Anomaly Agent (Nintendo Switch)

Cyberpunk meets time travel in this humorous 2D action platformer by Phew Phew Games. A surprise indie hit on many levels ...

As Agent 70, a man of mystery sporting duds that look an awfully lot like they were ripped from an Austin Powers film, you find that you are in pursuit of the shattered shards of a time crystal that has you and your agency caught up in a distorting time loop. Across time you will chase, and deal with the enemy threat as you try to correct this peculiar predicament. Using weapons, fighting skills, and enhanced abilities afforded to you, you will face waves of minions and out of this world bosses. Both alone, and with tag-along companions you meet along the way. 

As an agent you have a certain set of skills with which to dispatch the bad guys. This includes martial arts style attacks, and evasive maneuvers as well as the ability to utilize various weapon items like the baseball bat, boomerang, and guns. Unleashing death via combos upon those that would stand in your way. All with added elemental effects gained through a skill tree. The skill tree itself uses coins, and points acquired in-game. The coins being currency dropped from the enemies, and the points being currency awarded for NPC interactions. Allowing you to enhance combat capabilities as well as traversal options needed in the more puzzling sections of the game. 

Gameplay in Anomaly Agent, as it were, is centered around a select number of distinctly different neon lit locales. Each with their own thriving communities, and colorful characters of interest. Taking you and Agent 70 through cityscapes, bars, seedy districts, and the likes as you go about fleshing out the story through conversation and gained context. With each new area comes different waves of enemy types as well as end stage boss fights that take more than simple button bashing to beat. The mechanics used in combat will have you swapping up attack types on the fly while dodging the telegraphed attacks from surrounding enemies. This incudes picking up limited use guns that can be used to more quickly deal with the encroaching mobs. 

In addition to combat there are some puzzle elements involved including those that involve portals as well as the use of gameplay gimmicks like the boomerang to open up access to new areas, traverse said areas, carefully scale through those areas, and avoid hazards as you navigate it all. 

Visually, and audibly Anomaly Agent makes it's mark as a noteworthy indie game. It sports it's own unique take on the indie pixel designs of the modern era, and is accented by a synth wave soundtrack that compliments each and every part of the adventure. The game looks good both in handheld mode as well as on the big screen in docked mode. The latter being my preferred method of play as it allows me access to a standard controller. Something that lessens the physical strain from the somewhat awkward control scheme. 

The Verdict ...

Anomaly Agent is one of those games that caught me completely by surprise. I did not even know it was a thing until Phew Phew Games contacted me. After seeing the preview trailer I couldn't say no. I wanted to know what the game was about, and if it was good. To that end Anomaly Agent definitely impressed. It's combat was solid. The platforming also added enough variety to traversal and progress to make the game's locales you encounter seem all the more interesting and engaging. Things like character conversations that offered rewards for picking a certain reply also opened the game up to potential follow-up playthroughs. 

When it comes to the soundtrack it was good, REALLY good. It fit the whole cyberpunk vibe, and had a notable variety that complimented it's placement within each part of the game. Visually the game is also very impressive. I dug the pixel art, and the level design. While it may not technically be something entirely new it is it's own thing. It's games like this that make me want to pick up my Nintendo Switch, and play it more often than I do. For that reason, and all the reasons above Anomaly Agent get's the Inferno's fiery seal of approval! Don't miss this sleeper hit!