UE5 Monster-Catcher 'Aniimo' Hits Steam With Mixed Reviews

Remember that Unreal Engine 5 creature-collector everyone kept calling a "Pokémon alternative"? Well, Aniimo is finally out — and its first Steam reviews are a mixed bag.

Developed and published by Pawprint Studio, Aniimo is a multiplayer open-world monster-catching RPG. It launched today, September 16, across PC, PS5, and Xbox platforms. The game also lists Android and iOS among its supported platforms.

For those who haven't been following, Aniimo first turned heads when outlets like GamePro described it as a "Pokémon alternative." A Chinese-made UE5 project with big open-world ambitions and creature-collecting at its core, it's exactly the kind of game that gets people talking.

Now that it's live, the verdict is starting to come in. On the positive side, plenty of players say the overall quality is decent. They describe the gameplay as relaxed and casual — the kind of thing you can sink hours into without stressing. The visuals, powered by Unreal Engine 5, have also earned praise for looking pretty sharp. Some fans are even joking that Aniimo is here to "take down Pokémon."

But not everyone is having a smooth ride. The negative reviews are piling up around one major issue: network and download performance. A lot of players report that both the base game and its updates download painfully slowly, even when their internet connection is perfectly fine. On top of that, random disconnects are apparently a common headache.

It's a rough start for a game that carries a lot of expectations. Being called a Pokémon rival is a heavy label, and while the core experience seems to have its fans, technical hiccups like these can really sour the first impression. Pawprint Studio hasn't publicly addressed the complaints yet, but with reviews still coming in, the team will likely be watching closely.

Aniimo is out now on PC, PS5, and Xbox, with mobile versions also listed. If you've jumped in, what's your take — is it a worthy Pokémon alternative, or are the connection issues killing the vibe? Let us know in the comments.