Anomaly Agent is many issues. It’s half platformer, half brawler, and half shooter. It includes time journey, combo strikes, boss fights, and upgradeable weapons. It additionally has a rocking soundtrack. In brief, it’s a enjoyable and fast-paced motion title from newcomers Phew Phew Video games. It occurs to be the primary title for this indie dev, and it’s a stellar option to kick issues off.
In Anomaly Agent, you play the position of the famend Agent 70 as he embarks on his ultimate mission earlier than a promotion. He works for a corporation known as TDAY, a peace-keeping outfit just like the TVA of Marvel’s world. Their job is to cease anomalies attributable to the misuse of artifacts that may, for instance, disrupt the move of time. There’s one unfastened finish that wants tying up earlier than Agent 70 can start his new job, and it simply occurs to be a doozy.
I received’t spoil the plot; half the enjoyable is unraveling the story as you go. Put merely, somebody has messed with time, inflicting a number of anomalies to look. Your aim is to cease them earlier than they trigger everlasting harm, and set issues proper once more. Issues get difficult, and there are selections to make alongside the way in which about the place your loyalties lie. The story is well-written, creating an fascinating and interesting narrative.
Whereas time-related shenanigans are nothing new, Anomaly Agent places its personal spin on issues. One such side comes about midway via when Agent 70 turns into caught in his personal private time loop. To rectify this example, gamers are despatched again to beforehand conquered areas (for causes I received’t spoil). Revisiting ranges in a sport is dangerous, opening up room for repetition. Nonetheless, Anomaly Agent handles this effectively, retaining the degrees shorter the second time round. Moreover, you now transfer from left to proper, slightly than the standard proper to left, retaining the expertise feeling recent.
Anomaly Agent options three problem ranges: simple, medium, and arduous. Even on the bottom setting, I wouldn’t say it’s a very simple sport. Having stated that, Agent 70 comes geared up with an ungradable well being bar and limitless lives. Save factors are computerized and frequent. It creates an expertise that’s by no means irritating, even when issues go mistaken. They usually typically do.
Boss fights are the right instance. There are various all through the sport, together with halfway via the degrees. These large baddies are sturdy, forcing you to seek out one of the best strategy to take them down. Fortunately, most fights happen in a number of phases; when you deplete half of their well being bar, there’s a pause of some form. Perhaps the combat relocates, initiating a chase sequence. Maybe the temporary interlude contains taunts or new weapon drops. Both means, it breaks up the gameplay sufficient to maintain issues recent and offer you a respawn level.
Basic enemies principally tackle the type of “clones,” Agent Smith-like characters that may merge with one another to turn out to be extra highly effective. There are various variants, with stronger variations of every as you proceed. To fight them, you’re geared up with a number of weapons of your individual. These embody melee weapons like your fists and a baseball bat, together with long-range objects like a boomerang. Whilst you don’t sport a gun of your individual, you need to use these dropped by enemies, creating some enjoyable and various fight kinds.
This results in two issues. Firstly, there’s a terrific combo system. Unlocking new combos offers you stronger methods to beat enemies. These not solely look cool, however they’re satisfying to drag off. Secondly, there’s a deep leveling-up system. You may cease by the native robotic merchandising machine to swap cash for issues like further harm, further bullets, or including toxic gasoline to different weapons.
Graphically, Anomaly Agent seems to be nice. It sports activities a colourful cyberpunk fashion with pixelated characters and different environments. I respect the splash-screen intro to every new character, giving a comic-style vibe that works effectively. Some background and foreground components may use just a little extra distinction at instances; there was the odd event after I wasn’t positive if one thing within the background was going to hit me, or if one thing within the foreground was a platform or a backdrop.
One other minor deficiency is a noticeable lag after prolonged play classes. When my jumps grew to become too gradual to be helpful, I restarted the sport and located no additional points. It’s most definitely one thing to do with the restricted reminiscence of the Swap, however it nonetheless feels prefer it may have been optimized higher.
The synthwave soundtrack is an actual deal with. The tunes obtained caught in my head (in a great way), and I beloved revisiting ranges simply to listen to them once more. Every part of the sport options totally different songs, surging with adrenaline-pumping beats that maintain you transferring alongside rapidly. When ranges characteristic nightclubs, the audio turns into significantly essential, however it rocks the entire means via.
General, Anomaly Agent offers a quick, slick journey via time. The builders have completed an ideal job with this, their first sport, paving the way in which for the staff’s promising future. Regardless of a number of little technical glitches, that is one title value trying out.