Normally, our reviews are of games that are finished and ready to be released to the public. This time, however, we had the opportunity to do an early access review, which means some details of The Anacrusis may change by the time the final version of the game is released. Once the full version of the game is available, we’ll revisit this game to see what has changed.
No Two Playthroughs Alike
For those who aren’t familiar, The Anacrusis is a multiplayer first-person shooter in which you and up to three friends are aboard a stranded starship. You must work together to fight against alien hordes, figure out why you’re stuck at the edge of explored space, and save humanity. Sorted into episodes of content, modeled more like a TV show narratively. The Anacrusis’s Season 1 is just getting started. During the first few episodes, you’ll learn about the characters and enemies you’ll be facing. Within episodes, alien hordes push the team further into new areas. The serialized nature of the story fits the themes well.
The Anacrusis has an irresistible pulp science fiction feel. Bright orange tones mixed with browns create an instantly recognizable look. Weapons echo classic sci-fi arsenals and there are plenty of aliens to blast. Action is fast and frenetic with shooting that will feel instantly familiar to those who enjoy wave-based shooters.
Thanks to the Stray Bombay Company’s AI Driver, called Director 2.0, the gameplay adapts to the players in the game. This means you and your friends won’t have the same play experience twice. For example, you may have surprise health drops when you’re not doing well, or surprise challenges when you are doing well. You’ll also find that when you replay a specific episode, there will be small changes when it comes to enemy spawns, weapons caches, and other randomly generated drops. Rather than progressing through the game in levels at varying difficulties, it is being released in seasons, with a number of episodes–just like a tv show. When the game is available for purchase, the purchase price will include all seasons that are available at that time, along with any future seasons.
Matter Compilers–randomly generated vending machine-like devices– let you choose one of three options of all in-game perks. Perks offered will vary among team members, and may have effects such as damage from certain weapons, healing power if you’re near another player, more ammunition, etc. Be sure to check all areas of the ship as you play because these devices will appear in different locations each time. The effects also stack up throughout an episode, but then reset once the next episode starts.
Aesthetically Themed
In looking at the art style and color palette of the game, you definitely get the feel of a certain 1960s sci-fi adventure series. This is an amusing nod for those of us who enjoy that series. When we recently interviewed Chet Faliszek, he told us that there will not be any direct pop culture references or cameos. While the references or cameos would have been nice, they aren’t needed in the game since it is set in its own universe. Music adds to the implied era but doesn’t overshadow the game itself. It picks up in intensity when the action is happening and adds to in-game humor at some points. I will be looking forward to future episodes and updates with the ongoing story.
Fun For All Skill Types
As for the controls, The Anacrusis plays quite well on both keyboard and mouse as well as an Xbox controller. When playing I did take my time to see how it plays or if I needed to do new key-bindings. Even for newcomers, the game is well inviting if you’ve played first-person shooters as well as games similar to Left 4 Dead, WWZ, Warhammer: Vermintide, or Back 4 Blood. As with most shooters of this type, communication is key and standard mic features are available already. This was especially important when queuing up with random media members and will be particularly fun to incorporate into my live streams. The Anacrusis will also include crossplay between PC and Xbox on the upcoming release.
Closing Thoughts
Overall, The Anacrusis is a game well worth picking up and checking out on both PC and Console even in its current early access state. It was pretty shocking how much polish the team has already incorporated and I’m looking forward to future updates, improvement to the AI, and more. Early access for the public will be available on January 13th, 2022 on Steam, Epic Games Store, and on Xbox consoles through Game Preview. The game will also be on Xbox Game Pass the same day. To meet up with more players, join the official Discord for The Anacrusis.
A PC Code was provided for Early Access Impressions.
