Anodyne 2: Return to Dust

 PlayStation 4
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User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 1
  3. Negative: 0 out of 1

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  1. storageheater
    Nov 23, 2021
    9
    Anodyne 2 looks and feels like one of the most intentionally artificial things I've seen in a long while - the opposite of seamless, its boundaries are made extra-visible and its structures are playfully implausible. With abrupt changes in dimension and playstyle, and disturbingly designed characters presented in obscure ways, this game is almost demanding you stop looking at it, to acceptAnodyne 2 looks and feels like one of the most intentionally artificial things I've seen in a long while - the opposite of seamless, its boundaries are made extra-visible and its structures are playfully implausible. With abrupt changes in dimension and playstyle, and disturbingly designed characters presented in obscure ways, this game is almost demanding you stop looking at it, to accept what it's saying first and foremost, and then find a new way to look at it. And then it removes a new boundary, and another, and then it places more and more artificiality on top of itself. It's quite dazzlingly silly, sometimes.

    I think that the decision to make its central plot far clearer than Anodyne 1 was smart - it's still patched together from the things people worry about in dreams, but the choices they make about feeling, pain and forgetting were loud and clear, and the characters get to be a bit bolder and funnier. And what I give it most respect for is how deeply it argues for and against its options, and the people who choose one way or another are not lesser for it. And more respect still for - having argued both sides - not being ambiguous in its own ultimate choices.

    It is sometimes a little too retro in terms of gameplay, but never in an obnoxious way - it's a tiny team, rather than a team who is trying to make things less fun. I think if you're past the visuals and ready to give it a go you're barely going to notice. And the sound is always either lovely, or appropriate.

    All in all it feels like a really personal, thoughtful experience - is it weird to feel strangely proud on the behalf of the developers?    … Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
71

Mixed or average reviews - based on 4 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. Cubed3
    Aug 30, 2022
    60
    An experimental experience that feels like it tries too hard with its surrealism and strangeness, to the point it actually negatively affects what it was trying to do. There are some wonderful experiences in both the 2D and 3D worlds, and there's something of a coherent story lurking in the forced quirkiness, but the pacing, combined with the nonsensical aspects hold this back from being something a little more.
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  2. Pure Playstation
    Apr 27, 2021
    75
    Anodyne 2: Return to Dust is a weird game with a confusing story, but one I completely enjoyed. Nova and her dust-sucking vacuum may not be the heroes we wanted but they are probably the heroes we deserve. If you like retro-looking games and are tired of the big devs who are too afraid to take chances, this may be the game you’re looking for.
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  3. DarkStation
    Mar 12, 2021
    70
    Anodyne 2: Return to Dust is a bit too long for its 12-ish hours running time, considering its simple gameplay both inside and out of dungeons. Reiterating the same ideas over and again works only for so far. Of course, all games can be called repetitive but it’s only highlighted by Anodyne 2’s pedestrian pace and too many dungeons. The game could have used tightening up its dramaturgy and gameplay to better hit home its heartfelt, timely message (of course, there’s a bad ending, too, that is really bleak). As it is now, the road towards the finale that is worth seeing goes on too long. However, for a two-person development team, Anodyne 2 is a true passion project of games of yesteryear. It’s targeted at people who experienced the exciting transition from 2D consoles to 3D games in the mid-90s and who long after those days when the new technology (that now looks charmingly aged) vowed an entire generation of gamers.
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