Anachronox Review

A game ahead of its time, but now outdated, Anachronox was unlike anything you ever played before when it launched in 2001. Anachronox blends the classic third-person, RPG perspective you use to explore the world with a point-and-click style (usually found in mystery games, like the Myst series) you use to interact with the environment.

An unfortunate result of this hybrid style, the game runs slow — very slow compared to modern standards. It can take ages to find the specific item or person you’re looking for, with a lot of running around and meaningless talking going on. It takes a long time to find a purpose for yourself and really get the story moving forward, which may result in players quitting before they even really begin.

But if you’re a fan of games that layer witty comedy into almost every element and interaction, and you can see past the old-style graphics that make characters look like faces stuck onto blocky, human-like dummies, then there is a lot of enjoyment to be found in Anachronox.

Story

You start off by getting punched in the face. Numerous times. And then thrown out a window. And then hit with a club. Very quickly you get the idea that your character, Sly Boots, is a down-on-his-luck private investigator in need of a purpose. Or just a job.

With your deceased secretary, now preserved in a technologically advanced paper plane, at your side, you set off to explore the world of Anachronox — and eventually many worlds beyond that.