Developer(s) Platinum Games
Publisher(s) Sega
Platform(s) PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Release date(s) JP July 5, 2012
NA January 8, 2013
AU January 10, 2013
EU January 11, 2013
Genre(s) Beat ‘em up
Rating: Mature
Anarchy Reigns is a beat ‘em up, action game developed by Platinum Games, the same company that gave us Bayonetta and serves as a sequel to the company’s debut title MadWorld. The game features a Main Story mode in which you play through the intertwining storylines of two orders—White Side and Black Side. Completing the two sides will unlock the hidden Red Side. Multiplayer features Tag Team, Battle Royale, Death Match, Capture the Flag, and Survival. Tag Team allows you to team up with a friend and fight your way through hordes of enemies including other players. Battle Royale is exactly as it sounds—pick your character and beat the snot out other players until one of you is left standing. Death Match is all about racking up kills. Capture the Flag and Survival are pretty much self-explanatory. A few characters from MadWorld make a return in Anarchy Reigns as well as few new ones.
In the Main Story, you take control of one character from the side that you choose—Jack Cayman from the Black Side or Leonhardt “Leo” Victorion from the White Side. You fight random waves of enemies in the main stage to unlock the sub stages within which the storyline continues. Completing the sub-stage sends you back to the main stage and you get to fight more enemies to build up Experience Points (XP) to gain access to the next sub-stage. There are two types of sub-stages. Free Missions serve as a training tool to test your skills with your character. These include beating down waves of enemies using various combos or picking up a secondary weapon, like a rocket launcher, to test out on your opponents. Main Missions are where the story happens. There are three of these with a boss opponent in the last. Defeat them and they will fight alongside your main character for a short scene. Here, you are given the option to use your ally or continue with your main character. Once this scene called Ally Battle ended, you regain control of your main character.
PRO: Beating up waves of enemies is a nice throwback to the straight-forward brawlers of yesteryear and the graphics are a vast improvement from MadWorld’s “Sin City” inspired atmosphere. Anarchy’s other game modes keep up the variety going, offering different ways to beat down enemies or your friends online.
CON: Unfortunately, that’s all Anarchy has going for it. Beating up enemies in a straight-forward brawler fashion is nice for nostalgia but there is not enough variety to keep it [main storyline] interesting. The constant waves of enemies in the main stage have very little to do with the game’s storyline except in the mission stages. I don’t mind beating the tar out of baddies but this would make for better entertainment if this flowed with the storyline like in Asura’s Wrath or Darksiders. Those games are brawlers (especially Asura) but the fighting floes with the story. Not so in Anarchy. This became repetitive over time which hurts what had the potential of being an awesome beat ‘em up title.
Bayonetta puts her best foot forward in Anarchy Reigns.
OVERALL: Anarchy Reigns is a brawler that has its moments. Thankfully, there is enough material outside of the Main Storyline to keep the game interesting and preserve some flavor so it doesn’t grow stale. The real bright spot is that Platinum Games included their wildly popular seductive sorceress Bayonetta as a bonus character. She may be toned done from her standalone title but still fun to use. Sadly, she is only available through multiplayer. Still, Anarchy isn’t too terrible. It is a good game if you’re looking for something along the lines of an action beat ‘em up like Asura. However, this may not keep the attention of those who are more in tune for a game with varied combat like Devil May Cry. All in all, if you played MadWorld then you’ll enjoy this game. Looking for a simplistic brawler without all the fancy stuff, this game is fun enough for you. Everyone else might play it once through and move along. Sadly, this is what keeps it from being a great game.
Anarchy Reigns gets 3.25 out of 5.
Until next time, see you on the next level,
Brian M.
