Anomaly Agent Switch Review
Secret agents are pretty cool in my opinion, and long before Bond impressed a generation of Gamers with Goldeneye, Secret Agent games were all the rage. There’s something cool about being a debonaire agent, taking down bad guys and charming women, but this game flips that on its head as Agent 70 is not debonaire or sophisticated in the slightest. Anomaly Agent by Phew Phew Games takes being an agent one step further by adding some time-bending elements into the mix. What’s it Like? Suit up, grab your bus pass, and don’t forget your briefcase, as we review Anomaly Agent for Nintendo Switch.
Anomaly Agent sees you step into the boots of Agent 70, as you chase down anomalies to restore balance to the timeline. The game is set in a Cyberpunk style future with some quirky characters, great locations, and memorable boss encounters. It’s humorous, slick, and plays to its strengths with its fluid combat system. You will punch, kick, and shoot your way through hordes of enemies in a variety of locations ranging from skulking through a subway to fighting a lumberjack of a wrestler in the streets. It’s over the top in all the right ways.
The story is furthered by interacting with NPCs in sections of levels where you aren’t surrounded by bad guys, and offer some unique gameplay elements. In one example, I was at a dance bar trying to find out who the shapeshifting chip dealer was. To do so you use dialogue options and then report back to your colleague who you think the prime suspect is. There are a few moments like these that play out in the story and can alter the events around you, leading to 2 different endings that I won’t spoil here. All of this is enhanced by a funky synth wave soundtrack that matches the world’s setting, further building immersion.
The combat system eases you into things with some basic dodging and attacking, but as you progress, you will duck dip, dive, dodge, and … duck. It’s fast-paced and rewarding to time counters or use cleverly placed environmental kills to take down your enemies. You will become proficient with throwing weapons, firearms, and most importantly, your fists. You can also combine these skills to create some slick combos while combating anomalies during your playthrough. There’s a unique Emotional response mechanic when interacting with NPCs where you can be pleasant or horrible rewarding you with either sad or happy currency that can be used for upgrades. Your upgrade can be adding shock damage to your melee attacks, bettering your countering, and adding more projectile weaponry. You will also unlock some powerful abilities that can help turn the tide of battle if you’re overwhelmed, and I found myself constantly underutilizing these abilities.
The game features a 2D slick and smooth pixel art style that really immerses you in the game. Combat is fast-paced and visceral, and it almost pauses when a hit connects making you believe your hits are making an impact. Environments are varied and exciting, rarely leaving you to be idle and keeping you constantly engaged. The characters are whacky and introduced with a flamboyant flair, and despite the 2D-pixel art style, they still manage to ooze character and charm. For my vision-impaired Agents, there are no accessibility options, so further research might be needed to find out if Anomaly Agent is for you. There are some prompts for counters that may help here, but the pixel art style might make it difficult to discern some action on screen.
All in all, the main story will take you around 6 hours to complete, but if you’re a bit more skilled than me you could probably knock another hour off that time. I want to go through the game again to see how badly I can mess things up the second time around so for the price tag, I feel like it’s decent value from a replayability perspective. It features an interesting art style, good humour, and a fantastic combat system that’s easy to use and difficult to master. The over-the-top set pieces are enjoyable as well as the characters involved, and the tight platforming all combine to make this an adventure worthy of fans of fighting games like Double Dragon.
So, What’s it Like? Anomaly Agent is like Double Dragon, crossed with a 2D Astral Chain.
