Masters of Anima

Who could have guessed that Pikmin and Diablo would get along so well?

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In "Masters of Anima," become Otto, an apprentice of Anima, and summon up to 1

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

72%

Audience ScoreBased on 277 reviews

story39 positive mentions

grinding7 negative mentions

Interesting mechanics and puzzles that provide a fun gameplay experience.
Beautiful visuals and engaging art style that enhance the overall experience.
Decent unit variety and tactical combat that keeps players engaged.

Frequent crashes and glitches, particularly on certain hardware configurations, making the game unplayable for some.
Clunky controls that can be frustrating, especially when managing multiple units in combat.
Bland story and character development that fails to engage players emotionally.

story
148 mentions
26 % positive mentions
68 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The story of the game has received largely negative feedback, with many reviewers describing it as bland, predictable, and uninspired, often criticizing the characters and dialogue as forgettable or poorly written. While some players found the premise engaging and appreciated the lighthearted tone, the overall consensus is that the narrative lacks depth and fails to captivate, making it a weak point in an otherwise interesting gameplay experience.
- “Otto is then sent on a quest to return Anna to her former self, as well as foil Zahr's plan... Otto's got quite the special gift, the gift of shaping.”
- “It has an extremely engaging story; Otto feels very Olimar-like in that he's a 'normal guy', and says probably the hardest line I've ever seen in a video game, 'Anna is my world, Zahr can rule the rest of it.'”
- “It's just charming and enjoyable; the story is not very deep, quite lighthearted, but the characters are likeable.”
- “The story is completely forgettable with the gist being, collect the x pieces of something to save the world and defeat the bad guy.”
- “It seriously is insufferable how bad the story is... and the gameplay itself is basic.”
- “Sadly the story is mediocre at best.”
gameplay
106 mentions
38 % positive mentions
57 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by interesting mechanics and puzzles, particularly revolving around summoning and managing units, reminiscent of titles like Overlord and Pikmin. While many players appreciate the innovative RPG/RTS hybrid elements and the gradual introduction of challenges, some criticize the controls as clunky and the overall experience as basic or lacking depth. Despite mixed feelings about the narrative, the gameplay is often described as fun and engaging, especially for fans of strategy and action genres.
- “The gameplay, although looking like a piece of cake at first, becomes more and more difficult as you advance through the story!”
- “Surprisingly good fun for a game with incredibly basic mechanics - move here, summon here, click here etc. The real fun comes into the equation when the game gradually introduces new enemies with different move sets, then throwing a variety of enemies together to create new circumstances for the player to tactfully play around.”
- “Overall, however, the gameplay is where this game really shines.”
- “The story didn't engage me and the gameplay was mediocre.”
- “Couple that with game mechanics that require you to constantly move your moppets around, summon new ones, boost your moppets, and also control your character just makes for a very cumbersome combat experience.”
- “Alas, the game lacks amazing writing of Overlord and great control of units of sacrifice, and without that, the gameplay turns into a chore.”
graphics
46 mentions
63 % positive mentions
30 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful and unique art style, which enhances the overall visual experience. Many reviewers appreciate the pleasing aesthetics and the polished production values, noting that the visuals complement the gameplay effectively. While some mention that the graphics are basic, they still find them appealing and fitting for the game's setting and intent.
- “The visuals are pleasing and interesting to look at.”
- “The voice-over is superbly done and graphics complement the game nicely.”
- “Excellent minion management game with great graphics and a passable story.”
- “Very poor overall, especially the narrative; except maybe for visuals and the novel RTS-like mechanic, there's not much to it.”
- “Again, maybe someone likes this type of puzzles or this type of combat, so you could even rate it higher than me - I don’t think there were any noticeable bugs, and the graphics are decent in their own style - so, it is not 'unplayably bad' even for me, it is just not fun.”
- “+ Simplistic graphics normally it's a downside, but it's a pretty cool comic style.”
music
14 mentions
43 % positive mentions
43 % neutral mentions
14 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, described as calm and soothing, complementing the visuals and animation effectively. While some players find it enjoyable and fitting for the game's style, others feel it doesn't fully elevate the overall experience, particularly in the context of gameplay frustrations and a lackluster story.
- “I loved the animation and music; it really was my style.”
- “I love the art style, mechanics, music, and everything else about this game.”
- “The soundtrack is calm and soothing, unless you're fighting a giant golem with your army of minions, of course.”
- “I love the art style, mechanics, music, and everything else about this game besides three things.”
humor
10 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is largely criticized, with comparisons made to "Overlord," which is noted for its comedic elements and engaging characters. Reviewers find the protagonist insufferable and the minions boring, leading to a lack of genuine humor despite the presence of a funny story. Overall, the game fails to deliver the comedic charm that players expected.
- “It has a funny story, a charming protagonist and cool minions.”
- “I find it funny that a very positively rated game on Steam has only a 10% completion rate, as per the game completion achievement percentage.”
- “Overlord has crazy goblins doing their shenanigans and funny dialogue... this game has none of that.”
grinding
9 mentions
22 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
78 % negative mentions
Players generally find that the game does not require grinding, as it primarily focuses on story progression with a chapter select feature for collectibles and rankings. However, many express that the combat can feel tedious due to the AI's ineffectiveness and the prolonged nature of battles, leading to a frustrating experience rather than an enjoyable one.
- “I found it to be tedious rather than fun, and the art and story are both forgettable and cliché.”
- “You'll dodge about 5 sets of attacks before anything dies, making the combat tedious.”
- “The title certainly won’t hold your hand when it comes to defeating the only enemy in the game, which could prove to be tedious for some.”
stability
6 mentions
33 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
67 % negative mentions
The game exhibits stability issues, with users reporting bugs that cause summoned units to become inactive during combat. Despite these problems, the overall performance is commendable, running smoothly at over 130 fps at 1440p.
- “The game runs great (130+ fps @ 1440p).”
- “The game runs great (130+ fps @ 1440p).”
- “The game is still buggy as the units you summon can end up standing around doing nothing in combat.”
- “Buggy”
- “The game is still buggy as the units you summon can end up standing around doing nothing in combat.”
replayability
4 mentions
0 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
75 % negative mentions
The game has been criticized for its limited replayability, with multiple users noting that there is not enough incentive to play through it again after the initial experience.
- “Limited replay value.”
- “Limited replay value.”
- “Limited replay value.”
optimization
3 mentions
0 % positive mentions
67 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is praised for its solid technical performance and exciting combat, complemented by varied unit types. However, the frequent grading of performance and mission completion times can disrupt immersion, making the experience feel more segmented than cohesive.
- “The interest regarding cut-scenes and voice acting wanes quickly; the constant grading of performance and time taken to complete fights and missions also breaks overall immersion at times, making the game as a whole feel more stage-based rather than one grand adventure.”
character development
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-50 % neutral mentions
150 % negative mentions
Character development in the game has been criticized for being lackluster, with reviewers noting that both the story and character design feel bland and unengaging, leading to a lack of investment in the characters.
- “I stopped pretty soon because the story and the character design are so bland.”
- “The character development feels non-existent, making it hard to connect with anyone in the game.”
- “I was really disappointed with how shallow the characters are; they lack depth and growth throughout the story.”