As a kid, some of my favorite games combined side-scrolling platforming with beat-’em-up-style combat. As much as I enjoyed Super Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog, I spent most of my youth replaying Streets of Rage or Aladdin for the Sega Genesis.
What’s truly remarkable, though, is how entertaining the story is. Whether it’s the twists and turns, the time-loop-focused narrative, or the well-written characters, I had just as much fun watching cutscenes as I do chaining combos in combat.
Furthermore, the game offers a dialogue system that, albeit brief and somewhat shallow, still delivers tangible rewards to help strengthen your character. Seeing these rewards over the game is a pleasant surprise instead of giving you different narrative endings.
The game focuses mostly on combo-based, hand-to-hand combat but throws in some platforming. Anomaly Agent isn’t afraid to throw new ideas and gimmicks at the player, but it never feels overwhelming.
There’s a natural flow and progression in place. You start with basic attacks, are introduced to ranged attacks, can perform basic combos, and are eventually given special abilities to help defeat more powerful enemies.
What can be frustrating at times, though, is the occasional difficulty spike. Powerful enemies or dangerous boss attacks are well telegraphed, but it’s easy for things to be lost in the shuffle.