Anachronox

Rating:
Summary: Wow! This is a really cool game!
Review: Anachronox is a an excellent adventure/rpg. The sci-fi story is great, the characters have very interesting personalities, the cinematic scenes are a joy to watch. I really enjoy the feel of exploring alien cities. There are tons of "people" walking around and doing various things and it gives a good sense of life and realism to the areas. I like the varied gameplay. In one scene you actually have to steer a ship away from danger. There are some cool puzzles and mini-games too. The play control is solid and easy to get the hang of. The game starts off kind of slow, but it is well worth playing through, as the game gets very exciting later on. If you like adventure games, sci-fi stories, or rpgs without constant fighting, buy this game, it's great!

Rating:
Summary: Decent Time-Killer, Final Fantasy Style
Review: Feeding off my love of Ion Storm's last masterpiece, "Deus Ex", I purchased the similarly silly-titled "Anachronox", figuring it to be a game that would fill me with PC gaming goodness. Well, after sinking my teeth into it for awhile, I'm left a little disappointed. Don't get me wrong, though. The archaic Quake 2 engine is fine, the cutscenes are good, the voice-acting is superb, but somewhere along the line, the game lost me. The plot is dense, somewhat confusing, and if you leave the game for a week or so and come back to it, you may forget just what in the heck you're supposed to be doing. Thanks to Fatima, however -- your dead assistant now resurrected as a hologram -- you'll soon be on your way to the next world, universe, or other wacko location.

The characters are memorable, from the hero "Sly" Boots to the superhero El Puno. The game has tons of laugh-out-loud moments, and moves along at a nice pace. Nothing is really too hard or too easy, but again, I was left with wanting more. Mini-games broke up the gameplay, as did the numerous side-quests, but all-too-often, I found myself just walking to the next area and fighting weird monsters in a Final Fantasy setting. With only three playable characters at one time, Anachronox is a far cry from a true RPG. Weapon effects and special battle moves are performed with some gusto, but once you see these fights hundreds of times, the "cool" factor diminished greatly.

Anachronox has a devoted legion of fans, and deservedly so. It's a fun game that will keep you entertained for 20 or so hours. If you can keep up with the meandering story, then it's even better. Unfortunately, somewhere along the line, I stopped caring for Boots, Stiletto, Pal, Grumpos and the rest and just wanted to finish the game, which finished nicely nonetheless.

So if you're a PC gamer who likes Final Fantasy-style gameplay and combat, pick up Anachronox. It'll be a nice ride.

Rating:
Summary: NOT Daikatana! This is a great game!
Review: For the merely curious, Anachronox is a wonderful game, much more like Deus Ex than the disaster Daikatana. In fact, Anachronox is shaping up to be one of my favorite RPGs ever. It plays like a traditional console RPG - explore a large world, fight lots of monsters in simple, turn-based combat, and a wonderful story. The characters are pretty much "pre-generated", meaning you will have less control over creating their skills and strengths like in Balder's Gate, but instead you are rewarded with a wonderful, tight story, with each new party member adding something very interesting to the game.

Anachronox is an awesome RPG where it counts - awesome story, strong characters, a huge and fascinating world, and irrisistable charm. There is so much personality in every inch of this game, even humor. (Like Wackmaster Jack's, "Where the Elite Meet to Beat.") I can tell already that this is a game which would be fun to play a 2nd or 3rd time, because much of the story is told through the environment, and there is simply too much to see the first time through.

Granted, Anachronox uses an outdated graphics engine, and you can tell. There are blocky characters and low-res textures everywhere. However, the sheer size of the levels quickly made me ignore these faults. No other 3D RPG has cities this big, with skyscrapers towering in all directions, each of them available for exploration. Each alien world is distinct, imaginative, and instantly recognizable.

This is one game, I hope and pray they make a sequel for.

Rating:
Summary: If anything, just a little too short.
Review: I could go on days and days about how Anachronox is one of the best RPG games i have ever played. I could also bore you with the problems I experienced or the things I liked. But instead, I am going to keep this short and concise.

Anachronox is an RPG that defies many of the pre-set boundires for RPG's. The truly awesome ability of free-roam and beautiful locals was something entirely new to me. Even when you run into a door that does not open, there are so many that do it just doesn't matter. As an added bonus, every NPC does talk and if you want to read it, some of the stuff they say is really funny! If you are looking for a new experience in Computer gaming, then here is where your money is best spent.

One unfortunate note is although this game is awesome and well loved by those who have played it, it is not a widely known game. You will find few helpful sites on the Internet(PlanetAnachronox being the only one I found really helpful) and unless your firends are playing it, it is really unlikely you'll find someone to talk to about it. Worse, when you beat the game, you will LOVE this game and PLEAD with whatever your god to make another one come out. I fear that this may not happen...

Rating:
Summary: From a fellow gamer, some words...
Review: I had been looking forward to this game, but I hadn't read every preview and looked at every new screenshot of it. I decided to buy it because I was looking for a new RPG adventure, and I think I found exactly what I was looking for. I feel the PC platform lacks in the RPG department, and this game is a great addition to my PC library of games. Yes, the graphics aren't the best in these modern, GeForce 3 days, but if it really matters to you that much, you shouldn't be playing RPGs. I really enjoy how this game has paced out the plotline while still allowing interaction. I can see how some people will/do say the first couple of hours of gameplay are tedious and lame. I sort of agree with that, but it gets you used to the controls and the characters develop well through the dialogue. This is one of the very few games that is really actually funny. I find most games that try and be funny usually end up including some "wacky sidekick" who turns out to get stuck in walls and who blocks your way to the next map. This game's dialogue is actually quite funny in some areas, and its not a Nintendo funny, its adult humor. Camera problems are almost non-existant and the 3rd person viewpoints seem to fit the game very well. The music and sounds are great as well, and the environments are incredibly well detailed. Unfortunately, the game only "officially" supports 640x480 and 1280x1024. I run the latter and I have no slowdown. You can edit a text file and easily change the resolutions as well. Overall, I really just wanted to provide you with something that will let you decide whether to buy this game or not, and I hope that you have a great time with it when you do buy it.

Rating:
Summary: A great game!
Review: I have now completed over 16 hours of game time, and I am still being continually surprised by what comes next. The cutscenes feature beautiful cinematography, and the dialogue is very funny. Thus far, Anachronox is everything that I had hoped it would be. It has totally unexpected plot twists, interesting and funny characters, cool weapons, and lots of different enemies.

Even after having played the game for over 16 hours, I know that there's still a lot left. I don't think that I'm even halfway through yet. Even though the Mystech is working now, I still haven't gotten the Elementor system figured out that lets you make custom weaponry. I know that's going to be awesome.

Anachronox starts out kind of slow, with everyday-type events (a down-on-his-luck private detective), but by this point in the game I've piloted a starfighter, used magical-type powers, and become the hero of a planet! My advice to anyone out there who has started the game but is disappointed in the start is to hang in there. It gets awesome!

Rating:
Summary: A great game -- like being in a Saturday morning cartoon
Review: I love this game! I just finished it, and I think that this one is going to be a classic. I like it about as much as Deus Ex, another Ion Storm title. It starts off a bit slow, but it picks up intensely about a third of the way through, and it has an ending that knocks you out of your chair like the movie "The Sixth Sense".

This is a unique blend of quest-fulfilling, role-playing, and puzzle-solving. Instead of controlling one character, you control up to 7 characters, and combat is turn-based (like in a D&D game). When you're in combat, you are exploring the universe, solving puzzles, and fulfilling little game quests (yes you know that routine). Each character has special abilities and combat moves, which are gradually developed throughout the game.

The story and the animation in this game are wonderfully engrossing. The plot is filled with great cutscenes that will have you laughing out loud. The combat in this game is a lot of fun too. The game has a special animation effect for every combat move, for every character, and every creature. This animation is rich with great sound and eye candy, like an episode of "The Superfriends". Playing this game gives you the feel that you are in the middle of a Saturday morning superhero cartoon. Actually, it's a cross between a Saturday morning superhero cartoon and an episode of the Simpsons.

One drawback to this game are that a lot of the puzzles are too darn easy to solve -- the answers are basically spoonfed to you, and all that you have to do is talk to everyone in the area and click on each object until you complete the quest. Another drawback is that there is no flexibility in advancing your characters' levels. This is unlike most other RPG's, where you earn skill points in some way and then assign them to develop your character as you like. Plus, a lot of the dialog exchange in this game is done by text (only the cinematic scenes are voice-acted)

The game can be buggy, but when you get it running -- it's worth it!!

Rating:
Summary: Fresh, Funny, Suspense-Filled Sci-Fi Adventure/RPG!
Review: I waited several months after it's release before purchasing, and boy was I glad I did. I've never played a video game quite like this one.

The "dated" Quake II engine is pushed to the max and actually is very impressive. The cities and space cut-scenes are some of the best I've ever seen, the areas are very detailed and your party characters look great. The atmospheric music is perfect for this game and adds to the wonderful ambience and suspense.

One thing I truly enjoyed about Anachronox is the cinematography, the camera angles and techniques are straight out of a film classic. I couldn't be more pleased with the over-all polish, style and presentation of Anachronox, truly a testament to the talented development team.

You've read about the plot, main character names and general gameplay functions in other reviews, so I won't repeat them and bore you, if possible. But I will say if you enjoy Adventure games in particular, like Myst, The Longest Journey or the Monkey Island Series, you'll love Anachronox. It has more of an adventure game feel than it does an RPG feel. There are lots of little games and puzzles to complete that are mixed in with the combat, conversation, plot development and exploration of this vast part of the universe. That said, the game is huge, long, and highly entertaining.

Anachronox will take you by the seat of your pants and won't let go until you are finished. A great story pulls it all together.

There are some minor flaws in the game, but nothing nearly bad enough to come close to ruining the experience. Anachronox is a sure-fire classic and probably the most under-rated game released in 2001.

Rating:
Summary: Fresh, Funny, Suspense-Filled Sci-Fi Adventure/RPG!
Review: I waited several months after it's release before purchasing, and boy was I glad I did. I've never played a video game quite like this one.

The "dated" Quake II engine is pushed to the max and actually is very impressive. The cities and space cut-scenes are some of the best I've ever seen, the areas are very detailed and your party characters look great. The atmospheric music is perfect for this game and adds to the wonderful ambience and suspense.

One thing I truly enjoyed about Anachronox is the cinematography, the camera angles and techniques are straight out of a film classic. I couldn't be more pleased with the over-all polish, style and presentation of Anachronox, truly a testament to the talented development team.

You've read about the plot, main character names and general gameplay functions in other reviews, so I won't repeat them and bore you, if possible. But I will say if you enjoy Adventure games in particular, like Myst, The Longest Journey or the Monkey Island Series, you'll love Anachronox. It has more of an adventure game feel than it does an RPG feel. There are lots of little games and puzzles to complete that are mixed in with the combat, conversation, plot development and exploration of this vast part of the universe. That said, the game is huge, long, and highly entertaining.

Anachronox will take you by the seat of your pants and won't let go until you are finished. A great story pulls it all together.

There are some minor flaws in the game, but nothing nearly bad enough to come close to ruining the experience. Anachronox is a sure-fire classic and probably the most under-rated game released in 2001.

Rating:
Summary: Fresh, Funny, Suspense-Filled Sci-Fi Adventure/RPG!
Review: I waited several months after it's release before purchasing, and boy was I glad I did. I've never played a video game quite like this one.

The "dated" Quake II engine is pushed to the max and actually is very impressive. The cities and space cut-scenes are some of the best I've ever seen, the areas are very detailed and your party characters look great. The atmospheric music is perfect for this game and adds to the wonderful ambience and suspense.

One thing I truly enjoyed about Anachronox is the cinematography, the camera angles and techniques are straight out of a film classic. I couldn't be more pleased with the over-all polish, style and presentation of Anachronox, truly a testament to the talented development team.

You've read about the plot, main character names and general gameplay functions in other reviews, so I won't repeat them and bore you, if possible. But I will say if you enjoy Adventure games in particular, like Myst, The Longest Journey or the Monkey Island Series, you'll love Anachronox. It has more of an adventure game feel than it does an RPG feel. There are lots of little games and puzzles to complete that are mixed in with the combat, conversation, plot development and exploration of this vast part of the universe. That said, the game is huge, long, and highly entertaining.

Anachronox will take you by the seat of your pants and won't let go until you are finished. A great story pulls it all together.

There are some minor flaws in the game, but nothing nearly bad enough to come close to ruining the experience. Anachronox is a sure-fire classic and probably the most under-rated game released in 2001.