[HTML1]

Welcome to 'The First 30' a new feature on Game Rant where we walk you through the early stages of playing some of the hottest new releases. The idea behind the feature is to provide a brief, 30-minute preview of a game in very much the same way Amazon offers the first chapter for preview -- recreating the experience of first starting a game.

For this inaugural episode we highlight the first 30 minutes of Sega and Platinum Games' Anarchy Reigns, a button-mashing brawler that features an eclectic cast of characters, and a very zany story. Included in Anarchy Reigns' roster are some familiar faces from Platinum's previous efforts, namely Jack from MadWorld and Bayonetta (DLC).

And though many recognizable characters appear in it, the story in Anarchy Reigns -- or Max Anarchy as it is titled in Japan -- is a unique Platinum Games creation. That means there is plenty of crazy dialogue and the story doesn't spell anything out. In fact, it's quite hard to follow at first.

Anarchy Reigns First 30

So please enjoy our first episode of 'The First 30' but also take note that just like this is your first time seeing the game in a finished state, this is also our first time playing the game. What I mean by that is it took me a few minutes to get acclimated to the set-up of the game and the combat, but by the end you'll have a good sense of Anarchy Reigns. And more importantly you'll be able to decide for yourself whether it's a game you might be interested in playing.

Make sure to also check out our review for Anarchy Reigns to read our thoughts on the game as a whole, which includes the game's multiplayer offering.

What did you think of the first 30 minutes of Anarchy Reigns? Is this a feature you would like to see become a staple of Game Rant? Let us know in the comments below.

Anarchy Reigns is available now for the PS3 and Xbox 360. Game Rant used the Xbox 360 version to capture the gameplay footage.

-

Follow me on Twitter @ANTaormina.