Anima: Gate of Memories – Arcane Edition

Genre: Compilation / Spectacle Fighter / Action-RPG

Players: 1

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Review:

Anima: Gate of Memories – Arcane Edition is a Compilation released in 2018 on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. It includes the first two games in the Anima: Gate of Memories series, both Spectacle Fighters with Action-RPG elements. Anima: Gate of Memories was originally released on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in 2016 and ported to Nintendo Switch in 2018, and Anima: Gate of Memories – The Nameless Chronicles was released on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch in 2018.

These games are set in the world of the Anima: Beyond Fantasy tabletop RPG franchise and two stories that depict the same events from different perspectives with characters following different paths. Gate of Memories follows Bearer of Calamities (Bearer for short), and her counterpart the wisecracking personified grimoire Ergo as they track down a stolen artifact, and Gate of Memories – The Nameless Chronicles follows the immortal Nameless who seeks to prevent the machinations of those who stole the artifact.

Here is what I thought of each of the games in this collection:

Game	Genre	# of Players	Grade
Anima: Gate of Memories	Spectacle Fighter / Action-RPG	1	C
tl;dr Anima: Gate of Memories is a Spectacle Fighter with Action-RPG elements where players swap back and forth between two characters as they explore a cursed tower to find a stolen relic. There are multiple elements this game introduces to the Spectacle Fighter genre that are promising, but all of that promise is undone by clunky combat that just isn’t very fun to engage in.
Anima: Gate of Memories – The Nameless Chronicles	Spectacle Fighter / Action-RPG	1	B
tl;dr Anima: Gate of Memories – The Nameless Chronicles is a Spectacle Fighter with Action-RPG elements and a sequel that follows a different path during the same story events as the first game. This game drops the character-swapping of that game, but in its place we get more fluid and enjoyable combat, making this an all-around better game. It’s still not on par with the greats of the genre, but Spectacle Fighter fans will still likely find this game worth playing.

The short version is that while both games are similar, The Nameless Chronicles’ improved combat makes it the better game in the pair. The first game isn’t without its charms as well, but players may find it harder to enjoy its better qualities due to the less-compelling combat. Having said that, the way these games both tell different parts of the same story makes this package a good pairing for those who want to get the whole picture.

On that note, this compilation is priced at $30, which makes this package $10 less than buying the games separately. I would say that if you’re considering getting the better game in this package, The Nameless Chronicles, spending an extra $10 to get the first game as well is a decent deal.

In the end, this package of two Spectacle Fighters with Action-RPG elements isn’t likely to make a huge impact in the genre, but it’s overall a decent pair of entries in the Spectacle Fighter genre, and fans of that genre would do well to give these games a try – well, more the second game, but the first has some enjoyment to offer as well, and this package is a good enough deal that it makes it worthwhile to get both.

tl;dr – Anima: Gate of Memories – Arcane Edition is a Compilation of Anima: Gate of Memories and Anima: Gate of Memories – The Nameless Chronicles, both Spectacle Fighters with Action-RPG elements. The second game in this package is definitely the better out of the pair, but the bundle is a decent enough deal that it’s probably worth it to get both so you can see both halves of the story told in these games.

Grade: B-

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