Battle Arena Waifu…
If you came into this review thinking that Alice Gear Aegis CS: Concerto of Simulatrix was going to be anything other than anime waifu’s clashing in a 3-D arena, with gatcha inspiration - you’d be sorely wrong. However, if you’re a fan of said sultry waifu battling it out in mechs. Well you’re in the right place.
Aside from having the longest title going, Alice Gear Aegis CS: Concerto of Simulatrix wears its heart on its sleeve. From first launching into the game, everything is unlocked, and there’s already a plethora of anime sirens to play through the campaign as. Trouble is however, the story mode isn’t that in-depth and aside from a few variances - it follows the same loop. That being said, the story isn’t very long, and you’ll soon plough through it in about 30-40 minutes. This then unlocks an additional three secret characters for you to battle with. Although by that time, you may not want to experience it all again.
That being said, while the narrative is thin on the ground, it’s presentation is exceptionally solid. Each character is well designed, and the small story interactions that they do have are played out with plenty of expressions and whit. Voice acting is also well performed, and while I had no clue as to what was going on, each character had a charming personality that was delivered through their respective voice actor getting into the role.
Combat takes place across a 3-D arena which is very reminiscent of Battle Arena Toshinden, albeit with the ability to fly. To keep things fresh each fighting arena comes with its own theme and can often feature various obstacles to use as cover. More often than not, combat revolved around getting as close to the enemy as possible, to then hit them with a flurry of attacks and skills. Away from this and you’ll also be able to use a simple dash, as well as a rudimentary blocking move which also restores some HP
While the game isn’t particularly tough, the AI does have the tendency to hang back and melt you with ranged attacks. This then means that any sense of skill gets thrown out of the window as battles soon become a mess of button mashing and screaming at the screen. It’s a real shame as underneath its rough, Alice Gear Aegis CS: Concerto of Simulatrix does have the mechanics of something that once refined could reinvent they ailing arena fighter. These “limitations” are further prevalent with the games 3-on-3 battles. While you’re able to freely switch between characters, you’re unable to utilise this to chain combos together - or activate flashy team-up moves. As such it feels like a wasted opportunity to do something different.
Once it’s all over and the credits have rolled, Alice Gear Aegis CS: Concerto of Simulatrix hidden gatcha game comes to the surface. In an attempt to keep you invested, you’ll not only unlock three additional characters, you’ll also be able to purchase a wide range of cosmetic items and weapons for each character. There’s quite a lot to unlock, and if your inclined to do so you’ll be spending a lot of hours replaying the game to unlock swimwear. Yeah…I’ll pass on that one.
Away from its single player, Alice Gear Aegis CS: Concerto of Simulatrix also has a multiplayer suite featuring a couple of game types. The first is the traditional 1 Vs. 1 that we come to expect in every fighting game. This mode can either see you fight a battle against the murderous AI, or another human. The second mode is a quasi battle royale that promises to pit its players into a 6 player all-against-all. On paper this sounds amazing. However, due to the lack of an active player base, I was unable to sample the good.
Even with its rough edges, the game’s presentation is very well done. Each character handles incredibly well and button inputs are mapped to the PS5 controller to decent effect. Combat also plays out in a flash display of speed and visuals which really plays homage to the titles anime inspiration. While I wasn’t inclined to unlock every customisation option, the sheer wealth of what’s available does offer some unique match ups, and plenty of added extras for those who want everything.
Overall, while I did make the mistake of entering Alice Gear Aegis CS: Concerto of Simulatrix with some reservations, it pleasantly surprised me. Don’t get me wrong, while the game has plenty of issues, there is a decent fighting game waiting to break through the waifu surface. Get two decent players in a match-up and I can imagine the clash of weapons would make for some entertaining fights. However, the lack of a consistent player base will sadly leave this one behind. Especially with the likes of Street Fighter 6 on the horizon.
Rating 5.5/10
A code was kindly provided for this review.
Alice Gear Aegis CS: Concerto of Simulatrix is available now and can be purchased on the PlayStation 5 store.
Rob Lake - For more comic book and video game chat why not follow us on Twitter and Facebook @GeekCultureRev, and TikTok @Geekculturereviews.
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