PAX East Preview: Aniimo is an Action Game for Monster Tamers

Of all the games I played at PAX East, Aniimo was definitely one that will stick with me until I can get my hands on it again. It's got everything from the adorable Aniimo to some really fun and engaging action-style combat. There are some obvious comparisons to games like Palworld, but trust me, this one is really pushing to separate itself from that comparison.

During PAX East, I was given the unique opportunity to play the game in two different ways. I played through the tutorial and early game stage, and then returned to play through some of the mid-game features that were offered up. All in all, according to the people I spoke with, I arguably had the most time with the game.

Now that certainly doesn't make me an expert on Aniimo and its creature-catching hijinks, but I did get a pretty solid feel for how things in the game will inevitably work out. So this preview will focus almost entirely on the feel of the game at both high and low levels, along with some things that they hope will address some of the concerns players had in the beta and during this play test.

What Even is Aniimo?

Aniimo is similar to a lot of the other creature-catching games you know and love, but differentiates itself in a few ways. The biggest way is that this one isn't turn-based or even using turn-based mechanics; it's basically a full-on action RPG. I never thought it could be so much fun to take some traditional MMO-style gameplay and overlay it with a great creature-catcher.

The way it works is pretty simple. You can run around and catch Aniimo all over the continent of Idyll, discovering new kinds of Aniimo and learning all about the world itself. The big kicker is that when you want to go into combat, you can do something with your Aniimo called Twine. This allows you to effectively become your Aniimo and enter into combat using their skills and abilities.

Since you can turn into your Aniimo, you'll use them a lot of the time to solve puzzles around the map or traverse through some open spaces. You can also enjoy hanging out with them in various areas if that's what you're looking for, too, but the game isn't just exploration and combat.

There's a sort of cozy homemaking part of the game, along with a spot where you can have your Aniimo help you gather resources through some moderately forced labor. I assume this is what will help you with crafting items to either sell or use in other game modes like the Egg Heist game mode, which I'll get to a bit later.

A Different Kind of Creature Catcher

For the most part, creature-catcher games all work pretty similarly, but Aniimo is really trying to break the mold by letting you Twine with your creatures. It's an interesting way to change the game from something that was a bit more passive into something very active. Beyond that, it opens up a lot of freedom in how you traverse the map.

Some Aniimo can run, some can fly, and some can swim, which means you'll pretty much always turn into an Aniimo whenever you're trying to traverse the world. There's a lot of player freedom once you get out of the first tutorial, and while that can be a really great thing, the sort of off-rails experience can be daunting if you aren't exactly sure what to do next.

Luckily, that's being worked on, but one thing that needs no work is the combat. Well, outside of some bug fixing. Combat felt really solid and fun, since each Aniimo is a bit different and they all have an 'ultimate' ability they can use that triggers a little cutscene. It comes across as very JRPG-coded, which was great, because the animations were enjoyable to watch.

The whole game is actually really eye-catching and much better than I was expecting. Each Aniimo does a fantastic job of looking the part that it needs to without being too much one way or the other. The cute ones are cute, and the intimidating ones are intimidating without coming across as too edgy, so everything felt really cohesive while playing.

Addressing the Issues

Since I'd played the longest, the developers wanted to chat with me a bit about some of the issues I'd encountered and what I'd thought overall about the game. The biggest complaints I had about the game were that it felt a little overwhelming, traversal felt a bit clunky as the player character, and the game might want to be a little more on-rails from the beginning.

Let's just go in order, starting with things being a little overwhelming. The game, as it stands, is incredible, but there are a lot of moving parts and a lot of menus to navigate. They aren't pointless menus, but they certainly feel like speed bumps to you enjoying your time running around Idyll. The devs are working on this to sort of streamline the process and make it a little easier to digest.

Walking around as a person was not nearly as much fun as running or flying as Aniimo. You can't run consistently either, so as your PC, you're basically pressing the dash button over and over. Apparently, there's already a fix prepared for this in the form of some sort of skateboard-like movement. That would make traversal much more enjoyable as your human counterpart.

It's a fine line to walk with giving players any amount of freedom in games. They have a knack for going where they shouldn't and then getting lost when they can't get where they need to be. That's a much tougher one to nail down, but it's something the devs are considering with the focus on making sure players have the freedom they want, but can also be a bit more guided, so confusion is minimized.

What Comes Next for Aniimo

We're still a ways off from release, and there's some potential for another beta test, but the devs are hoping to get everything ready for a full launch. Even in my short time with the game, I realized this game had the makings of being the next big thing. Not because it's just got the looks, but because there's clearly a lot of thought put into this game.

One of my favorite parts about the game is that there is sort of a story being told, but its' really about the stories you find along the way. I went to challenge an area boss, and when I beat them, the game surprised me by opening up a sidequest to engage in. It's not something unheard of, but it really solidified that this game was something a little different.

Earlier, I mentioned Egg Heist, which is a game mode where you effectively enter a sort of extraction mode, looking for eggs to get back with. There's a co-op version and a version that will include PvP, although I didn't get to test it personally. That really struck me as intriguing as it's not something you usually see in games like these, but it just shows the dedication the team has to delivering an experience that almost anyone can find something to enjoy with.

Everyone will want to keep an eye on this game as we get closer to a potential release date, not just because it'll be free to play, but because it'll be an awesome game to play with the whole family or with friends. There's a little something for everyone to enjoy, whether that's combat, capturing, or just having some cozy time with your Aniimo.