Anarchy Reigns is a third person beat ‘em up video game for the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox360 from Platinum Games. They are the minds behind games such as Bayonetta, Vanquish, and Madworld. Platinum games has a record of making incredible single player games. As a studio founded, and headed by former members of Capcom, the before mentioned titles are over the top, and filled with action. This is the company's first multi-player title, and sad to say, it really doesn't live up to my expectations. Anarchy Reigns was a game built for multi-player, and it is a pity that the single player campaign feels tacked on because of this. To fully enjoy Anarchy Reigns multi-player, you will have to complete single player mode in order to unlock characters to use in multi-player. The main story is told from two perspectives, the white side, and the black side. Sadly both stories are really repetitive, and you'll find yourself doing a bunch of missions while beating down easy enemies of various types.
The missions vary from killing a number of enemies in a certain time, poorly done kart racing, and escort missions. Another sad part about the campaign is the lack of a challenge and a very easy boss battle. The campaign is boring. Given the enemy types, and bosses of previous Platinum Games titles sadly to say I was very disappointed. Music in this game is pretty meh. Less than impressive tracks play as you go through the campaign, destroying everyone in your way. Visuals for this game are very dated. It will not be winning any awards for its graphics. Graphics don't make the game, but looking at poor visuals of this game is kind of a downer. Character models are pretty basic and weird looking. I get what they were going for but the majority of the characters look very early gen. Also the environments are very lackluster, and textures tend to fade in & out at certain parts, and are very low res. This game sadly does not look like a game of this console generation.
As for gameplay, the controls are pretty good. Anybody who has played a beat-em-up before can pick up this game with ease, however newcomers will most likely have a hard time with this game. As I said earlier, this game was made for multiplayer. Each character has their own style and combos. However, to fully involve yourself with a character you'll have to learn their ins and outs. Learning combos, chaining moves, and learning the execution of each character is a must. Utilizing weapons and the environment around you is also a key part of this gameplay. The arena itself is also a factor. These stage events will change the dynamics of the battlefield, such as crashing airplanes, bridges being destroyed, earthquakes, and waves. These arena affects add a more intensity to the battle. However the multi-player is not perfect. The beat-em-up style of this game is infused with concepts, and new ideas that do not work well. The purpose of these gameplay changes were to make the game more unique, but sadly it was a hit and miss.
The traditional multi-player modes are there. There are Regular Player and Ranked Lobbies to choose from, and you have Free For All, Team Deathmatch, Survival mode, tag matches, cage matches, Capture the Flag, and probably the most interesting, Deathball. Deathball is probably the game's most unique mode. It is virtually an over the top Football game, instead of tackling, you kill your opposition. It takes some time to get used to that mode’s gameplay and features but it can be pretty fun.
Now Anarchy Reigns is not a horrible game, the Multiplayer is very fun, however to unlock characters you pretty much have to play the tacked on single player mode. However with dated graphics, buggy gameplay, and the issues with unfamiliar game mechanics, it hurts the game. However at a price point of $30, it is hard to really pass up. If you are in the mode for a unique over the top beat-em-up game, I would recommend it. With all the above mentioned, I give this game 2 & a half stars.
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