Anodyne

 PC
User Score
6.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 75 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 38 out of 75
  2. Mixed: 21 out of 75
  3. Negative: 16 out of 75

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  1. Zero_Tactics
    Sep 14, 2013
    8
    This game is a love letter to the early Zelda titles of my childhood. The story is very interesting and not to spill anything, very meta that can be interpreted in different ways. I loved the art style, the atmosphere and the challenging gameplay. It's a wonderful title by a very talented team.
  2. KrakenOfPepsi
    Nov 26, 2019
    7
    Despite its simple presentation, Anodyne manages to provide a surprisingly high quality experience which I would recommend to most people – although its asking price is definitely a bit too high. Anodyne plays almost exactly like a classic Zelda game would, to me it seems like it’s mostly inspired by the Game Boy era of Zelda games. But the twist which sets it apart from other games likeDespite its simple presentation, Anodyne manages to provide a surprisingly high quality experience which I would recommend to most people – although its asking price is definitely a bit too high. Anodyne plays almost exactly like a classic Zelda game would, to me it seems like it’s mostly inspired by the Game Boy era of Zelda games. But the twist which sets it apart from other games like it is its surreal, mysterious and at times scary world which you get to explore as well as it’s very sombre and melancholic soundtrack. The game has a hub area much like the one in Yume Nikki from which you travel through portals to different areas which you’ve travelled to, connecting the whole game together. The game’s ‘plot’ is vague to say the least. Your objective is to protect the world from the great darkness or something? I really don’t know honestly. The story is extremely vague, and it never really gripped me, nor did I think any real themes were being explored. I quickly came to the conclusion that the story was probably just there so that the game could function. Despite this, your goal/motivation is usually pretty clear; you’re looking for cards to open up doors and keep exploring the world, and eventually you will gather enough strength to fight off the darkness or something. Yeah it wasn’t great, but it was enough. I also didn’t find the a lot of the humorous dialogue to be very funny, just seems like another indie game doing the Earthbound thing, but with a real tinge of angst at times. Now where the game really shines however is some of its quirky little mechanics which it implements very well. Instead of having a sword you have a broom, and this broom lets you collect a patch of dust which can be used for any number of things. It can be used for blocking dangerous projectiles, as a raft to prevent you from drowning in water, used to fight bosses or a way to activate specific devices and so on. Apart from the broom, the only other upgrade that really changes the way you play is the jump ability, which I’m sure I don’t have to explain. Both of these mechanics were fun, and there were plenty of unique puzzles that utilized them super well throughout the entire game, but I also felt that especially towards the end of the game that there weren’t enough fresh mechanics in the game to keep me totally gripped. Having every puzzle revolve around your jump and broom ability doesn’t get tiring as quickly as you might think it does, but it definitely does happen after a while. Thankfully the game is short, and just barely manages to get away with this. A few more mechanics or two to spice up the puzzle and dungeon variety would have been really nice though. But again, the game is very simple, and that’s fine, the game does its own thing and it does it well. Despite its very minimalistic pixel art style, all of the areas had distinct looks and feels and all of the enemies were unique from one another and easily identifiable. A lot of dungeons did have their own unique gimmicks for the most part did mostly make up for the lack of more permanent upgrades/abilities. And a lot of enemies and boss fights despite being very simple, were memorable and different enough that I never really cared about how easy the game was, I was usually too caught up in the atmosphere and exploration of an area to really care. Focusing on its own strengths rather than weaknesses was a good idea, and it pays off, The exploration, puzzle solving and atmosphere are absolutely the best parts of this game, whereas combat, platforming and story while adequate, aren’t anywhere near as good. A few little nitpicks I have are that having too much health means you can ‘brute-force’ your way through a lot of puzzles – like a room filled with spikes doesn’t need to be traversed properly because I can walk through it in half the time and only lose a bit of health which ultimately doesn’t even matter because not only do I have so much health that it doesn’t affect me, but there’s also save points that are literally all over the game which completely heal you. Also, some platforming segments felt a bit off as you would respawn at the entrance of a room rather than near where you fell, this means that I sometimes had to restart puzzles for specific reasons or would accidentally run out of rooms, restarting the puzzle I was doing at the time. As well as this, falling doesn’t damage you at all, making it more of an annoying setback rather than an actual threat. Enemies also have pretty long I-frames after being hit, which makes some combat encounters a bit more tedious than they need to be. And my final criticism is that progress is saved even after you die – so if I complete two rooms and collect the items in there, but then die, I’ll respawn having lost nothing – which needless to say makes dying totally redundant. All in all, it's a nice little game, worth the small price.… Expand
  3. scool1986
    Apr 27, 2020
    9
    Hidden gem of an indie that is the love child of Link's Awakening and Earthbound.
  4. Sevvy88
    Jul 26, 2013
    3
    Just because you can... doesn't mean you should. I really appreciate all the throwbacks to retro gaming that have been coming out lately, but this just didn't do it for me. Maybe it was the awful way I had to use my joysticks as opposed to a d-pad, maybe it was the horrible music, maybe it was the lame story, or the lame combat... or the fact that the game really isn't that puzzling...Just because you can... doesn't mean you should. I really appreciate all the throwbacks to retro gaming that have been coming out lately, but this just didn't do it for me. Maybe it was the awful way I had to use my joysticks as opposed to a d-pad, maybe it was the horrible music, maybe it was the lame story, or the lame combat... or the fact that the game really isn't that puzzling...

    It just didn't take me in. Big let down.    … Expand
  5. texs
    Apr 29, 2013
    9
    If you are in your mid-twenties, this is the only game you should play this year. Its an inspirational game made by people like us, about us.

    I grew up on FF3, Secret of Mana, Chrono Trigger and Zelda. This game fits into that world, explores it further in many respects, and falls short as well. As you go through the game, you realize these game devs played those games, and they    If you are in your mid-twenties, this is the only game you should play this year. Its an inspirational game made by people like us, about us.

    I grew up on FF3, Secret of Mana, Chrono Trigger and Zelda. This game fits into that world, explores it further in many respects, and falls short as well. As you go through the game, you realize these game devs played those games, and they remember what it was like to be a kid. The nostalgia goes beyond the stylization and pixel art. Its as much an homage to the genre as it is to the kids that PLAYED the genre back in early nineties. The game is a gift to its users. For that reason, it gets high marks from me. I have trouble critiquing what I didn't enjoy because it was part of the art. The aforementioned games are TEDIOUS, and Anodyne has annoying spots that require some keyboard jujitsu to jump holes.

    The game features the best post completion New Game+ experience that I've come across. I won't give away spoilers, but the rabbit hole goes deep.    … Expand
  6. UjuidarEhcram
    Jun 2, 2013
    4
    Anodyne is a Zelda-style action game where you explore surreal areas and crawl through dungeons. I really couldn't bring myself to finish this game. While the environments are neat and a bit unsettling, the game's puzzles are really poorly designed and the controls are sub-par, which made this a really frustrating experience. In addition, the map is completely labyrinthine. I had no ideaAnodyne is a Zelda-style action game where you explore surreal areas and crawl through dungeons. I really couldn't bring myself to finish this game. While the environments are neat and a bit unsettling, the game's puzzles are really poorly designed and the controls are sub-par, which made this a really frustrating experience. In addition, the map is completely labyrinthine. I had no idea where I should be going, the map was useless, and I pretty much immediately got lost.

    The star of this game is the aesthetic. It mostly sticks to the 16-bit style, and it does it well most of the time. The music is mostly ambient and a little creepy, which really hammers in the unease.

    Ultimately, though, I found I couldn't forgive the game's serious gameplay flaws. If you think the aesthetic alone will be worth the price of entry, then you might really enjoy this game, but otherwise, there are many better ways to spend your money.    … Expand
  7. violentine
    Apr 15, 2013
    6
    This game is advertised as zelda-esque, atmospheric adventure game. As this game indeed resembles Zelda graphically it's a far cry from an adventure like Zelda. The story itself is one of those 'you don't know why you are here and everything's strange' -types and you have to follow a certain path to advance in it. There's not much room for exploring other than finding the gateway to yourThis game is advertised as zelda-esque, atmospheric adventure game. As this game indeed resembles Zelda graphically it's a far cry from an adventure like Zelda. The story itself is one of those 'you don't know why you are here and everything's strange' -types and you have to follow a certain path to advance in it. There's not much room for exploring other than finding the gateway to your next 'dungeon'. These dungeons consist mostly of week enemies, very easy puzzles and a final boss. There are also sort of collectible cards that are required for you to open gates to new areas but besides that do nothing else than provide couple lines of "humour". These "jokes" feel quite ackward in context of rest of the game being "serious". The audio of the game is decent but forgettable. I didn't feel that Anodyne was really a game, it resembles more to "To The Moon" as an interactive story that looks like an old JRPG and should be counted as one when considering a purchase. The price tag of 8€ is a bit steep so I recommend waiting for a sale.… Expand
  8. TreeRock
    Nov 9, 2013
    9
    Wow, what a great game. Anodyne serves as a fun little Indie game that put me on the edge of my seat for
    hours on end. This game proves you don't need tens of millions of dollars to create a amazing game. If you haven't bought it, seriously, go do it, I mean like now, DO IT for the price of only 10 bucks!)
  9. MacroPower
    Apr 6, 2013
    4
    I bought this game because people called it "atmospheric". However, I was not captured by it at all-- and I'm the type of person that enjoys these types of games. People need to learn that if you're going to make a game with RPG Maker, you need a good story and music to make it worthwhile. Unfortunately, Anodyne is lacking in both of these areas, at least in my opinion.

    It's not    I bought this game because people called it "atmospheric". However, I was not captured by it at all-- and I'm the type of person that enjoys these types of games. People need to learn that if you're going to make a game with RPG Maker, you need a good story and music to make it worthwhile. Unfortunately, Anodyne is lacking in both of these areas, at least in my opinion.

    It's not terrible, but it just wasn't good enough to make me play more than an hour.    … Expand
  10. Cryptik-Zen
    Mar 27, 2013
    9
    A great little game. Slick controls, a nice atmosphere and some real excellent music. What starts off as merely strange becomes a journey into the bizarre. Can't recommend this gem enough. On sale right now for 30% off which is a great deal, but honestly $10 bucks isn't too much to ask for a game with as much charm as this.
  11. Paikia
    Feb 4, 2014
    1
    I'm generally a fan of old-school RPGs, I'm all in for supporting indie game developers, but c'mon! This entire trend of crappy games sold as "Indie", "Retro" or "Old-School" is really starting to get on my nerves! I don't mind the lack of voice acting, I don't need long and gorgeous cut-scenes, I can live with the shallow storylines, I can also deal with the ugly graphics in general. ButI'm generally a fan of old-school RPGs, I'm all in for supporting indie game developers, but c'mon! This entire trend of crappy games sold as "Indie", "Retro" or "Old-School" is really starting to get on my nerves! I don't mind the lack of voice acting, I don't need long and gorgeous cut-scenes, I can live with the shallow storylines, I can also deal with the ugly graphics in general. But what really drive me nuts are the small things, such as, for example, me being able to hit an enemy from 100 miles away.... with a melee weapon! Nevermind the fact that all I really hit was air, the monster on the other corner of the screen just dies and disappears.

    For me, this is a game breaker. It's like the game devs are telling me, "Hey, it's a fantasy game, right? You only imagine you're an adventurer, you only imagine you're fighting monsters, so what's wrong with imagining you really hit the bat right before it died?" Well, at this point I put on my Grumpy Cat mask and shout, "No! I won't friggin' imagine that! It's your job as game devs to illustrate at least the most basic stuff!".

    Needless to say, that if in the past I generously shelled out money for indie games without digging too deep, thinking to myself that even if I won't be enjoying the game, at least I'd be supporting the games industry, that is not the case anymore. I'm tired of lazy game devs selling me crap as "Indie". I'm willing to pay for good games, but I work hard to earn that money, and so should everyone else, including game developers.

    As far as I'm concerned, Anodyne is a bad game. I can't remember how much I paid for it, I just hope it wasn't much. Oh well, at least I'm wiser and more careful now, when it comes to choosing what games to buy, regardless of how cheap or expensive they are.    … Expand
  12. Micolsen
    Mar 27, 2013
    10
    As far as owl rock sims go.....this game was an epic thrill ride. I barley even used my whole seat because i was on the edge of it the whole damn time!
  13. AWG
    Jun 28, 2013
    5
    I can't believe games like this actually still exist in 2013. I mean, you're not good enough to develop a real game and you only can afford free tools like RPG Maker? Don't make a game, then. There are hundreds of lousy and under-the-avergare RPGs out there, we don't need another one just because it's "your own".
  14. JonesR
    Nov 17, 2013
    5
    Find cards and battle bosses--that about sums up this adventure. There's a good number of different environments to explore, puzzles to solve, and monsters to fight. The gameplay is on par with other games in this genre. The story doesn't make a whole lot of sense and is probably the weakest part of the game. This is a great game had it been released 30 years ago. Today, it's just one ofFind cards and battle bosses--that about sums up this adventure. There's a good number of different environments to explore, puzzles to solve, and monsters to fight. The gameplay is on par with other games in this genre. The story doesn't make a whole lot of sense and is probably the weakest part of the game. This is a great game had it been released 30 years ago. Today, it's just one of many attempts to copy The Legend of Zelda and just falls short of being anything but a clone.… Expand
  15. tech-noir
    Oct 22, 2013
    5
    From the presentation, to the game engine, to the mechanics, to the controls, everything is clearly crude and underdeveloped. While it tries to emulate the greatness of the Nintendo classics, it totally fails on every level, including that of storytelling and setting. The only enjoyable aspect is the music sometimes.
  16. FeaxPotts
    Nov 15, 2013
    8
    This is a solid Zelda clone, with a really great atmosphere. The designers do a great job keeping the gameplay dynamic and interesting, with a challenging but not too hard difficulty curve. The puzzles develop in terms of intelligence and dexterity.

    While the dream-like, immersive, vagueness of the world drew me in at first, I did find it a little unsatisfying at the end. Had the    This is a solid Zelda clone, with a really great atmosphere. The designers do a great job keeping the gameplay dynamic and interesting, with a challenging but not too hard difficulty curve. The puzzles develop in terms of intelligence and dexterity.

    While the dream-like, immersive, vagueness of the world drew me in at first, I did find it a little unsatisfying at the end. Had the ending been stronger, I would have given it a 9.    … Expand
  17. Duffadash
    Nov 5, 2013
    4
    The main storyline of the game was decent, if nothing special (and to actually get to the ending you had to collect every last hidden collectible in the entire game). What I'm here to talk about is the 'post-game' half of the game.

    When Anodyne ends, it gives you an item to switch floor tiles, making you able to work places you couldn't before. This is done with the promise of further    The main storyline of the game was decent, if nothing special (and to actually get to the ending you had to collect every last hidden collectible in the entire game). What I'm here to talk about is the 'post-game' half of the game.

    When Anodyne ends, it gives you an item to switch floor tiles, making you able to work places you couldn't before. This is done with the promise of further exploration and an entire (hidden) second half of the game. The thing is; you're meant to use this tool to exploit glitches that occur when moving outside of the maps, to get you to secret glitchy areas. This requires abusing your controls, and works about 1% of the time, essentially making the whole experience extremely frustrating.

    What is equally as frustrating is the fact that so much work seemingly has gone to making these glitchy areas, with 99 doors you have to try and pass by jumping into holes that kill you at different spots of different levels, but bringing up the menu, teleport to the waypoint area, and hope you hit one of the spots that has floor tiles to land on, and is on the right side of the doors.

    If this was truly meant to be optional, it would have been hidden away as secrets, not be your reward for completing the game, and it would definitely not have about as much content as the main game.    … Expand
  18. Krizuwe
    Nov 19, 2013
    1
    El juego en si es muy limitado, aburrido a mas no poder y parece sacado del siglo XX.
    Jugabilidad: Nula, simplemente.
    Gráficos: Parecidos al minecfraft, pero muchísimos peores...
    Sonido: Limidado, apenas.
    Innovación: Ninguna!!
  19. DanySK
    Nov 7, 2015
    6
    Technically poor Zelda-like game with some nice touches. Some times funny, often frustrating. Very poor graphics, and also poor support for Linux. Requires Adobe Air to run, which makes everything a little worse.
  20. HSuke
    Mar 25, 2014
    2
    Anodyne is a top-down adventure game inspired by Zelda, but it falls gravely short in every aspect. It's an incredibly basic game. There is no creativity in dungeon designs. The artwork is nauseatingly plain. It lacks a memorable story. The controls are horribly-clunky.

    Five minutes into the game, I was wondering why it was worth $10. 30 minutes into the game, I wanted my time back. I    Anodyne is a top-down adventure game inspired by Zelda, but it falls gravely short in every aspect. It's an incredibly basic game. There is no creativity in dungeon designs. The artwork is nauseatingly plain. It lacks a memorable story. The controls are horribly-clunky.

    Five minutes into the game, I was wondering why it was worth $10. 30 minutes into the game, I wanted my time back. I continued for 2 hours hoping that it would get better, but I only ended up with a miserable experience.

    I wouldn't play this game again even if I were paid $10/hour.    … Expand
  21. ShadedSpriter
    Mar 15, 2017
    7
    Anodyne is an interesting classic 2D Zelda style game with an earthbound-esc aesthetic - The post game and a lot of the dungeon design does not hold up well unfortunately.
  22. Dubeau
    Mar 25, 2019
    6
    I though Anodyne tried really hard to be near a Zelda game from the past. But for all the nice nostalgia there was also problems. The story is kind of shallow with some strange dialogs and fuzzy logic. I didn't like how they approach the NPC in general. They don't help and they are more confusing then anything. The map system is so basic that you get lost very easily. The Nexus does help aI though Anodyne tried really hard to be near a Zelda game from the past. But for all the nice nostalgia there was also problems. The story is kind of shallow with some strange dialogs and fuzzy logic. I didn't like how they approach the NPC in general. They don't help and they are more confusing then anything. The map system is so basic that you get lost very easily. The Nexus does help a bit. The control isn't very well done in general. The puzzles get too complex sometimes but that was also, the fun part of the game. I also like some of the retro music. The game required 100% completion for the ending, which was a bit severe for my taste. I give it a 65%. I don't think it's a great game or clone, but I do like the effort that was put into it.… Expand
  23. SilverOrlov
    Nov 30, 2019
    5
    The rating will be exactly the half of maximum. Although I love such games, but played a lot of more quality works. I did not like this one, although I saw what was being done for a reason, with some interesting ideas to do, with puzzles. But in the end it turned out that the game seems like... it’s like all the elements are only half done, and then someone like the story-writer becameThe rating will be exactly the half of maximum. Although I love such games, but played a lot of more quality works. I did not like this one, although I saw what was being done for a reason, with some interesting ideas to do, with puzzles. But in the end it turned out that the game seems like... it’s like all the elements are only half done, and then someone like the story-writer became lazy, someone like the designer just got tired, and someone like someone else finished the work only by order. And after a certain moment it becomes just boring. But I also gave a half rating, not a low, because I think that there will be gamers that can like this game... those who wouldn't be such picky as I was.… Expand
  24. Phantron
    Jan 2, 2023
    10
    this game is pretty much a masterpiece. sometimes videogames are just for escaping reality and this is doing EXACTLY that! one of the best soundtracks ever made too.
  25. BugOnDesk
    Jan 15, 2023
    9
    Who doesn't want to fight cute little monsters with a broom and meet other adventurers who ride motorbikes in dungeons? Try out this Zelda-like pixel art game and enjoy the solid quality of gameplay and childing vibe.

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
  1. PC PowerPlay
    Jun 4, 2013
    70
    Anodyne falls between average and perfection, offering a strange, funny, horrifying few hours of old-school action-adventure. [June 2013, p.91]
  2. Destructoid
    May 3, 2013
    65
    Anodyne’s weaknesses would’ve been greatly justified by a solid narrative. Instead, we’re left with a semi-decent dungeon crawler featuring some rather attractive sprite art and great soundtrack.
    Read full review
  3. Multiplayer.it
    Apr 26, 2013
    80
    Anodyne is a well done Zelda clone with a stunning story. The vintage gaming fan will love it.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »