Just one day after the announcement of Genie, Google’s generative AI-powered virtual world creator, a number of major video game companies are seeing their stock prices tumble, seemingly because some investors think you can just generate an entire video game with AI now.
Of course, that’s not what Genie is. Genie essentially lets you create a virtual “world” by offering prompts to describe the environment, a main character, and first or third-person view. Once it’s created, you can control the described character and wander around the world you’ve made.
And that’s…kind of it? While you can walk around these virtual spaces with your keyboard, critically, there’s nothing else you can really do. There are no game mechanics, there’s no one to talk to, no goals, no scores or meaningful interactions. Additionally, each generation is limited to just 60 seconds. And while you could maybe argue that this is just the first step on a road to eventually getting AI to generate playable 3D video games, there’s no real evidence yet that such a thing is possible, or that the games would be good or even coherent. The Verge, for instance, tried to basically copy Breath of the Wild using Genie, and while they got something that essentially looks identical, that’s just it. It’s not playable, the “Link” looks kind of frightening actually, and Genie had to copy something that already existed to make this. It didn’t come up with this on its own.
But that hasn’t really stopped a lot of investors from suddenly jumping off the video game train, a conclusion first posed by Investing.com and shared by others, including Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier. Perhaps the most notable decline is Take-Two Interactive, which reached a six-month low this morning and, while it rallied somewhat by the closing bell, still ended down 8%. Engine maker Unity is in a similar spot, dropping 24% today also to a six-month low. Roblox stock also cratered today by 13% by close today, though notably Roblox has been on a downward trend since November. Still, it’s a six-month low for Roblox, too.
Not every gaming company is seeing a massive nosedive. Ubisoft is technically down 7% today, but with its stock down to just $1/share, any small movement in either direction will seem significant. The company has been in pretty dire straits for months, even years now, and its announcement of more layoffs, closures, and cancelations earlier this month already had stock even further in a downward spiral. EA stock hasn’t changed much today at all, but that’s understandable, given EA announced last fall that it was preparing to sell to an investor group headed up by the Saudi Arabian government and will soon exit the public trading market. Meanwhile, Nintendo stock, down just under 5% today at the time this piece was written, has been all over the place all month, following a steady downward trend since November.
The pattern I’m seeing here between Take-Two, Roblox, and Unity is a sudden distrust not in games as an idea, but rather concerns about “platforms”. Unity is a game engine. People use it to make games. If Genie can also make games, who needs Unity? In Roblox’s case, Roblox is a pure user-generated content (UGC) factory – something that would likely become obsolete quickly if Genie took over. And for Take-Two, the publisher is about to release Grand Theft Auto VI later this year (we hope), which would very likely be accompanied at launch or not long after with some new version of GTA Online. While the current GTA Online doesn’t rely on UGC, there have been recent suspicions this new version might. Again, the thinking here is seemingly that if people can just make their own little games in Genie, why would they bother doing it in Roblox or GTA or Minecraft or Fortnite or Unreal or anywhere else (Microsoft, for its part is too big to see any stock impact from Genie today and Epic Games is not publicly traded).
Is selling shares of major game publishers going to pay off for these investors? I’m not a stock expert, but if nothing else, it doesn’t seem to be like a good idea to bet against GTA 6 right now (though Take-Two’s earnings are next week, so we’ll see I guess). And while Genie doesn’t seem up to the task of making a whole video game out of nothing, plenty of other studios are coming out on one side of the fence or the other on using generative AI of any kind in their work. It seems that one way or another, the folks betting big money on generative AI will reap whatever harvest of that investment there is sooner rather than later.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
We were a little caught up in all of yesterday’s Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream news to get to the Japanese charts, but worry not, we’re on it now!
Yes, Famitsu has shared the latest look at physical sales in the region, and it’s Square Enix’s Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade that has come out on top with 23,428 units sold in its debut week. That’s not a particularly high number, it’s true, but considering that Mario Kart World came in second with almost 14 thousand, it’s not bad going.
Crosak: Tips, Tricks, and Secrets of a Multi-Gravity Play-Dough Universe
Irene Guardiola – CEO, WildSphere
Summary
Open-world platformer set in multi-gravity, play-dough-style environments.
Pro tips to help you save everyone from the evil wizard Double G.
Two-player co-op mode with no splitscreen.
Crosakhas arrived, ready to transport you to a fun universe made of play-dough, where gravity is on your side. Step into the role of a true caveman, grab that sturdy bone club, and head out in search of adventure, because adventure is just a small planetary spin away.
Life in Routine Village is peaceful, but it doesn’t take long for things to take a dark turn with the arrival of the evil wizard Double G.
Your journey will take you through several freely explorable open worlds, each with its own distinct theme. You’ll need to overcome the challenges and minigames, and to progress in the adventure, you’ll also need to battle Double G’s minions, the Kobi, defeat Mr. Egg and Big Rock, eventually reaching the depths to face Double G himself. Read on to discover some of the best ways to explore, vanquish enemies and save the world.
Exploring the planetoids and uncovering their secrets is a big part of the fun. Thanks to the smooth gravity shifts that keep you glued to the ground, you can walk across their entire surface. If you see the horizon getting close, don’t worry, just keep moving and you’ll discover you can loop around to the other side, uncover hidden areas beneath the surface, or even drop through a hole into the planet’s inner layer.
There’s only one exception: those ultra-flat platforms have gravity fixed in a single direction, tied to their specific zone. So don’t try to stand on them upside down or you’ll fall into nothingness… or lava… or water… either way you end up respawning at the last checkpoint.
To save your impatient pals, you’ll need to overcome a wide variety of challenges and games. Here are a few hints of the ones you’ll have to discover: find the toy plane so a Kobi will agree to race you, convince a pterodactyl to carry you to a distant planetoid, chase and catch slippery critters, take on combat arenas, ground-pound buttons to flush out hidden Kobi, roll a massive ball of bones without falling into the void, and for those giant balls… find a proper goal.
Oh, and will you manage to find the T-Rex? At first, it may seem a bit aggressive, but that’s only because you wandered into its lair unannounced. Soon enough, it’ll become a loyal friend, letting you ride on its back to reach places that would otherwise be impossible.
As for enemies, don’t let them pile up. They may be small, but they pack a punch. If you keep them under control, you can definitely defeat them. Knock out the Kobi by hitting them or jumping on their heads. The karate dinos are easy to beat but very fast, so take them out quickly. If carnivorous plants give you trouble, try attacking them from behind. Snakes are sneaky, dodge their strike and hit back right after. And when it comes to skeletons, a solid ground pound will keep them from getting back up.
If, when you start playing, you notice small white items floating around that don’t seem to do anything yet, don’t panic, they’re power-ups you’ll unlock later on. You’ll earn the anti-gravity feathers by defeating Mr. Egg, and these will allow you to jump higher and fall more slowly, making longer jumps possible and letting you escape the planet’s gravity at certain locations. The rock helmet, unlocked after beating Big Rock, adds weight so you can sink in water and grants damage resistance, enough to walk across lava. Finally, by defeating Double G, you’ll obtain the flaming club, which lets you shoot fireballs and access green fire areas.
All of this can also be enjoyed in co-op mode with a second player. Invite a friend, sibling, parent, child, grandparent, cousin, anyone you like! They can jump into the game at any time.
This co-op mode doesn’t use a split-screen setup to allow both players to work together toward the same goal without losing track of each other during exploration. And if the second player strays too far or gets a bit lost, the teleport function is always there to help.
Crosak comes packed with a feel-good vibe, a touch of classic platforming, and a strong sense of adventure, all while having fun turning the world upside down. Jump in and enjoy the ride!
Do you like platforming, exploration, and plumbing…? Uh, I mean… play-dough?! Well, we may not have pipes, but we can give you 64 reasons to join Crosak’s daring adventures.
1. Become a real caveman jumping and clubbing your way through a multi-gravity universe made of sticky play-dough: six open worlds full of secrets plus three special worlds with everything a galaxy could wish for.
2. Invite your favorite second player to have fun with Crosak and his friend Ena! Enjoy the full adventure in one- or two-player mode, switching whenever you like.
3. Face crazy “Jurassic-inspired” enemies — from giant carnivorous plants to karate dinosaurs or our take on the missing link (the Kobi).
4. Experiment with various power-ups to overcome the twisted planets’ challenges: anti-gravity feathers, rock-helmet, or flaming club, to name a few.
64. And let’s not forget the main mission! Rescue the 60 cavemen from Routine Village captured by the fearsome warlock Double G. 60 objectives with all kinds of missions: races, pterodactyl flights, mini-games, free falls, T-Rex rides, powerful boss fights, and much more.
Don’t overthink it — give your world a spin with Crosak!
Catherine O’Hara, the beloved actress best known for her roles as Moira Rose in Schitt’s Creek and Kate McCallister in Home Alone, has reportedly died at the age of 71.
This comes from TMZ, which spoke to two sources with direct knowledge of the matter, as well as Variety, which confirmed with her manager. Variety reports that O’Hara died at her home in Los Angeles, following “a brief illness.”
O’Hara had a storied career spanning over 50 years, beginning in 1974 as a The Second City cast member in Toronto and moving into sketch shows, cartoon voice work, and eventually various television and film roles. In film, she appeared as Delia Deetz in Beetlejuice, Kate McCallister in Home Alone and Home Alone 2, was the voice of Sally in The Nightmare Before Christmas (a role which she also voices in Disney Dreamlight Valley and Disney Speedstorm), and Cookie Fleck in Best in Show. We interviewed her back in 2012 about her role as Susan Frankenstein in Frankenweenie.
In television, O’Hara was best-known for portraying the eccentric Moira Rose in Schitt’s Creek from 2015-2020 across all six seasons, a role for which she won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, as well as a Golden Globe for Best Actress. She also appeared in numerous other roles, such as Carol Ward in Six Feet Under, Dr. Orwell in A Series of Unfortunate Events, and most recently Patty Leigh in The Studio, and Gail Lynden in The Last of Us. Her final film appearances included as Ruth in Argylle, a reprise of her portrayal of Delia in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the voice of Pinktail in The Wild Robot, and as herself in the documentary John Candy: I Like Me.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
Battlefield Studios and EA have published Battlefield 6 version 1.1.3.6 patch notes, revealing the next update will alter the controversial “Call of Duty: Ghosts” skin and a seemingly AI-generated sticker.
Details on the incoming patch, which launches across PC and consoles February 3, were published via the official Battlefield website today. It’s a relatively insubstantial update that targets quality-of-life issues across the experience, but one bullet point tucked under the “Player” changes section makes it clear the developers are still listening to fans as they move toward the delayed launch of Season 2.
The one-sentence change says the Objective Ace and Winter Warning cosmetics will be altered to “better align with Battlefield’s visual identity.” It’s easy to miss but one of the more important changes Battlefield 6 has received in the last month, as it relates to two of the biggest controversies for the entry so far.
Winter Warning was perhaps the most infamous of the two cosmetics, drawing criticism from players who feared it had been generated using artificial intelligence. Questionable features, such as unrealistic finger placement and, most notably, a double-barreled M4A1, were what first saw players cast accusations regarding the use of generative AI. In the time since conversation began in mid-December, players still reference Winter Warning as one example of their issues with Battlefield 6.
Interestingly, it doesn’t seem like BF Studios will be removing Objective Ace or Winter Warning, saying only that they’ve been “updated.” Although Battlefield 6 already has a history of tweaking skins to appease fans in its nearly four-month lifespan, it’s unclear how each cosmetic will be altered to lower the temperature in the community.
Also included with Battlefield 6 update 1.1.3.6 are fixes for player movement related to sprint-jump momentum, REDSEC battle royale parachute behavior, and glitch-y destruction, as well as “a handful of UI, audio, and stability issues.” The patch is set to arrive this Tuesday, two weeks before EA attempts to regain its balance with the launch of Season 2. The publisher announced it had chosen to delay the season earlier this month amid complaints from fans related to both cosmetics and gameplay as a whole.
As the extended Season 1 continues, you can check out the full patch notes for the February 3 update below.
Battlefield 6 Update 1.1.3.6 Patch Notes
Update 1.1.3.6 is a small quality-of-life update focused on polish, stability, and targeted fixes across Battlefield 6. It addresses a selection of gameplay flow issues, UI reliability improvements, audio consistency fixes, and map-specific adjustments, with a particular focus on smoothing out edge cases reported by players.
The update will be available on Tuesday, February 3 at 09:00 UTC.
Major Updates for 1.1.3.6
Fixed player movement issues, including cases of excessive sprint-jump momentum and unintended movement behaviour. This won’t impact player movement at a large scale and is meant to target those specific edge cases.
Resolved a set of destruction-related visual and lighting issues on Eastwood that could result in lighting artifacts, blackouts, or incorrect colour rendering.
Fixed a handful of UI, audio, and stability issues, including crashes related to challenges, minimap accuracy, unintended gadget audio playback, and platform-specific problems.
CHANGELOG
PLAYER:
Fixed an issue where sprint-jump momentum could behave inconsistently and grant higher or lower momentum than intended.
Updated the Objective Ace and Winter Warning cosmetics to better align with Battlefield’s visual identity.
MAPS & MODES
Fixed an issue on Eastwood where destroying a building near the A flag could cause unintended green or purple visual effects across nearby structures.
Fixed an issue on Eastwood where destroying a building near the B flag could cause a complete lighting blackout across the map.
Fixed an issue on Eastwood where destroying the villa near the B flag could cause excessively bright lighting artifacts to appear.
UI & HUD:
Fixed an issue where downed squadmates were shown on the minimap for classes unable to revive them.
Updated legal text to reflect current policies and requirements.
AUDIO:
Fixed an issue where UAV Drone enemy detection audio could be heard by all teammates instead of only the operator.
PERFORMANCE & STABILITY:
Fixed an issue on PlayStation 5 where ownership validation could fail during system lifecycle events, causing connectivity issues.
Fixed an out-of-memory crash on Xbox Series S that could occur when loading Daily and Weekly Challenges.
REDSEC
PLAYER:
Fixed an issue where Battle Royale Initiation matches did not end after eliminating the final AI opponent.
Fixed an issue where parachute deployment could remain linked to the jump leader after breaking off.
Fixed an issue where players could become stuck mid-air during insertion after progressing through the pre-deploy sequence.
UI & HUD:
Fixed an issue where the Second Chance redeploy icon could incorrectly transfer to a living teammate.
Fixed an issue where the Second Chance redeploy timer refreshed each time the map was opened.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
Are you more of a supervan wrecker or a bone stock maniac? Can you be best described as a British couch racing champion, or is your calling more in the realms of Finnish folk? These are the sorts of questions you’ll have to pose to yourself whenever you fire up Wreckfest 2‘s still-in-the works career mode, which devs Bugbear Entertainment have just laid out a bunch of plans for.
Interest is basically as high as Steam Deck and PS5.
The Switch 2 is approaching its eight-month anniversary, and developers across the world are interested in getting their games on the newest gaming system out there. At least, that’s what GDC’s latest State of the Game Industry survey reveals (thanks, VGC).
The report shows that 39% of developers surveyed are at least interested in the Switch 2. That puts it fourth, but barely, as the PS5 and Steam Deck are both at 40%, while PC is way ahead at 80%.
World War Z x The Walking Dead Lurches onto Xbox Today
Timur Bazhinov, General Producer at Saber Interactive
When two of the most iconic zombie universes collide, the result is something uniquely intense, atmospheric, and unmistakably thrilling. Today we’ve launched World War Z x The Walking Dead, bringing four legendary survivors into the heart‑pounding co‑op action of World War Z.
Players on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One can step into the boots of Rick Grimes, Daryl Dixon, Michonne, and Negan as they fight through three new story chapters inspired by some of the most iconic locations in AMC’s “The Walking Dead.”
The Prison
Once a symbol of stability and hard‑won peace for Rick’s group, the Prison became one of the earliest and most dramatic battlegrounds in AMC’s “The Walking Dead.” In the crossover’s opening chapter, players return to this fortified correctional facility as a rescue mission spirals into a desperate fight for survival. Narrow hallways, cell blocks, and open yards create a mix of tight encounters and massive swarms — a perfect showcase for the new Walkers.
Walkers – The Walking Dead – Season 3, Episode 4 – Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC
The Alexandria Safe Zone
Alexandria has long represented hope — a walled community striving to rebuild civilization. But when Rick, Daryl, Michonne, and Negan arrive in this chapter, they find the settlement engulfed in flames and overrun by Walkers. Players will navigate and extinguish burning structures, defend panicked survivors, and push through increasingly dire challenges as the Safe Zone teeters on the brink. It’s a homecoming turned nightmare.
Walkers – The Walking Dead _ Season 6, Episode 9 – Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC
Grady Memorial Hospital
The final chapter takes the survivors to Grady Memorial Hospital, a location remembered for tense standoffs and its inhabitants’ moral flexibility. In World War Z, the hospital becomes a claustrophobic maze of dark corridors, abandoned wards, and sudden ambushes. Players will desperately search for much needed medicine — but will they make it out alive?
– The Walking Dead _ Season 5, Episode 4 – Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC
A New Breed of Undead
This crossover doesn’t just bring iconic characters — it transforms the battlefield. The standard Zeke that you face are now replaced by the slower, more methodical, and menacing Walkers from The Walking Dead, creating a threat that forces players to rethink every corridor, choke point, and fallback plan. A new special enemy, the Spiked Walker, adds even more tension. Armored, relentless, and capable of inflicting bleeding damage, it demands precision and teamwork to bring down safely.
Gino Crognale as Walker – The Walking Dead _ Season 7, Episode 10 – Photo Credit: Gene Page/AMC
A Crossover Years in the Making
By blending WWZ’s frenetic Swarm Engine technology with the atmospheric dread of “The Walking Dead”, we’ve aimed to create a crossover that feels both familiar and entirely new. The result is hopefully a campaign that honors the legacy of both franchises while offering Xbox players a fresh, high‑stakes survival experience. If you own a copy of World War Z, you can pick up World War Z x The Walking Dead right now on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One!
Humanity is on the brink of extinction. From New York to Moscow and Jerusalem, the undead apocalypse continues to spread. As the end looms, a hardened few bands together to defeat the horde and outlive the dead.
World War Z is a heart-pounding co-op third-person shooter for up to 4 players featuring swarms of hundreds of zombies. Based on the Paramount Pictures film, World War Z focuses on fast-paced gameplay while exploring new storylines from around the world.
Battle swarms of hundreds of zombies – the Swarm Engine seamlessly renders hordes of zombies in incredible firefights. Advanced gore systems offer gruesomely satisfying action.
Co-op story-driven campaigns – survive around the world, as unique groups tell their stories of perseverance.
Fight other players for survival – several intense Player vs Player vs Zombies game modes complement the co-op campaigns.
Grow stronger – unlock powerful weapon upgrades and level 16 character classes to take on greater challenges.
Last week, we asked you to speed things up and share your quickest moments using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here’s are this week’s highlights:
natazz1011shares a moment zooming towards a planet in No Man’s Sky.
call_me_xavii shares Atsu riding alongside a galloping group of horses in Ghost of Yōtei.
KeenEyeVPshares a BMW against a rainbow blur of a street in Gran Turismo 7.
FranTGPshares Aloy hooking herself to a flying Sunwing in Horizon Forbidden West.
parmindernanglashares a speeding Ford GT in Forza Horizon 5.
reins62831shares a scurrying badger in Red Dead Redemption 2.
Search #PSshare #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme, or be inspired by other great games featuring Photo Mode. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week?
THEME: Rustic SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on February 4, 2026
Next week, we’re slowing things down to enjoy the simple life. Share rustic moments from the game of your choice using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.
When you say the words “creature collector,” you already have my attention. I’ve been both curious and wary in equal measures since Aniimo was first announced. I’m far from the only person hungering for a worthy competitor in the creature-collection, monster-taming space, and I’ve dabbled in quite a few. Aniimo looks particularly vibrant, vast, and cutesy to boot. It’s the addition of gacha elements that has had me a little on the fence. If you’ve ever sunk hours into a gacha, you understand the trepidation. Will this be the sort of gacha experience that has me gleefully forking over my credit card info, or resenting every microtransaction?
After about four hours with Aniimo, I’d say I’m still cautiously optimistic. It has all the ingredients of my favorite games: open-world exploration set in a fantastical alien world, lots of critters to collect, challenges to complete, and… farming? Okay, there might be a few too many ingredients added to this pot, but I’m willing to let Aniimo cook.
Big Butts, Tiny Waist
We leap straight into creating our Aniimo character. I can easily sink hours into a good character creator, so I was pumped to give Aniimo’s a try. From the get-go, the character creator feels super in-depth. I was given six default presets for both a “male” and “female” avatar (not great for all my non-binary pals). You can combine up to three different face presets to get something a little different, or you could just dive head first into the face customization options.
Aniimo’s character creation allows you to adjust the position, prominence, and size of pretty much every facial feature, from your nasal wings to your eyelids. However, it didn’t take me long before I noticed one glaring oversight: skin tone. After searching for a bit, I finally found the options for skin tone buried under all the other menus for “makeup”. Don’t let the three default options take you aback – like it did me – Aniimo won a bunch of points in my book by including a color wheel for unlimited skin tone options.
Aniimo won a bunch of points in my book by including a color wheel for unlimited skin tone options.
However, the character customization lost me again in two areas: one, hair options are extremely limited. I can only assume – based on the “fashion” vouchers I saw redeemable later on in my playthrough – that you unlock more hairstyles through in-game currency or progression. Having appearance and cosmetics locked behind gacha mechanics might be expected. The fact that there is only one natural curly hair option – if you can even call it that – available from the start, however, is frankly disheartening.
And second, I was similarly disappointed in the body customization. While I had so much control over fine-tuning the shape of my face, the sliders for body proportions were lacking to say the least. I never expect much in terms of body diversity when it comes to this genre of game, but having to choose between being eerily thin or skinny with a nice butt and boobs was disconcerting.
Which Aniimo Are You?
With character customization out of the way, I got my first look at my in-game self – and the adorable Aniimo! – in a cutscene reminiscent of a Twitch “IRL” livestream. The livestream overlay, complete with “real-time” chat bubbles from fictional viewers, threw me off a little bit, but luckily, we didn’t linger in the social media influencer realm for long. I found myself in the alien world of “Idyll”, an aptly named “idyllic” planet teeming with lush greenery and charming wildlife with unique powers, called Aniimo.
Our first Aniimo crosses our path – an adorable little fire-type Emberpup – smoothly introducing catch mechanics I’m already plenty familiar with. With an Emberpup at my side, my friend Nico laid down the basics of commanding Aniimo to use their abilities to remove obstacles or solve puzzles in the world. After catching a few more Aniimo and commanding my new pals to charge into deadly combat, the story began in earnest.
BINI, our little robo companion, is abruptly hijacked by a mysterious glowing D20 die, which pulls me and Nico into some sort of pocket dimension. In these strange ruins, I encountered murals on the wall depicting Aniimo I’ve yet to encounter. Each mural poses a cryptic question, ala a Buzzfeed personality quiz. The reason for this soul-searching became clear once I reached the glowing mural at the end of the path. The depictions of a yellow lion and blue fox in this mural materialized into two tiny Aniimo who can… talk? I was recommended to choose between Helion or Lunara, based on how I answered the murals’ questions earlier.
I really liked being offered a “sorting quiz” to guide me towards which “starter” Aniimo I should choose. After all, the “starter” you choose clearly says so much about you. Only having two options to choose from was a little unsatisfying, though it appears to tie into some sort of “sun and moon” mythology which could be central to Aniimo’s story. I went for Helion, personally, not only because he was recommended, but because of his sassy little personality. With Helion by my side, I was thrown into combat with my first big foe: a giant armored dragon Aniimo.
The combat was fun enough for my tastes, if a little button-mashy. I can imagine that timing your dodges and managing your cooldowns might take some deeper consideration as you progress. What really impressed me was the Twining mechanic. Yup, in Aniimo, you actually get to be the creatures. Playing as Helion – rather than just sitting back as a trainer – made for some engaging, brawly combat.
Getting Schooled
Just as quickly as I was transformed into Helion and defeated the dragon-type Aniimo, I was thrust into a whole new region. I found myself transported to the Polaris Institute, a futuristic academy devoted to studying Aniimo, located on my home planet of Astra. At this stage of the tutorial, things became a little bogged down in dialogue and instructional demos. To continue my adventure, I needed to become an official student at the Polaris Institute, instead of just a particularly precocious livestreamer, or whatever I was doing before.
To qualify to be a student, I was strong-armed into a combat simulation, which broke down the bare bones of accumulating “EP” and how to choose Aniimo that are elemental counters. Next up, I received my first free outfit – a school uniform – and sat through a quick Character menu breakdown. When I was finally teleported back down to Idyll with this hot anime guy and his hot wolf Aniimo – don’t judge me, you know that’s exactly what they were going for here – I hunkered down for another round of tutorials. After using the Report Terminal and building my Aniimo loadout, I finally had my first taste of exploration.
The Creatures
This is where I could start to see myself becoming hooked on Aniimo. There’s something so intrinsically appealing about running around a beautiful countryside and stopping to look at every shiny thing on the ground. There are fast travel spots to discover, new areas of the map to unveil, treasure chests to find, and most importantly, Aniimo to catch!
It quickly became clear that catching Aniimo has a bigger role to play than simply filling out your Aniilog or battling other Aniimo. Depending on their elemental type or other abilities, I relied on my Aniimo to help me solve environmental puzzles, like excavating buried treasure chests or floating on geysers of air. Getting to transform or “twine” with my Aniimo had me squealing with joy. Who doesn’t want to be a tiny little rock crab, walking through a field of flowers?
I quickly discovered how foundational the first Aniimo I caught were, as I swam across streams as Skippy, burned thorny obstacles with Emberpup, or glided around as Celestis. This gave me plenty of motivation to constantly be swapping around my “team” of Aniimo for a reason other than battle prowess. As I discovered later, even keeping starter evolutions – or “Lumin” stage – Aniimo is integral to completing some of the challenges and puzzles scattered around Idyll.
I spent a lot of time wandering around the map, catching new Aniimo, and collecting Lumin Amber to upgrade the Branch, a giant dandelion which improves the capture chance in that region, and completing miscellaneous milestone tasks, called “Elite Training”. These tasks felt a bit like chores: open “x” amount of chests, hatch “y” eggs, and so on, but completing them did fast track my level quickly while giving me a solid understanding of the core mechanics of Aniimo.
All of the Aniimo I caught while exploring were super cute, if a little… bland. I love some whimsy in my creature-collectors, a healthy mixture of adorable critters with some cursed-looking monstrosities. What’s neat about Aniimo, however, is that there seems to be a bunch of variations in each type. Most Aniimo have branching options for their second or final “stage” of evolution, and on top of the rare “Prismana” Aniimo which can be caught, I found a few fun “alternative” versions with different appearances based around the region I found them in.
#VanLife Influencer Era
A few hours into my playtime with Aniimo, I stumbled upon another of its key features: the RV. After discovering this NPC in the middle of a field, I abruptly found myself the proud owner of my own interdimensional RV. After a quick customization, I was prompted to teleport to the nearest “RV Park”. This vibrant campsite seems to be some sort of meeting place where you can get together with other Aniimo players and show off your own little outdoor deck.
As an aside, it wasn’t until I found the RV Park that I discovered that while – no, you cannot pet your Aniimo (boo) – you can pick up the Aniimo. Huh. That revelation made, I stepped through the interdimensional door in the back of my new RV and entered the “Homeland Space.” I assumed that this would be some sort of home-building mechanic, perhaps allowing me to decorate my own little space or interact with my Aniimo. Instead, I found myself on a small patch of barren farmland.
While no, you cannot pet your Aniimo (boo), you can pick up the Aniimo.
The Homeland tutorial had me clearing up the farm’s clutter and sowing my first seeds. Once grown, I was able to harvest my crops to sell. As reward, I received “Home Coins,” a currency I can only assume is unique to the Homeland section of Aniimo. With only this brief experience to go off of, I’m guessing that the Homeland farming is meant to be a sort of supplemental gameplay element which will let me idly generate currency every day. In exchange for my Home Coins, it appears that I can trade for other important in-game items, such as Eggs, or purchase “RV Welcome Packages”, which I’m hoping offer plenty of RV furniture and customization.
Honestly, the RV and Homeland feel a little discordant with the rest of my Aniimo experience. I love a good farming sim, but I cannot see myself motivated to spend time planting and selling crops every day if my only reward is just a slow grind to purchasing rare materials. Completing order requests just for extra Home Coins and coupons for RV furniture feels like it would quickly become a slog.
That said, I was pleasantly surprised during my time playing Aniimo. This is exactly the type of game I can see myself sinking hours into exploration and creature-collecting. The Aniimo were super adorable, and getting to play as the creatures you’re collecting is novel enough in itself to keep me interested. In some other areas, including the main story, Aniimo does feel admittedly empty or bland. I don’t imagine I’ll be filling out my entire Aniilog or progressing far enough to reach late-game mechanics. I’m still hyped to download Aniimo on my PC – maybe even on my mobile or Xbox Series X|S – when it releases, so I can run around as a little Nimbi once again.
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