Developer: Anvil Drop, LLC
Publisher: Black Shell Media
Platform: PC
Tested on: PC
Anomaly 1729 – Review
Anomaly 1729 is Anvil Drop LLC’s debut title where you’ll certainly will have to wrap your head around the world and mechanics of the game. There are some mechanics which are nods to other games and even though they are obvious, they don’t feel like it was done with malicious intent to prey upon the success of other games, but more as a tribute. The most obvious one being Portal. That being said, Anomaly does stand out on it’s own right so it can’t be classified as a cheap knock off, and we’ll tell you why.
Story
You are Anomaly 1729, a robot/android/humanoid being that wanders around Phiohm, trying to find out what exactly is going on and why he/she/it is there and going through the motions it’s going through. The story starts off rather sluggishly as you’ll only be able to know what’s being said as you unlock certain code pieces that translate the subtitles. This creates a curiosity and makes you really want to continue playing the game because you want to find out what went on and is going on in the world of Phiohm. On the other hand it’s quite annoying that you miss out on the earlier parts of the story as you won’t have unlocked any code pieces and the story has already been underway.
Graphics
Anomaly 1729 has been built on the Unreal 4 Engine, and it shows. As you jump, afterimages of the character faintly dissipate and the particle effects are really quite pretty. One thing that has to be noted is the fact that the game is quite blue. Not in a depressing artistic tone on the creator’s part, but the main colour scheme is the actual colour. Now this isn’t bad, as some levels are shaded slightly different. Colours used in a manner befitting puzzle games, under which Anomaly 1729 is categorised. When a surface is blue and the particle effects are drawn downward onto the surface, it means it’ll attract you toward it. If however the platform is a bright orange and the particle effects float away, that means it’s a bouncy pad. This makes it difficult for you to mistake the functions of key elements in a puzzle.
Sound
When it comes to sound Anomaly 1729 could do with a bit more polishing. The musical tones don’t really evoke any emotions. This could be used as a way to convey a sense of loneliness as you traverse the hallways of Phiohm, but it doesn’t quite do that either. It comes across as the tune in an elevator and it feels more like a placeholder. Making the soundtrack more ominous would set a theme which isn’t really meant for the game, as this is more of a casual game than a horror title. If you really want to give it a name it would be ‘tunes of exploration’. When the soundtrack starts looping it really does lose all its lustre quite easily.
Gameplay
Anomaly 1729 is a puzzle game where you’ll wander through the halls of Phiohm and see what happened to everyone as the only company are the subtitles telling you what’s going on. At first you won’t be able to make sense of what’s going on as the subtitles are in a different alienlike language. As you progress through the game you’ll be able to absorb data and unlock translations. Soon you’ll be able to piece together the story as the sentences start missing fewer and fewer letters. Platforming is also a big part of the game and this is where things are a bit wonky. Being able to tell where you are going to land is key in platforming titles, but Anomaly 1729 always keeps you wondering if you are going to make the jump or if you are going to fall short just a few inches. Even if you are right on track you might panic and overshoot or try to ‘correct’ your fall resulting in you missing the platform and falling to the bottom of the stage. Which isn’t a big deal in the earlier parts of the game, but becomes extremely frustrating as you progress through the games’ larger rooms.
The game also relies on shifting dimensions. This means that you can shift rooms around their axles or change the locations of certain platforms. When it works, the game really shines, but when you misclick and you have to reverse everything back or try to figure out how to get back to where you were, it becomes extremely annoying. A ‘reset’ button for the room would be a welcome feature for you to have so you can start from a clean slate to try to finish the puzzle again. The main goal of the puzzles are the doors in the levels. These only activate and open when the room is correctly aligned. So just getting to a door doesn’t necessarily mean you get to pass. You’ll have to keep trying to shift dimensions and change the places of the platforms until the doors slide open. This can be annoying, but when you do finish the puzzle it’s so very satisfying.
Conclusion
When it comes to Anomaly 1729 it really is up to you whether or not you are into physics based puzzle games. If you like games like Portal, then this game will pleasure the ride lobes of your brain. If you however abhor precise platforming and having to stop and think about a solution instead of just hailing it with bullets until it falls down in defeat, this game isn’t for you at all.
Anomaly 1729 - Review,
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