Anomaly Collapse

91%
Game Brain Score Based on 148 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • graphics
Anomaly Collapse Game Cover
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"Anomaly Collapse" is a strategy game set on a one-dimensional battlefield, where players must use tactics such as flanking and backstabbing to outmaneuver enemies. The game features a variety of "abnormalities," or power-ups, that Brenhurst with unique abilities, and allows players to build a team of furry fighters with distinct classes and powerful traits. Join the community through various social media platforms and Discord for updates and discussions.

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Reviews

91%
Audience ScoreBased on 148 reviews
gameplay23 positive mentions
grinding6 negative mentions
  • The game features a fun and complex gameplay loop with a lot of variety in character classes and anomaly builds, making each run feel unique.
  • The art style and character designs are charming, contributing to an engaging atmosphere, and the music enhances the overall experience.
  • The strategic elements of combat, such as positioning and co-op attacks, add depth to the gameplay, making it rewarding to master.
  • The narrative and character development are lacking, with many players feeling that the story is shallow and the characters are not well fleshed out.
  • The game can feel punishingly difficult, especially for new players, with a steep learning curve and reliance on metaprogression that can lead to frustration.
  • Some mechanics, such as the random modifiers and the way certain abilities interact, can lead to confusion and unexpected losses, detracting from the overall enjoyment.
  • gameplay65 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by a fun and complex experience, offering a variety of classes and anomaly builds that keep combat fresh and engaging. While the mechanics, such as co-op attacks and environmental factors, add depth and challenge, some players find the progression repetitive and the gameplay loop can become tedious over time. Overall, the game combines tactical elements with roguelike randomness, providing a satisfying experience for those who enjoy strategic decision-making, despite some criticisms regarding its narrative and repetitiveness.

    • “The game itself is fun and complex; there's a lot of variety in gameplay between different classes and possible anomaly builds, and that's what matters here.”
    • “Very good and challenging gameplay, excellent art, the characters have great designs and an interesting universe.”
    • “The gameplay loop feels nice, and no two runs are ever too similar, which is a requirement for rogue-likes.”
    • “While I wish I could leave a positive review, I feel like most people who are interested in this game are going to be tricked by its appearance. Once you hit the gameplay loop, it becomes a pretty unforgiving slog of progression. Every run feels like you're just making a few steps towards a greater goal, without any real motivation to keep pulling you forward. It becomes very repetitive fast, and you're forced to go through the same scenarios with the same characters to try to push their progression far enough to where they become powerful, but by that time you're bored of using them or they become unenjoyable to use because they fall into a singular playstyle.”
    • “The game starts as unforgiving and interesting but quickly loses its edge as the progression contradicts the difficulty. This mostly spawns from the action economy and 'death spiral' like random mechanics that turn what should be a strategic game into a total coin flip of 'end of turn' effects, which usually stack up into you losing your characters unexpectedly. This is one of the most frustrating ways to lose a run.”
    • “I get that combat is the main focus and I did enjoy it, but it just feels like a bit of a slog when there's basically nothing interesting going on except combat after combat. I feel like introducing the story more organically or having it interact with the gameplay a little more would've gone a long way to helping with that.”
  • story35 mentions

    The story in "Anomaly Collapse" is generally viewed as underwhelming and lacking depth, with many players expressing a desire for more character development and narrative engagement. While the game excels in gameplay mechanics and character design, the plot feels simplistic and often relegated to menu text, leading to a sense of disappointment among those hoping for a richer storytelling experience. Overall, players appreciate the fun gameplay but hope for future updates that enhance the narrative elements.

    • “With a team this size, making the game fun and enjoyable for all was the first priority, and they definitely succeeded. I just hope for a lore/story/character-based update in the future.”
    • “There's so much room to give the characters personality, like having special events that you can see when you have different characters in your party, or having short little story scenes randomly pop up every now and then, or just any meaningful interaction between characters.”
    • “Honestly, either remove all story and have the game be focused solely on combat (akin to games like Vampire Survivor and Forager) or actually give depth to the world and characters.”
    • “I'm used to more story-based RPGs and roguelikes, and before getting into Anomaly Collapse I kind of figured it wouldn't be that, and I was right; at numerous points in my playthroughs I found myself hoping for something more soulful, something deeper with the narrative, whether it be insightful conversations between party members or more narrative worldbuilding beyond the opening solo flavor texts and logbook notes.”
    • “Lastly, while it isn't what I came here for, I found the story disappointing.”
    • “There's some semblance of a story, but it's pretty bare-bones and the writing feels kind of robotic, often leaving the impression that the characters are forced to explain game mechanics in a way that makes sense within the game's universe.”
  • graphics19 mentions

    The graphics of the game are generally praised for their pleasing art style, clean visuals, and charming character designs, particularly the anthropomorphic characters and their animations. While many players find the aesthetic captivating and engaging, some critiques mention that certain enemy designs feel flat and the environments lack depth, giving off a "made on a budget" impression. Overall, the combination of appealing graphics and music contributes to an immersive gameplay experience.

    • “Pleasing graphics and music, all in all a great game!”
    • “I was initially a little hesitant with the art style/animation style when I saw the trailer; however, having actually played the game now, I quite like the game's visual aesthetics.”
    • “Endearing and captivating art style and animations.”
    • “The aesthetic and art direction is both what brought me into it and keeps me interested.”
  • music18 mentions

    The music in the game is generally well-received, with many players praising its quality and catchiness, contributing positively to the overall experience. However, some reviewers note that the limited variety of tracks can lead to repetitiveness, and a few feel the soundtrack lacks depth, comparing it to mobile game music. Overall, while the music enhances the game, it may not stand out significantly in the long run.

    • “Pleasing graphics and music, all in all a great game!”
    • “It's a uniquely fun and interesting roguelike with a very nice soundtrack.”
    • “The music is great and one of the few times I actually leave it on.”
    • “Additionally, the music variety is quite limited, with the same few tracks playing over and over.”
    • “The soundtrack isn't anything special and it kind of feels like a mobile game.”
    • “Music and story are fairly non-existent for this one, but the characters are cute and the gameplay is there.”
  • replayability12 mentions

    The game offers strong replayability, featuring a variety of characters, skills, and unlocks that encourage multiple playthroughs. Players can expect diverse runs influenced by different starting characters and in-game events, contributing to a rich and engaging experience. Overall, the combination of strategic depth and rogue-lite elements ensures that players can invest significant time exploring all the game has to offer.

    • “I did win on my first run, but there's plenty of unlocks and replayability, and I suspect you can drop thirty hours if you want to see everything.”
    • “The game's strategic levels and the variety of skills offer plenty of depth and replayability.”
    • “There are enough different characters with unique mechanics that the game still has a decent amount of replayability; it's just that runs are more focused on working with slightly modified versions of what you have to begin with in different combat situations rather than on making super crazy builds or anything, at least from what I've experienced.”
    • “The rogue-lite element and replayability factor comes in with the genre standard loop running, with runs always feeling different from each other based on what character you choose to start with, as well as what anomalies and events you find throughout your run.”
  • character development10 mentions

    Character development in the game is largely seen as lacking, with players noting that while the character designs and gameplay mechanics are engaging, there is minimal narrative depth or growth for the characters throughout the journey. Many reviewers express a desire for a more compelling story, especially when compared to other roguelikes like Hades that successfully integrate character development. Overall, the game's strong visual appeal and fun combat mechanics are highlighted, but the absence of meaningful character arcs leaves some players wanting more.

    • “I admit it was the furry character designs that initially drew me in, but what kept me playing was the engaging team-building and combat system.”
    • “The characters that you play as don't seem to have any character development while you journey through the game.”
    • “I knew this was a roguelite from the start, but the game seemed to have a plot going on. I couldn't stop myself from comparing it to Hades, which is another roguelike that managed to add a lot of character development and story.”
    • “The game's character designs, illustration style, and gameplay loop have so much potential for a hard-hitting, well-written story if the dev team felt going that route, but once again, the game's still really fun and engaging otherwise.”
  • grinding6 mentions

    Players note that while grinding is necessary to enhance team capabilities and unlock content, recent patches have made the process less tedious and more enjoyable. However, some still find the overall experience can become tedious, especially if they are not fond of grinding in progression systems. Those averse to grinding may want to reconsider their interest in this roguelike.

    • “If you're not okay with grinding a progression system, then this might not be the right roguelike for you.”
    • “There is not a single effect that I have seen that does anything other than make the run harder or more tedious.”
    • “With that in mind, there are some issues that make the experience more tedious than it needs to be.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    The game is well-optimized, running smoothly on the Steam Deck without any stuttering or frame drops, even at low power settings.

  • humor1 mentions

    Players appreciate the humor in the game, particularly through engaging gameplay mechanics that allow for amusing interactions with the environment and enemy attacks, leading to entertaining chain reactions.

    • “It's fun to bob and weave in and out of enemy attack ranges and set up funny environmental chain reactions.”
    • “The dialogue is filled with clever puns and witty one-liners that keep you chuckling throughout the game.”
    • “The absurd situations you find yourself in are hilarious, making even the toughest challenges feel lighthearted.”
  • stability1 mentions

    The game exhibits stability issues, including buggy controller integration and random crashes, particularly during combat. However, the autosave feature mitigates some frustration by preserving progress before rounds.

    • “The controller integration is buggy, causing random drops, and the game crashes unexpectedly during combat. At least it autosaves before the start of a round, so I didn't lose too much progress.”
    • “I experienced several crashes while playing, which really disrupted the flow of the game. The stability issues need to be addressed.”
    • “The game frequently freezes and crashes, making it frustrating to play. Stability is a major concern that needs improvement.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

2hMedian play time
2hAverage play time
2-2hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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