Anodyne Reviews

One of my favorite games of all time. Wish the second one wasn't so different and that there was more like this.

Cool top down Zelda like with relaxing and creepy vibes at the same time. Scratches the Weird RPG Maker itch, if you like Yume Nikki, Off, Omori and OneShot you might like this.

This game is basically "quirky" retro Zelda. If you like retro Zelda you'll most likely enjoy this. The writing overall is charming. Had me chuckling a few times... I feel like it went for that "cryptic" "deep" shit a little too hard sometimes but in general I enjoyed it. The world was always changing to keep things fresh. This isn't your typical fantasy setting and there's very little sense to it so you never know what you'll see or where you'll be next which was fun. If I had to fault the game for something the controls could be a bit sharper and you barely unlock anything combat-wise. Just sayin expect to shwack away for the whole run. Level design/puzzles are pretty well designed though and I had a good time finding everything. At the end of the day it's a good Zelda-like with a quirky world. All you need to know.

A wonderful game with an amazing surrealist tone. It's the game that got me interested in Melos Han-Tani's other works, which I continue to enjoy greatly.

Amazing game. If you like zelda-like games I definitely recommend it. I still think about it months after finishing it, not sure what happened but I enjoyed the journey lol

Anodyne is a game that was clearly inspired by classic top-down Zelda games. If you like how those games play mechanically, I would highly recommend this without any consideration. But there's a lot more to say about this hidden gem. The pixel art is pretty amazing despite being simple. And the music in the game ranges from good to amazing. I first played this game years ago and I still listen to several of the tracks from it occasionally! As someone who believes that good music can bring a game up a notch, Anodyne certainly isn't lacking in that aspect. The story of the game is extremely vague to the point where it's almost nonexistent; a lot of elements are going to be up to your own interpretation. But it doesn't feel like a lazy excuse to not write a tangible story, and instead I think it blends in with the nature of the game quite well. By the end, you might have some idea of what's going on, but it doesn't entirely matter if you understand it or not because the story isn't the driving force of this game. The environments and puzzles are what I think make this game great. Still, there are lots of narratives explored, so even without a clear plot to follow, there will be parts of the game that make you want to form your own thoughts on what's going on. Also, after "beating" the game, there is a LOT of optional content which could potentially double your playtime. I thought this was pretty cool. You could argue that some of this post-game content isn't entirely optional (you'll need to do it for achievements), but there are quite a few collectibles in the game that don't even grant achievements and instead are just there for fun. I like this approach because some of the stuff you need to do for these collectibles is pretty insane, so it's nice that they left it to post-game content that you can choose not to do if you don't want to. Anodyne was a pretty unique top-down experience for me. As someone who loves games with good pixel art, great music, and neat puzzles, this game was super enjoyable!

I played Anodyne 2 around two years ago so while I was familiar with the Anodyne games I really wanted to try out where this hidden gem of a series has started and damn was I surprised. A five and a half hour trip (time it took me to beat the game) that makes you feel as if you are unwelcomed with its uncanny levels and even weirder soundtrack that will immerse you instantly all while losing perception of time. What I love about the series is that it doesn't shy away from telling you that it's not a perfect game and that it's flawed, won't spoil it for you but reach the end of the game you will see what I am talking about. You will feel at home if you are a fan of Link's Awakening DX.