Platinum Games knows exactly what Anarchy Reigns is. The studio behind Bayonetta and the criminally underrated Wii exclusive Madworld's latest title is a big, goofy over the top brawler that puts players into ridiculous action scenes with characters just as crazy. It's a bit charming in that aspect; that it feels like it's completely aware of its own ridiculousness -- but that charm can only take it so far. Digging into Anarchy Reigns will reveal an uneven, repetitive and shockingly boring game. There's some fun to be had with Anarchy Reigns, but it's fleeting at best.

"The in-game story? Slightly less interesting and generic."

Of course, the true story of Anarchy Reigns, and its road to Western shelves is more interesting than the narrative the game weaves. Released in Japan early last year, the game faced a series of delays and odd news stories that resulted in the title earning almost cult status and found people scrambling to try to import it. The in-game story? Slightly less interesting and generic. Rogue Operative..blah..blah..dangerous..blah blah. You get the idea. Hunt the guy down.  Interestingly enough, the game takes place in the same universe as the previously mentioned Wii exclusive MadWorld (as well as Bayonetta, also developed by Platinum Games), and features a number of returning characters and locations, but no real story points. It's more connected to Madworld in the way that Quentin Tarantino or Kevin Smith movies are intertwined rather than as a full-fledged sequel.

All of this, the lackluster story, the clever (and not so clever) references to previous games quickly give way to the game's main course; over-the-top action sequences that would make even Jason Statham blush. The game is essentially one big brawl after another, complete with huge set pieces and game changing experiences like plane crashes and massive natural disasters that change how you play each match. It's fast paced, but the key here is that the game's core combat mechanics are simple enough to get a hang of but come with quite a difficulty spike to master. Each character comes with simple light and heavy attacks along with special moves unique to them.

"...recycles the same identical bad guys..."

An average game of Anarchy Reigns plays out like this; walk in, punch some guys -- dodge natural disaster..punch some guys. Jump on to a building..punch some guys..fall through the roof of said building..punch some guys. Notice a theme?  Anarchy Reigns may know what it does well..but it does so to the point of annoyance. Anarchy Reigns is the modern version of Final Fight or Double Dragon, as it recycles the same identical bad guys and puts them in your way until you reach the eventual boss fight. It's incredibly easy to get lost in the monotony of it all -- especially when the story does so little to change things.

Things get a bit better when taking the game online, as the engine seems to be made for multiplayer, but even there things seem uneven and repetitive. The game moves so fast and the scoring system is so confusing that you're never sure how you're doing and are often left wondering “What the hell just happened?” Anarchy Reigns is a $29.99 budget game, and it often shows with just how cheap the action can really be.

There's an odd charm to a game like Anarchy Reigns. It's big, it's goofy and allows for some of the most over-the-top violence you'll see; but that charm only takes it so far, and you'll tire of the game's uneven storytelling, empty worlds and repetitive gameplay -- especially if you're playing single player. Quite simply, Anarchy Reigns tries to do too much, and ends up doing too little in the process.