Anima Flux

About

"Anima Flux" is a co-op Metroidvania game set in a dystopian space city, where two genetically enhanced soldiers fight to save humanity's last stronghold from a mutant invasion. Players can combine unique abilities and skills, and transfer their anima to cheat death. The game offers a fresh twist to the Metroidvania genre with its couch co-op gameplay.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Local Multi-Player Play with friends in the same physical space using split-screen or multiple screens
2-Players Play with one other player, either online or locally, in a cooperative or competitive game mode
Multi-Player Compete or cooperate with other players online
Co-Op Team up with friends to complete levels or missions together
Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo
Split Screen Play with multiple players on the same screen, often with divided or shared screen real estate

84%

Audience ScoreBased on 122 reviews

story14 positive mentions

grinding4 negative mentions

Co-op gameplay adds a fun and engaging element, allowing players to switch between characters with unique abilities.
The art style and animated cutscenes are visually impressive, creating an immersive atmosphere.
Responsive controls and fluid combat mechanics enhance the overall gameplay experience.

The fast travel system is poorly designed, leading to excessive backtracking and frustration.
Enemy variety is lacking, with many bosses and foes feeling repetitive and uninspired.
The map system is confusing and does not adequately mark important locations or collectibles.

story
49 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
65%
6%
The game's story revolves around two heroes navigating a world filled with larger-than-life insects and a sparse human presence, featuring twists and environmental storytelling that enrich the narrative. While the plot is considered well thought out, it suffers from confusion, unlikable characters, and occasionally poor dialogue, making it challenging for players to fully engage with the storyline. Despite these issues, the story is enhanced by humor, action, and beautifully animated cutscenes, making it a decent backdrop for the engaging gameplay.
- “The story has a few twists and turns to offer, and you won't only encounter larger-than-life insects in the end.”
- “Story: well-suited to co-op play, offering a story that feels connected and suitable for teamwork.”
- “Great plot twist, interesting story.”
- “The story can be quite confusing, especially because your characters in the game obviously have some background knowledge, but you as the player don't know that... rebels?”
- “And that’s thanks in no part to its story, which suffers from a nonsensical plot, unlikeable and unchanging protagonists, and some occasionally awful text-based dialogue that does little to add to the otherwise interesting atmosphere.”
- “The objectives are also a little off; it's hard to know what is required and what's not until you hit a hard stopping point and realize the random side quest you accepted and did not complete is actually the reason why the game is disproportionately hard and confusing (story was rough).”
gameplay
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
54%
6%
The gameplay is generally enjoyable and challenging, featuring classic metroidvania elements like exploration and combat, with the added benefit of a local two-player mode. However, players noted a slow start due to the lack of a dodge mechanic and some disjointed dialogue that detracts from the experience. The level design is praised for its uniqueness, and the game encourages exploration through substantial upgrades obtained from sidequests, making it accessible for both keyboard/mouse and controller users.
- “It combines the usual metroidvania gameplay (jump and run, hack and slash, explore the labyrinthine environment) with the additional feature of a local two-player mode.”
- “The level design was honestly great and each area had its own unique gameplay gimmick.”
- “The game offers unique gameplay with the ability to explore the world and fight bosses alone or with a friend, which seems like an undeniable plus.”
- “No dodge mechanic early on, leading to a lot of face-tanking until you get the dash later on.”
- “Improvements could be made to early game mechanics; adding a dodge option and making progress items more accessible without a currency cost.”
- “It's weird how much superfluous text the game puts you through and how little gameplay is to be had.”
graphics
45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
42%
7%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique and appealing art style, featuring atmospheric visuals and impressive animated cutscenes that evoke a dystopian aesthetic. Reviewers highlight the combination of dark yet colorful elements, crisp visuals, and high-fidelity assets that enhance the overall experience, making exploration enjoyable despite some criticisms of the gameplay. Overall, the visuals stand out as a significant strength of the game, contributing to its memorable setting and engaging atmosphere.
- “The graphics are very pleasing, the soundtrack atmospheric and exploration fun.”
- “Anima Flux is a joy to look at due to its crisp visuals with high fidelity assets and great compositions.”
- “The overall art style does an excellent job of painting a grim and gritty view of humankind living across a soulless world of metal and glass, a world that hides a dark underbelly beneath its shiny veneer of progress and efficiency.”
- “I found the story decent, though some of those cutscenes were a bit hard to watch action-wise, but that's just me being picky about the art style used for the cutscenes and not really getting into it.”
- “The level design and visuals, meanwhile, combine to create some memorable biomes and points of interest, which is important given how utterly poor the map is.”
- “Lucky for Anima Flux, narrative has never meant much to metroidvanias, which tend to instead prioritize combat, level design, and visuals.”
music
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
41%
14%
The music in the game is generally well-received, fitting the environment and enhancing the atmosphere with its snappy execution and effective musical cues. However, some players noted that the combat music is quite plain and infrequent, leading to a lack of musical presence during exploration, which could have been improved for a more immersive experience. Overall, while the soundtrack contributes positively to the ambiance, it occasionally feels underutilized.
- “The musical cues are good and keep up the ambience of this infested colony or space station.”
- “The graphics are very pleasing, the soundtrack atmospheric, and exploration fun.”
- “It’s great to spend an evening with a friend relaxing to beautiful design and music.”
- “The only thing that occasionally tunes in is the very plain combat music, but many encounters are so short that it barely has time to play a few notes before fading out again.”
- “Unfortunately, the music wasn't as present, only picking up every now and then in combat and mostly lacking during exploration.”
- “It didn't feel like deliberate silence as much as it did a lack of music composed for the game.”
atmosphere
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
73%
27%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its impressive graphics and atmospheric soundtrack, creating a memorable and immersive setting, particularly in its stylized, dystopian city. Players appreciate the engaging exploration and cool animations, although some critique the story and dialogue as lacking depth. Overall, the atmosphere stands out as a strong point, enhancing the gameplay experience.
- “The graphics are very pleasing, the soundtrack atmospheric, and exploration fun.”
- “Atmosphere was nice, fighting and movement felt awesome; scenes and animations were cool.”
- “The game features excellent visuals with atmospheric locations that perfectly complement the gameplay, along with cutscenes that are visually reminiscent of 90s science fiction-themed cartoons.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Players express frustration with the grinding aspect of the game, noting that it often feels unnecessary and repetitive, particularly against similar enemies. However, they appreciate the manageable difficulty and the presence of frequent save points and shortcuts, which alleviate some of the tedium associated with grinding.
- “So I have to do more useless grinding against similar enemies?”
- “While each of them looks quite similar—large, clunky, and full of acid—the fights themselves are manageable thanks to frequent save points and convenient shortcuts that make returning after defeats less tedious.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is praised for its perfect blend of wit and action, contributing to a heartfelt narrative that encourages replayability. Players find the comedic elements engaging and enjoyable, enhancing their overall experience.
- “The story was the perfect amount of humor, wit, and action.”
- “I think I'm ready to replay the game again and again to take part in this heartfelt conversation with so much humor!”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the emotional aspect of the game deeply engaging, highlighting its heartfelt conversations infused with humor that encourage replayability. The combination of humor and emotional depth resonates strongly, making the experience memorable and enjoyable.
- “I think I'm ready to replay the game again and again to take part in this heartfelt conversation with so much humor.”