Anachronox is an action-adventure puzzle game released in 2001 by Ion Storm and ported in 2004 by Aspyr Media. The game pits players in command of Sender, a crass and wisecracking but ultimately heroic inter-dimensional private investigator and his rag-tag crew of aliens, robots, and misfits from all over the galaxy. Taking place in a science-fantasy universe, Anachronox puts players in search for the ultimate macguffin and the origin of one MysTech - a powerful force as ancient as the inter-dimensional universe itself.
The game is set in a bright, futuristic yet highly varied world. The story begins with a simple premise: Sender is in debt to a powerful mogul, who sends him a mission to track down a dangerous criminal. The game's various levels can take players all over the universe, hopping between outer space, alien worlds and the city of Anachronox - a fascinating cyberpunk city anachronistically located in an inter-dimensional universe. As they progress, they will meet characters and take on missions, gradually uncovering much larger story.
Players are able to explore a vast world, taking control of different members of Sender’s team as they progress. Initially, they control Sender, but as they progress, they start to have access to other characters, gaining access to their special skills and talents - such as the cyber ninja's cybernetic enhanced martial arts skills, or the alien reptite's natural arboreal abilities - used for navigating the environments and puzzles.
The puzzles in Anachronox range from the challenging to the just plain silly. From the simple point-and-click puzzles involving switches and levers, to the more advanced puzzles involving code-cracking, exploration, and gathering of items and combining them in ingenious ways, the game has plenty of options that will test the solving capabilities of players.
The art of Anachronox is carefully crafted, with attention paid to both the characters and environments. The environments are varied and colorful, from the bright futuristic worlds and alien architecture of the outer space levels, to the brightly lit neon-filled cyberpunk city. Characters too are highly detailed, and feature intricate design elements, a well-crafted animation, and a wide selection of witty dialogue.
Overall, Anachronox provides an entertaining, immersive and engaging experience. The story is well told, the visual design is atmospheric, the puzzles are challenging and the characters are interesting and amusing. It's a fun game, and a classic example of the action-adventure puzzle genre that still stands the test of time.
Anachronox is available for PC, and is a great introduction to the puzzle-solving and adventure genre. It's a game that combines a great storyline, clever puzzles, and a vibrant world to explore, and with its great visuals and characters, it's easy to get lost in the experience. It serves as a reminder that games like this don’t need high-end hardware to look great, and can still look good and play well more than a decade after its initial release. If you enjoy games like The Legend of Zelda and Resident Evil, then Anachronox is definitely one you should check out.
