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NOT Daikatana! This is a great game!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 16 / 16
Date: July 12, 2001
Author: Amazon User

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Granted, Anachronox uses an outdated graphics engine, and you can tell.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.

A great game -- like being in a Saturday morning cartoon

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 15 / 15
Date: July 11, 2001
Author: Amazon User

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!!

Sleeper hit of the year...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 11 / 11
Date: June 28, 2001
Author: Amazon User

This game couldn't have come from the same ION storm that created Daikatana could it? Truth be told, after playing this game for a couple of days now I can safely say that I have been sucked into the world that is Anachronox. From the begging it is evident that this game has been brushed with the paint of a masterpiece. This game has a story line, which meets, if not exceeds that of Deus Ex but it is also full of gorgeous environments (who would have thought this was the quakeII engine?!

I took a risk in buying this game as there has been very little press coverage, and zero reviews as of now, however if you are into deep story lines, and intriguing sci-fi role playing action you owe it to yourself to pick up this game.

Awesome blend of RPG and action styles

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 12 / 13
Date: July 04, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Tom Hall and his team at Ion Storm Austin have been developing Anachronox for several years now. Many in the gaming world feared that Anachronox would be another Daikatana. John Romero and his team at Ion Storm, Dallas, worked on Daikatana for several years as well, and was released in 2000 to critical disdain, showing up on the "worst of" list for several gaming web sites.

Gamers can breathe a sigh of relief: Anachronox is most definitely not another Daikatana. It's intriguing and different. Comparisons will be made to the Final Fantasy series, but the PC platform hasn't seen anything quite like this in some time.

Although built on the aging Quake II engine, the programmers have done an excellent job with tweaking that engine to render it almost unrecognizable. The most noticeable flaws of the Quake II engine are in the character textures, although the animation for the characters is fluid and life-like.

The dialog is frequently hilarious as well, which brings a much needed sense of humor to PC gaming. Most action titles seem to have forgotten how important a sense of humor is.

In the game, you put on the trenchcoat of down-on-his-luck detective Sly Boots. There are many quests and mini-quests to discover in the world of Anachronox, and along the way, others will join your party.

The combat system is where the comparisons to the Final Fantasy series come to mind. At each encounter, the camera zooms overhead to show the combatants, with a turn-based control system very similar to Final Fantasy. You can choose to take a defensive, or offensive, stance, use inventory items, special abilities, and the like.

Not since Deus Ex (another excellent Ion Storm title) have I found a game to be so interesting and enjoyable.

Anachronox Anticipation

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 12
Date: June 27, 2001
Author: Amazon User

A friend of moine has been working on the Anachronox project since its inception, and having visited the studios of Ion Storm during the process of Anachronox's creation, I can say that I truly expect it to be a phenomenal game. Every member of the Anachronox staff that I had the privilege of meeting seemed both excited by their game and very intensely dedicated to making it the best of its genre. There was a sense of teamwork and high spirits. The designers, programmers and artists posess amazing creativity and wry senses of humor. Expect Anachronox to be full of both subtle and not-so-subtle jokes and references worked into an enthralling story.

Don't be fooled by the reference to the Quake II engine! The game's current engine bears little resemblance, having been massively reworked into something almost completely other, and vastly superior. The visuals for the game have been designed by someone schooled in methods of film direction. The in-game cinematics are beautiful to behold, as the "camera" moves in ways that would make a Hollywood director drool.

The game will be massive, providing much for your gaming dollar. Great attention was paid to both plotline and character development. It features some truly unique locations, situations, and personalities. In all, I anticipate that Anachronox will keep you glued to your screen for many enjoyable hours, and I can't think of a better way of spending your gaming dollars for July.

From a fellow gamer, some words...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 9
Date: July 25, 2001
Author: Amazon User

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.

Wow! This is a really cool game!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: October 06, 2001
Author: Amazon User

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!

Quirky, Dramatic, Silly, Funny, Stylish, GREAT!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: September 21, 2002
Author: Amazon User

When this game first came out, I saw the names of the characters. "Stiletto Anyway? Sly Boots? This game sounds pretty strange..."
I was right about that. It IS a bit strange, but I shouldn't have let that deter me for as long as it did. I only recently purchased the game, but about 24 gameplay hours later (spread out over a couple weeks), I LOVE it. Not just enjoy. No, LOVE.
There's a lot of detail to be had in the story, something that I find lacking in most games today.
Graphics-wise, I found it to be QUITE good. Mind you, I only have 11MB of video memory on my 600MHz computer, so those good folks who have super powered-up computers and who have been playing the newest games may be disappointed in the graphics. The characters manage expressions (such as a lifted eyebrow or a smirk) that I've never seen before in games.
The battle system is strange at first, but it doesn't take long to get used to it.
Much of the game involves humor to some degree, which makes those dark parts of the plot that much more noticable, and that much more dramatic.
A tremendous amount of detail has been put into the game as far as little sub-plots and things go. I've never seen so many different models in a game, either, it's quite astounding.
It's quirky sci-fi, to be sure, but it has a really enchanting, addicting quality.
I recommend it to those who enjoy comedy with their sci-fi, to those who enjoy RPGs, to those who enjoy adventure games AND to those who want some strong story and fun characters with their game. Well, I guess I recommend it to just about anyone except those who hate comedy.

Please Sir, I Want Some More!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: June 13, 2003
Author: Amazon User

It has been a long time since I last played a game that has such an original story. The world is highly detailed, the characters are hysterical, and the plot kept me guessing till the very end. I know that the visuals are a bit "dated", but I consider eye-candy to be a VERY small contribution to a great game. The only real complaint that I have is that there is no sequel (yet...I hope). Anachronox is a game that can easily be continued without losing any of the qualities that makes it such a masterpiece. There are good games...then there are great games...then there are the elite. I don't need to tell you that Anachronox belongs in the last category.

Fresh, Funny, Suspense-Filled Sci-Fi Adventure/RPG!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: January 13, 2002
Author: Amazon User

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.

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