Anima: The Reign of Darkness
- June 2, 2021
- Redeev
- 25h median play time
Get on SteamIn Anima: The Reign of Darkness, players navigate a dark fantasy world as they uncover the truth of a mysterious force threatening the land. Assemble a team of heroes, each with unique abilities, and engage in strategic battles to defeat the looming darkness. With a rich, immersive story and challenging gameplay, players must make difficult decisions that will impact the fate of the world.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game captures the dark atmosphere and gameplay style reminiscent of Diablo 1 and 2, providing an enjoyable ARPG experience.
- It offers a simple yet addictive gameplay loop with various classes and skill trees, allowing for character customization and replayability.
- For its price, the game provides decent graphics and sound, making it a good value for fans of the genre.
- The PC version is a poorly optimized port of the mobile game, lacking many features and updates available in the mobile version, leading to a feeling of abandonment by the developers.
- Combat mechanics are clunky, with issues such as unreliable targeting and movement, which can detract from the overall gameplay experience.
- The game can become repetitive and grindy, with limited inventory space and a lack of quality of life features like loot filters and auto-pickup.
- graphics52 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the beautiful gothic medieval aesthetics and solid performance, particularly at higher resolutions, while others criticize the outdated visuals typical of a mobile port, clunky controls, and poor optimization. Overall, the graphics are described as decent but lacking in options and variety, with some players suggesting enhancements through mods for a better experience. Ratings vary, with some users giving scores as high as 8.5/10, while others express disappointment in the overall quality.
“The graphics do convey an absolutely fantastic and faithful representation of the gothic medieval aesthetics.”
“I think many people have rose-colored glasses on when recalling the good old days of D1 and how that game actually played vs what we expect today. The game supports 4K resolution, has decent graphical controls, and sports excellent sound.”
“In terms of graphics, the game is quite beautiful; it might even be playable on your grandma's toaster.”
“It is beyond obvious that this is a mobile port as the graphics are outdated, you cannot rotate or zoom the camera, and there are very few graphic options.”
“Game has extremely poor graphics and optimization.”
“No multiplayer, no dungeon finder, no familiars, no wings, no aspects, no training (scale as you level) gear, and graphics are the same if not worse than mobile even on high settings.”
- gameplay52 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
Gameplay is characterized by a mix of simplicity and repetitiveness, with a core loop that some find addictive despite its grind and difficulty spikes. While the mobile version offers enhancements like extra gear and co-op gameplay, the PC version suffers from outdated mechanics and a lack of variety, leading to tedium for many players. Overall, opinions are divided, with some praising the fast-paced combat and meaningful loot, while others criticize the need for constant clicking and poor UI design.
“The core gameplay loop is simple but enjoyable; there's a lot of different activities, a bit of grind, but the sense of progression of your character makes for an addictive gameplay experience.”
“I like the fast pace of gameplay and the mechanics of the classes.”
“Gameplay is solid!”
“Gameplay involves spamming the left mouse and clicking away until you die over and over again.”
“The price is good, but considering the amount of tedium, repetition, lack of gameplay variety, grind, and massive difficulty spikes in boss fights (requiring more grinding), I cannot recommend this.”
“Didn’t play again, game is boring, little to no updates, shoddy gameplay.”
- story40 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as basic and disjointed, with players struggling to follow the plot after the initial quests. While it evokes nostalgia with its atmospheric elements reminiscent of classic titles like Diablo, many reviewers felt disconnected from the narrative, labeling it as a "story grind" with little engagement. Overall, the storytelling received mixed feedback, with some appreciating the immersive aspects while others found it lacking coherence and depth.
“Immersive story and lots of ways to manipulate items.”
“Basic story with a mysterious figure suddenly triggering an ancient evil.”
“Graphics are not too bad, the story seems okay, the music and lighting make it pretty gothic and adds to the atmosphere.”
“The story is very disjointed and honestly I failed to follow what was happening after the initial quest about looking into what happened to the missing soldiers.”
“It's just the 'story' grind.”
“Ambient, sound effects, and soundtrack will give you Diablo I vibes, but I was disconnected with the story.”
- music26 mentions
- 62 % positive mentions
- 27 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received high praise for its atmospheric quality, drawing strong inspiration from the soundtracks of classic titles like Diablo 1 and 2, creating a nostalgic and gothic ambiance. While some find the music beautiful, it may not always be memorable, yet it significantly enhances the overall experience, contributing to the game's immersive environment. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature, with many reviewers rating it highly.
“The music score is interesting and the ambiance is well executed - this was totally unexpected for a mobile game.”
“The graphics are solid, the UI is quite intuitive (if you are used to the other titles of this genre) and the music is great (also kind of nostalgic, due to heavy inspirations from the D2 soundtrack).”
“This game is very good, it has great atmosphere, and the music reminds me a lot of Diablo 1.”
“The music even seems to generally strive for that classic D1 feel without actually using the D1 music.”
“Ambient, sound effects, and soundtrack will give you Diablo I vibes, but I was disconnected with the story.”
“All set to a sufficiently gloomy soundtrack.”
- grinding20 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews on grinding in the game are mixed; while some players appreciate the streamlined process with features like shared storage and permanent buffs that reduce grind-related frustrations, others criticize it for being tedious, repetitive, and poorly optimized, particularly on PC. The presence of significant difficulty spikes in boss fights often necessitates additional grinding, leading to a lack of gameplay variety. Overall, the experience can vary greatly depending on individual preferences for grinding mechanics.
“Tedious, grindy, poorly optimized for PC.”
“The price is good, but considering the amount of tedium, repetition, lack of gameplay variety, grind, and massive difficulty spikes in boss fights (requiring more grinding), I cannot recommend this.”
“Loot grinding is a pain; from what I know of the 2017/18 anima players, we are back to the starting anima which has known major updates since.”
- optimization14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 21 % neutral mentions
- 57 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with many users reporting poor performance and significant bugs, suggesting it was hastily ported to PC without adequate stabilization. Despite some players achieving high frame rates, issues like stuttering and excessive resource usage remain prevalent, indicating a lack of proper optimization. Overall, the game's graphics and performance are considered subpar, leading to a frustrating experience for many.
“Well, 8 years ago I decided to give a try to this new game called 'Path of Exile'. While at the end of the open beta the game was full of bugs and performance issues, the overall experience was something 'unique' and oh boy, it was promising.”
“Be advised though that for now, the game is badly optimized (i7-10700K + 32GB RAM + 2080 Super) and, Unity being Unity, I got 60% CPU + 40% RAM use because of that background music.”
“The overall experience was something 'unique' and oh boy, it was promising.”
“With this, the game also runs pretty poorly as it was just a quick port to PC with no optimization or stabilization done.”
“Be advised though that for now, the game is badly optimized (i7 10700K + 32GB RAM + 2080 Super) and, Unity being Unity, I got 60% CPU + 40% RAM use because of that background music.”
“As said above, poorly optimized at the moment.”
- atmosphere12 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is frequently praised for its classic gothic and grimdark elements, reminiscent of the original Diablo, with effective use of music and lighting to enhance the experience. While some reviewers note its low-budget status and occasional lack of clarity in features, the overall ambiance is considered dark and engaging, surpassing that of similar titles like Torchlight.
“This game is very good, it has great atmosphere, music reminds me a lot of Diablo 1.”
“Yes, it's 'only' a low-budget game that doesn't come close to Diablo in terms of atmosphere.”
“A classic gothic grimdark atmosphere, much like the original Diablo game.”
“Graphics are not too bad, the story seems okay, the music and lighting make it pretty gothic and adds to the atmosphere.”
- monetization12 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has drawn mixed reactions, with some users labeling it a cash grab, particularly given its mobile origins. However, players appreciate the absence of microtransactions and in-app purchases, expressing hope that future updates will maintain this model. The game's price point of €10 is seen by some as reasonable, contrasting with complaints about its value.
“Completing this challenge will reward you with legendary equipment and a special currency called oboli for in-game purchases.”
“No microtransactions.”
“- No in-app purchases are going on (as it does for the mobile version) and none are planned in future updates. 10€ is like a pack of cigarettes; I don't understand people complaining or saying 'the game isn't worth 10€'. Get your priorities straight.”
“This is a mobile game which made a cash grab on Steam.”
“It is like whoever made this game made the bare minimum they could get away with and threw a cash grab price tag on it.”
“I'm very excited for the new content to come over from the mobile version and I'm hopeful the developers won't ruin the game by adding microtransactions into the game as it gets popular.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Players highly praise the replayability of Anima, noting that the inclusion of new quests, loot, and enemies encourages continued engagement even after completing the initial playthrough. This strong replay value is a significant motivating factor for many users.
“The replayability of Anima is a feature that motivates me a lot to keep playing even after the initial playthrough, with new quests, new loot, new enemies, etc.”
“Also, there is a lot of replay value.”
“The replay value is absolutely significant.”
“The replayability of Anima is also a feature that motivates me a lot to keep playing even after the playthrough, with new quests, new loot, new enemies, etc.”
“Also lots of replay value.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as unintentional and clumsy, with characters and sound effects eliciting laughter rather than fear. Players note that the attempt to create a dark atmosphere often backfires, resulting in comedic moments, particularly in the poorly translated German version, which adds to the hilarity.
“It's clunky, my character holds his staff like it's a radioactive piece of dookey. The sounds are funny; it feels like they're trying way too hard to make it dark and scary, but it just sounds funny.”
“For German players, I can highly recommend not to play the German version with subtitles, as it was translated very badly and sometimes even hilariously.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game experiences frequent glitches, particularly during skill usage and after leveling up, which significantly impacts its stability.
“The game glitches often when using skills and after leveling up.”
“The game glitches often when using skills and after leveling up.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is negatively impacted by technical issues, as players report that the mana skill often passes through enemies without making contact, leading to frustration and a diminished sense of engagement.
