The Anacrusis

About

The Anacrusis is a single player and multiplayer shooter game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Stray Bombay and was released on December 5, 2023. It received neutral reviews from players.

"The Anacrusis is a 1-8 player sci-fi co-op FPS from the lead of Left 4 Dead, where you fight against endless alien hordes using a variety of futuristic weapons. With Steam Workshop support, enjoy new campaigns, holdout maps, skins, and emotes, or play as the aliens in PVP Versus mode. Battle the alien menace and protect your friends to survive!"

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49%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,277 reviews

gameplay74 positive mentions

optimization16 negative mentions

The game features a vibrant 70s retro-futuristic aesthetic that is visually appealing and unique.
The cooperative gameplay is engaging, encouraging teamwork and communication among players.
The Matter Compiler system adds an interesting layer of strategy by allowing players to choose perks during gameplay.

The sound design is lacking, with weak audio feedback for weapons and enemies, making combat feel unsatisfying.
The AI for both teammates and enemies is often unresponsive or poorly programmed, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
The level design can be confusing and repetitive, with unclear objectives and a lack of environmental storytelling.

gameplay
279 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
63%
10%
The gameplay of "The Anacrusis" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its strong cooperative elements and vibrant art style reminiscent of classic sci-fi. However, criticisms highlight issues such as repetitive mechanics, lackluster enemy design, and a feeling of unpolished execution compared to established titles like "Left 4 Dead." While some players appreciate the unique mechanics and potential for fun, others find the overall experience dull and lacking depth, particularly when playing solo.
- “The game's cooperative gameplay is its strongest aspect, making it a great experience to play with friends.”
- “With its vibrant, colorful art style and fast-paced gameplay, it feels like a love letter to classic sci-fi B-movies.”
- “Anacrusis, a cooperative first-person shooter set in a retro-futuristic sci-fi world, is an absolute blast that harmonizes thrilling action with a dose of humor and unique gameplay mechanics.”
- “If you're looking for a co-op shooter experience, consider other games like Left 4 Dead or Back 4 Blood, which have more polished gameplay and deeper narratives.”
- “The gameplay is completely lifeless and boring; I do not care for the characters or their story (or lack thereof).”
- “The game controls and functions poorly, the gunplay stinks, and the main gameplay loop is dull.”
graphics
204 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
58%
5%
The graphics of "The Anacrusis" receive mixed reviews, with many praising its vibrant 70s sci-fi aesthetic and unique art style, which evoke a nostalgic charm. However, several players criticize the visuals as outdated and lacking polish, with animations described as basic and some graphical elements feeling janky or poorly optimized. Overall, while the aesthetic is appreciated, the execution leaves much to be desired, impacting the overall enjoyment of the game.
- “The art style and setting are great and groovy.”
- “The graphics are great, the gameplay is fun, and it's perfect for when you want to play something, but you're not sure what.”
- “Fantastic, visually striking art style, brilliant setting, and excellent gunplay.”
- “The graphics are mediocre at best; the environments and monsters are poorly designed and cheaply animated.”
- “It's honestly terrible and very amateur; everything including the level design, visuals, animations, gameplay, and sound are unfortunately bad.”
- “Graphics look like a PS2 game.”
story
161 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
79%
7%
The game's story is widely criticized for its lack of depth and cohesion, with many players feeling thrown into gameplay without sufficient context or character development. While the 1970s sci-fi setting offers a unique backdrop, the narrative is described as barebones, with repetitive missions and shallow characters that fail to engage players. Overall, the potential for a compelling story exists, but it remains largely unfulfilled, leaving many hoping for future updates to enhance the narrative experience.
- “As I journeyed through the game, the unfolding story of Nessa, Guion, Liu, and Lance felt as if it were my own pack's tale.”
- “The story has potential, the setting has potential... but since it came out of early access, that's all it remains, potential.”
- “Great game, amazing art style, unique creatures, fun story; all in all, it's great.”
- “The story is barebone and the gameplay is generic.”
- “Unfortunately, the story isn't really explained; even Left 4 Dead managed that better without video sequences.”
- “There's no real story, and getting from one end to the other doesn't have any reasoning for doing so.”
music
98 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
73%
4%
The music in "The Anacrusis" receives mixed reviews, with some praising its upbeat, funky 70s aesthetic that fits the game's retro-futuristic theme, while others criticize its inconsistency and lack of impactful cues during gameplay. Many players feel that the soundtrack is often generic and forgettable, failing to enhance the game's atmosphere or match the intensity of in-game events. Overall, while the music has potential and contributes to the game's vibrant style, it suffers from poor audio mixing and a lack of thematic cohesion.
- “The music, like the ones during crescendo events and victory screens, is upbeat and fits the tone of the retro-futuristic aesthetic well.”
- “I'm a sucker for 70's aesthetics, and the Anacrusis nails that to a tee, from the music to the level design, architecture, and atmosphere.”
- “Shooting zombie/alien things with various types of sci-fi blasters to a disco soundtrack is an excellent way to spend an evening with your three closest pals!”
- “The music feels all over the place as well.”
- “One second it’s funky 70s stuff, then techno, then RTS ambient tracks, then horror game music.”
- “The music does not match the in-game environment.”
optimization
71 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
56%
23%
The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many players reporting severe performance issues, including frame drops, stuttering, and lag, particularly during intense gameplay moments. While some users noted improvements in performance on lower settings or specific hardware configurations, the overall consensus is that the game remains poorly optimized, leading to an inconsistent experience across different systems. Many reviewers expressed hope for future updates to address these technical shortcomings.
- “Maps are amazing, really optimized, and fun gameplay.”
- “The game is beautiful and well-led in the matters of optimization and stylistic choices - I found myself constantly praising the environment design and aesthetic of Anacrusis with my friends when we played through it.”
- “From a performance standpoint, I didn't have any issues; the game runs well with a 2080 Ti in 2K resolution, getting 150-200 FPS on average.”
- “Its optimization is rather questionable; when specials or a lot of enemies spawn in, my FPS will spike really hard and freeze me.”
- “The game is very unoptimized; the campaign isn't finished, there's not a lot to actually do in the game, and gameplay systems can change unexpectedly since a lot is still highly work in progress.”
- “On the technical side of things, it's appalling to see that the optimization is absolutely terrible, with frame drops below 30 FPS in huge horde fights with everything set to low.”
replayability
41 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
56%
17%
Replayability in this game is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the procedural level generation, randomized perks, and workshop integration that enhance replay value, others criticize the lack of meaningful progression and variety in gameplay elements. Many find the versus mode and custom campaigns add significant replay potential, but others feel the game becomes repetitive quickly due to simplistic mechanics and limited content. Overall, the game's replayability is bolstered by community features and randomization, but its current state may not satisfy those seeking a deeply engaging experience.
- “The procedural level generation ensures that no two playthroughs are the same, increasing replayability and challenge.”
- “Allowing players to have full customization power over maps, cosmetics, and challenges is a really nice touch to the game as it allows the community to keep the game alive with its creativity while adding endless replayability potential.”
- “Even in the current partially-complete state, what's available so far is extremely fun and replayable to progress through.”
- “Sadly, that replay value is underscored by the game's issues.”
- “Games get boring really fast; there's no real replayability, just a difficulty scaling. You will constantly ask yourself, 'Am I even going the right way?'”
- “Just not enough enemy variety or weapon variety to make it feel all that replayable.”
humor
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in Anacrusis is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating the witty banter and lighthearted moments, while others find the dialogue sparse and lacking in comedic impact compared to similar games like Left 4 Dead. While the game features amusing character interactions and funny gameplay moments, many reviewers noted that the humor often falls flat or feels repetitive, detracting from the overall experience. Overall, the game's attempts at humor can be hit or miss, with some players enjoying the comedic elements while others feel they are underdeveloped.
- “Anacrusis, a cooperative first-person shooter set in a retro-futuristic sci-fi world, is an absolute blast that harmonizes thrilling action with a dose of humor and unique gameplay mechanics.”
- “The witty banter and humorous dialogues between characters make for a lighthearted and entertaining experience.”
- “There's a lot to love here; even in early access, Anacrusis keeps impressing me with its simplistic yet hilariously fun gameplay loop.”
atmosphere
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
42%
12%
The atmosphere of the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its stunning visuals and 1960s-inspired design, while others criticize it for lacking depth and immersive sound effects. Many players feel that the game fails to capture the dynamic tension and rich environmental storytelling found in titles like Left 4 Dead, resulting in a sterile and sometimes empty experience. Overall, while there are moments of atmospheric beauty, the game is seen as needing significant improvements to fully engage players.
- “The ship's interiors are beautifully detailed, creating an immersive atmosphere that feels both nostalgic and futuristic.”
- “The art style and general atmosphere of Anacrusis is amazing; I genuinely enjoyed the calm moments where I was able to just look around and explore every little detail the maps had to offer.”
- “I'm a sucker for 70's aesthetics, and The Anacrusis nails that to a tee, from the music to the level design, architecture, and atmosphere.”
- “While the game's description makes you think that you will be reliving the experience of L4D, in reality all this game managed to do is grow my appreciation for L4D map design, atmosphere, weapons, and enemies.”
- “The level design is terrible and un-intuitive, the world is boring and empty, and the atmosphere is non-existent.”
- “It is completely sterile in atmosphere.”
stability
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
92%
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and clunky mechanics that detract from the overall experience. Players frequently encounter issues such as jittery enemies, resource spawning problems, and poor hit response, leading to a sense of frustration. While some find the game enjoyable despite its flaws, many agree that it feels unfinished and technically inferior, with a hope that future updates will improve stability.
- “Weapons feel weak because there's barely any hit response, enemies are jittery and buggy, resources spawn in floors or walls, horde events aren't well conveyed, almost everything is brightly lit and objectives are poorly telegraphed so it's ridiculously difficult to tell what's important or why.”
- “Incredibly buggy for me to the point where I couldn't even see the health of my own character anymore, my ammo, weapons, etc.”
- “It is far too janky, buggy, and clunky to recommend now.”
monetization
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
92%
The monetization aspect of the game has drawn mixed reviews, with some players labeling it a "soulless cash grab" that exploits the legacy of Left 4 Dead, while others appreciate the absence of microtransactions and the potential for future content through seasonal updates. Critics express concern over the reliance on ads and the possibility of time-gated content, which could diminish the game's longevity and player engagement. Overall, the monetization strategy appears to be a contentious point, with players divided on its impact on the game's quality and community.
- “The replay value for this game is pretty good; it's a nice casual game to play while talking to friends. If you want more of a challenge, there's the weekly challenge mode and also the weekly challenges from the season pass (don't worry, there are no microtransactions!).”
- “It's a soulless cash grab that tries to piggyback off the success of Left 4 Dead, but is forever doomed to live in its shadow.”
- “Unlike what people said about Back 4 Blood, this is truly a cash grab on L4D's success, as a large amount of the draw from what I've seen is that it's got Chet Faliszek, the writer of L4D, as the head of this game!”
- “So that's almost certain going to be bad... 'seasons' allow for microtransactions/battle passes and/or content to be time-gated and be removed from the game at little notice (like what Bungie has repeatedly done to Destiny 2).”
grinding
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, leading to a lack of engagement and enjoyment. The progression system feels bloated with modern mechanics, making tasks feel unnecessarily complicated and detracting from the overall experience. Despite its potential, the game struggles to match the quality and excitement of its predecessor, resulting in diminished replayability.
- “Not deep wannabe story, grindy progression system, a game overbloated with modern mechanics etc etc.”
- “I don't know how you could have made this game feel so tedious, but you did, and I was genuinely bored going through the first episode.”
- “While being the most faithful game to Left 4 Dead ever to be released to date, it struggles from tedious and repetitive gameplay mechanics that don’t reach a similar amount of quality of Left 4 Dead 2, released 13 years ago, which will take away its replayability if left in such a state.”
character development
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Character development in the game is marked by a retrofuturism theme that resonates well with players, featuring distinct and likable characters with unique personalities and 80s-inspired designs. However, some reviews note that while the character design is visually appealing, interactions among characters can feel stale and lack depth, detracting from the overall experience.
- “The retrofuturism theme of the game is a fun idea, and the character design for the player characters hits the spot for me.”
- “Oh yeah, I do really like the 80s look; I think it suits the sci-fi setting and blends the world and character designs well.”
- “It had thrilling, exciting, and suspenseful music that fit the current situation, likable characters with very unique, specific personalities, attitudes, and clothes that distinctly stood out.”
- “The character design looks lazy.”
- “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth.”
- “I found the characters to be one-dimensional and uninteresting.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the emotional aspect of the game to be a mix of lightheartedness and heartbreak, with characters like the optimistic coach providing a wholesome touch amidst the grim gameplay of zombie combat. The retro-futuristic aesthetic and engaging music create a fun atmosphere, contrasting with the darker themes, while the vast levels evoke a sense of adventure that keeps players invested. Overall, the emotional experience is characterized by a blend of nostalgia, humor, and poignant moments.
- “You have a coach, the wholesome small-town PE coach who has a similar role to Bill but with a lot more optimism and lightheartedness.”
- “In L4D2, they had different faces and clothes, which made me feel sorry for them a bit.”
- “Heartbreaking.”