Ion Storm came out with Anachronox in the wake of the Daikatana failure and in the midst of the Deus Ex boon, so understandably, this game's release was overshadowed by the good and bad press surrounding the other two titles, It's not a diamond in the rough, but it's worthwhile if you want to escape the standard fantasy RPG fare. If you see this game floating around in the bargain bin though, it's worth a look. (Just make sure you patch it after install...) While the game probably doesn't measure up to the expectations of most RPG fans, it excels in telling an ever-expanding story driven by rich characters who have no business saving the universe, but of course end up doing so, from one joke to the next. Legitimately, the jokes are funny, and this is Anachronox's greatest strength. The writing and voice acting is pretty good when it comes to developing truly original characters (such as a planet shrunk to minature proportions to become a playable character, or a has-been superhero looking to redeem himself heroically) but halfway through the game, you begin to realize that you're working with these wonderful characters who unfortunately can't escape the boring locales they are thrust into. The environments are not exceptional by any means, and repetitive hallways, caves, buildings can become tedious to slog through after awhile... and you will have your share of slogging through. Some outdoor environments make appearances, sure, but not enough to shake the "why-does-everything-seem-so-claustrophobic-in-the-future?" feeling. Yes, the game world is not sunshine and rainbows, and granted, the Blade Runner feel of the opening act sets the mood appropriately, but there are some parts of the game that left me wondering if I would ever get away from the endless metal walls, doors, and ceilings. In a first person shooter, this is excusable, but in an RPG, it's well... depressing. Having said all that, Anachronox has an interesting, if not somewhat clunky, battle system. It's not Final Fantasy, but it tries to implement an ATB systerm that mimics those found in many of Square's titles. My only problem with this is that while the active time meters speed up the many battles you will be fighting, the characters and enemies are fixed to a grid that limits their movement and action to a single direction each turn. It doesn't make sense to have a dynamic battle timer and a limiting battle movement system working together, and it takes some time to get used to. Thankfully, the battle animations and spell/skill effects are colorful, and they liven up the fighting a fair bit. Some non-innovations are present with "limit break" type actions specific to each character, and even the idea that types of energy can be drawn from "Mystech" is not entirely removed from spell magic that is drawn from "Materia". Since you spend so much time getting to know your characters throughout the story, it is satisfying to see them employ their own style of fighting when push comes to shove (and not some cloned manuever that everyone else has). You're going to find a fun story in Anachronox--but expect some drab environments and somewhat linear gameplay. As an RPG fan, you're certainly not going to be disappointed, but there is too much time spent thinking "When will this part end already..?" than, "This part is really hilarious."
The term "revolutionary" has been misused all too often to describe games. "Revolutionary graphics, revolutionary physics, revolutionary gameplay" are all part of the marketing hype for any new game that may not advance... Read Full Review
This game is one of my favorite games (second only to Planescape: Torment). I am a pretty hardcode RPG players to give you an idea of what I like. It's one of those really great games that few people know about. It's ... Read Full Review
