from visual novel to jRPG and it all blended together well.
The soundtrack of the game is good and works well with the atmosphere of the game, the in game voice acting is good if you like anime/manga styling then you’ll be at home here. The characters look good and the gameplay world is very well planned out and looks incredibly detailed.
Summary
Time now then to put my thoughts into a summary, overall I was pretty surprised by the game at first glance I liked the look of it then when the game started up I was a little put off when it seemed more visual novel than game but as it progressed it morphed into a jRPG and I got back into the game, the only downside for me I would’ve preferred a more slasher combat mechanic rather than turn based but still enjoyable all the same.
Verdict-Out of 5 ⭐
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Good
I give Mato Anomalies a good score of 4 ⭐, a decent game that surprised me with it’s blend of genres, I would’ve liked a bit more from the combat but overall still found it an interesting game to play. If you like jRPG games then I would recommend you take a look at this one.
Grab your copy of Mato Anomalies on Xbox now click here
Dave Chats Games 