Anachronox

About

Anachronox is a single-player Science Fiction Role Playing game with an intriguing story, good game mechanics, pretty visuals, and a good soundtrack. You play as Sylvester 'Sly Boots' Bucelli, a down-on-his-luck private investigator, who along with a cast of six other unlikely heroes, embarks on a quest to save the universe from destruction. The game is set on an abandoned alien artificial planet and is known for its humor and grinding, but also has a reputation for being buggy.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

78%

Audience ScoreBased on 246 reviews

story63 positive mentions

stability16 negative mentions

Anachronox features a unique blend of humor and storytelling, with a memorable cast of characters and a richly detailed world.
The game offers a creative combat system that combines turn-based mechanics with real-time elements, providing a fresh take on RPG gameplay.
Despite its age, the game has a charming aesthetic and a compelling narrative that keeps players engaged throughout the experience.

The combat system can be slow and tedious, with long animations and a lack of strategic depth that may frustrate players.
The game suffers from numerous bugs and glitches, which can lead to game-breaking issues and hinder the overall experience.
Backtracking and a lack of clear direction in quests can make navigation cumbersome, detracting from the enjoyment of the story.

story
137 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
50%
4%
The story of Anachronox is widely praised for its creativity, humor, and engaging characters, often described as a unique blend of sci-fi and comedy that captivates players despite the game's technical shortcomings. While the narrative is compelling and features rich world-building, many reviewers note that the gameplay can be tedious and marred by bugs, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite these issues, the story remains a strong point, with many players recommending it for those who prioritize narrative over gameplay mechanics.
- “Anachronox started strong and the world and story grabbed my interest. The game had many technical and gameplay issues at first that I tried to ignore because I wanted to know the next part of the story, I wanted to know what would happen to the amazing characters this game has.”
- “The story is massive; although dated graphics and an unpolished battle system, there is a special plot hidden beneath the surface, awaiting your arrival.”
- “Whatever you want to call it, this game is absolutely fantastic. The story is both depressing and incredibly funny and optimistic at the same time, you meet tons of wacky and unforgettable characters along your journey.”
- “But the greatest issue with Anachronox is the fact that other and much better RPGs exist, giving little reason to delve into it unless it’s for the storyline, but even that has its flaws.”
- “I would want to recommend it just for its story, but there were too many situations where to get to the meat and bones of it, it became a chore to play.”
- “Anachronox started strong and the world and story grabbed my interest, but on the second half of the game, combat sections became more common and insufferable, the story also lost momentum, leading to a really bad experience.”
humor
81 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its clever writing, memorable characters, and a blend of both crass and sophisticated comedic elements reminiscent of late 90s and early 2000s styles. Players appreciate the game's ability to balance humor with deeper themes, resulting in a rich narrative filled with hilarious dialogue and quirky interactions. While some find the humor occasionally childish or hit-or-miss, the overall consensus is that it significantly enhances the game's charm and replay value.
- “The game boasts a memorable cast of characters, subtle yet hilarious humor, and cutscenes that are composed with more imagination and creativity than most triple-A games today (mind you, this game was made on the Quake 2 engine)!”
- “It's funny, tongue-in-cheek, cleverly awkward, slightly gonzo, and capable of homage while blowing it all to smithereens.”
- “An extraordinarily funny RPG with tons of replay value.”
graphics
64 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
66%
9%
The graphics of the game are widely regarded as dated and subpar, often compared unfavorably to titles from the late 90s and early 2000s, with many reviewers noting issues like low textures and poor character animations. While some players can overlook these shortcomings due to the game's engaging story and unique art design, others find the visuals frustrating and a significant drawback. Overall, the consensus is that while the graphics may not meet modern standards, the game's narrative and atmosphere can still provide an enjoyable experience for those willing to accept its aesthetic limitations.
- “If you can see past the super dated low poly visuals and some of the worst character animation in gaming history, you will be immersed in a remarkably unforgettable adventure.”
- “Despite the low-res graphics, the game looks pretty darn good.”
- “Playing this title now in 2014 definitely shows its age because of its graphics, but not really a dealbreaker because it's artistically done well with a top-notch music score.”
- “Unfortunately, it doesn't have the graphics to pull off this approach.”
- “Overall, the graphics look significantly worse than other games of the era (I'd put this closer to a 1995 game) and it's exacerbated by poor design choices.”
- “The graphics did not age really well and frequently look dated even for 2001.”
gameplay
61 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
66%
11%
The gameplay of Anachronox is a mixed bag, featuring a unique cursor-based interaction mechanic and a blend of exploration and turn-based combat. While the story and world-building are praised, many players find the combat system slow, repetitive, and poorly designed, leading to frustration that detracts from the overall experience. Despite its charm and humor, the outdated mechanics and lack of polish make it challenging for modern players to fully enjoy the game.
- “There's a really unique primary mechanic of the game that uses your cursor as a way to interact; I don't know if I've seen any game expand on those ideas, actually.”
- “The gameplay is concise but fun.”
- “If you can get over the fact that the pacing is extremely slow (so much so, the developers patched in a bind that speeds up the gameplay), it's actually a very fun game with classic JRPG elements.”
- “Ok writing, unbearable gameplay.”
- “Anachronox has far too many frustrating mechanics that outright make it a chore to complete.”
- “The combat in this game is horrible, one of the worst I've seen. It's a turn-based system that is just so slow, the slowest combat system I had the displeasure of taking part in.”
stability
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
89%
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many users reporting significant bugs and glitches that hinder gameplay, such as flickering animations, broken movement, and game-breaking issues. While some players find the experience enjoyable despite these technical problems, others express frustration, suggesting that the game's stability detracts from its overall enjoyment. Overall, the game is described as "buggy" and "unstable," with varying degrees of impact on the player's experience.
- “I just love it, and I'm happy to say that the Steam version is pretty much bug-free!”
- “No glitches as far as I've seen.”
- “In any case, the Steam version is pure terrorism; even walking is a flickery, buggy nightmare.”
- “Nostalgia is one thing, but this game is still buggy, even after all this time.”
- “Game-breaking glitches, slow-motion actions and camera, broken movement, you name it.”
atmosphere
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
36%
21%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and creative world, featuring a blend of humor, unique settings, and memorable music that captivates players. While some interactions lack voice acting and the pacing can be slow, the diverse environments and rich worldbuilding keep players engaged and eager to explore. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered one of its strongest aspects, drawing comparisons to classic titles like Deus Ex and Final Fantasy.
- “Very atmospheric game with such a creative setting and humorous writing.”
- “Godlike design, incredible atmosphere, unforgettable music... I still remember the 'wow!' effect.”
- “The atmosphere of each of the locations in the universe is very diverse and draws the player into this world like no other game I have ever played.”
- “The interactions are not voiced either, which detracts from the atmosphere.”
- “Also, even though a part of the Deus Ex atmosphere is here, Anachronox is heavily different.”
- “It's like they actually used everything they could from the engine to tone up the atmosphere and details.”
music
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
17%
25%
The music in the game is generally praised for its emotive and immersive qualities, contributing significantly to the atmosphere and overall experience. While some reviewers found the soundtrack to be incredible and memorable, others noted inconsistencies, with certain themes feeling out of place. Overall, the musical score is considered a strong point, enhancing the game's world and storytelling, despite some criticisms regarding specific tracks.
- “The voice acted parts are well done and the musical score is mostly fitting and emotive.”
- “Godlike design, incredible atmosphere, unforgettable music... I still remember the 'wow!' effect.”
- “Firefly meets Bladerunner with an incredible cast of characters, fantastic locations, great music and an amazing story.”
- “One other bad thing about this game was the soundtrack, unfortunately (what was with the sad piano battle theme??).”
- “Music is average.”
- “The music as well is inspired and puts a spin on each level.”
grinding
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be overly tedious and confusing, particularly due to lengthy side quests and repetitive combat that detracts from the overall experience. While the game's unique characters and settings provide some enjoyment, the excessive grinding can lead to frustration, especially as difficulty spikes unexpectedly later on. Overall, the grind feels excessive and can overshadow the game's more enjoyable elements.
- “As with most RPGs of this pace, it gets difficult to tell whether or not you've spent too much time grinding or searching, and there's no way to get a feel for it until about halfway through.”
- “Gameplay would be fine if it wasn't way too grindy.”
- “Then there's the rest: lots and lots of bugs, overly long sidequests that will make you go insane. You'll hardly be able to get everything by the time you get to the last area, and some bosses were more tedious than hard.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with a performance rating of 6/10. While it runs smoothly, users note that the overall experience feels sluggish, attributed more to design choices rather than technical limitations.
- “Performance: 6/10”
- “The graphics are outdated, which affects overall performance.”
- “It runs perfectly fine, but everything is so slow, not due to the engine or performance, just because of how it was designed.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
67%
The game offers moderate replayability, particularly for players interested in maximizing character abilities and exploring missed content, though some may find it challenging to complete on easier settings. Its humorous RPG elements further enhance the incentive to replay.
- “An extraordinarily funny RPG with tons of replay value.”
- “It's a common problem that the Metroidvania genre faces, but it adds a lot of depth and replayability in case you miss them.”
- “It has an easy mode, which is fine, but my guess is that a new player wouldn't have powerful enough stats to complete the game, and it kind of has replay value if maxing character abilities is your thing.”
- “It has an easy mode, which is fine, but my guess is that a new player wouldn't have powerful enough stats to complete the game. It kind of has replay value if maxing character abilities is your thing.”
- “It's a common problem that the metroidvania genre faces, but it adds a lot of depth and replayability in case you miss them.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game effectively balances humor with poignant moments, evoking strong emotional responses that can lead to tears.
- “Actually funny, sometimes touching.”
- “I cried.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The main cast is generally well-developed and likable, though some characters, particularly Paco, could benefit from additional depth and development.
- “The main cast of characters is well-developed and really likable, though some characters (especially Paco) deserved a bit more character development.”
- “The main cast of characters is well developed and really likable, though some characters, especially Paco, deserved a bit more character development.”