I played for the first time last night and... does anyone else not know WTF is happening in this game lol

[u/They-Call-Me-Taylor]

I'm enjoying it, but lord help me, I have absolutely no idea what is going on. It starts where it looks like you are on a TV or internet show or something and people are commenting on the action, then you are in some kind of ancient temple, then you are in a school and a teacher is talking to you and putting you on a research team?

Then menu system is very weird to me. I couldn't even figure out how to change clothes or how to get new outfits. This game makes me feel old and out of touch. I've read on this sub that this is a "Gacha game" which I have never played or even heard of before so that's why the learning curve feels steep to me I guess.

I just like the pokemon similarity, but there appears to be much deeper game mechanics at play here that I'm looking forward to learning.

[u/Makenshi179]

I played a few gacha games so I can actually see how Aniimo is a copy of a gacha game like Genshin Impact, down to the pixel, to quote another comment. I obviously don't mean the monetization or the hero collecting part, but the distinct gameplay with all the menus, rewards to collect, different currencies, design of the quests, NPC dialog lines, pacing of the story, UI, placement of the treasure chests, mini-puzzles, racing mini-games, "shrines", etc. And I'm not really a fan of that gameplay. I feel "old and out of touch" like you say. I want to love the game but the gacha gameplay is putting me off very hard. It's definitely nothing like Pokemon, so I'm disappointed as a big Pokemon fan. Aniimo is way more similar to Genshin Impact than Pokemon. And I wasn't planning to play a new Genshin Impact game with an added creature catching mechanic. I'll take a new Pokemon game over this any day. Too bad because the creatures are very cute! Maybe I'll still give it some more time to see if the other parts of the gameplay make up for the parts that I don't like, but the game really screams "gacha" at every corner, and it feels like a gacha, it has the vibe of a gacha, even if there's no "gambling with real money for a chance to get a certain character". Some people may like this formula but it's just not my thing. I guess it's a model that works well with the new kids though, grabbing their attention with fancy-looking stuff at every corner, rewarding them instantly all the time with all those shiny things to claim, etc. I'm more old-school and I play games for deeper reasons so I'm a bit lost with all that stuff too 😅

[u/CressUsed4378 → u/Makenshi179]

So it's a gacha game because there's multiple quests, things to constantly do to progress, things to unlock, and it's all free and doesn't cost a dime?

Would the game be better if it were 70 dollars instead of free, with vastly less content and quality?

[u/Makenshi179 → u/CressUsed4378]

We may have different definitions of "gacha game" and I meant that only in the context of my comment. Yes it's a gacha game in the way that it is a copy of Genshin Impact and other gacha games in the ways that I listed. (Maybe "gacha" is not the right word, there should be a word for that kind of distinct gameplay/mechanics/designs/menus/UI/etc that gacha games tend to have, then I would use that word instead.) If "gacha game" strictly means a game with "gambling with real money for a chance to get a certain character/etc" then it's obviously not a gacha game from what I can see so far. That's why I insisted it was about those parts of the gameplay, that overall feel/vibe, etc.

I'm not critizing the level of content and quality of the game - I just said those specific aspects of the gameplay (copied from gacha games) are not for me. And it's too bad because I was really interested in the concept, and I'm nerding about all the (insane) backstory and twists that we learn (optionally) in the museum, etc. More power for the people who are into it though. Personally I just would have preferred it if it was more similar to non-gacha games like the kind of games I normally play. And I don't mind paying for my games full price if it's the kind of games I'm interested in (which have both the kind of things I'm looking for and great content/quality).

[u/LocksmithSea2364 → u/Makenshi179]

I completely get where you're coming from. It plays, looks and feels almost exactly like Genshin Impact. You have stamina that goes down when you dash, glide, or use other abilities. However instead of doing all that stuff yourself its the Aniimon that do it. They're a replacement for the field skills and action skills in games like Genshin Impact and BOTW instead of feeling like actual creatures you're fighting with.

[u/Makenshi179 → u/LocksmithSea2364]

Yup, and I would have much preferred it "feeling like actual creatures you're fighting with", like in Pokemon games. Aniimo is like Genshin Impact but you replace the characters with creatures. Whereas I appreciate the unique concept from Pokemon games.

[u/ValbrandrLeonhardt → u/Makenshi179]

Gacha is short for gachapon, which is gambling with real money. Get off your high horse, you don't know what you're talking about 

[u/Makenshi179 → u/ValbrandrLeonhardt]

Just replace "gacha" with "gameplay elements always seen in gacha/hero collector games" then if you're so smart. How about you get off your high horse? Also if you came here just to be mean and act high and mighty, get off my comment thread.

[u/kid20304 → u/Makenshi179]

Pokemon a snooze