ANNO: Mutationem
Developer : ThinkingStars
Publisher : ThinkingStars
Platform : PlayStation 5
Release Year : 2022
Neon Nights
ANNO: Mutationem is what you get when you mix the following ingredients together: a badass heroine who can hold her own in a fight; high quality pixel art on top of a detailed 3D world; an ‘80s neon cyberpunk aesthetic; classic side-scroller beat-‘em up combat; a healthy dash of Metroidvania exploration; a lite smattering of RPG mechanics; and a needlessly convoluted plot that is channeling Neon Genesis Evangelion and other ‘90s sci-fi anime. Put all of that in a blender, mix it up real good, and then pop it in the oven for a good hour to bake. What you end up with is a delicious neon-coloured layer cake, flavoured like ‘90s anime and covered in cyberpunk frosting.
I had a lot of fun with ANNO: Mutationem. Everything from the combat, to the aesthetic, to the story was right up my alley, and I am happy that got to experience this game and all it had to offer.
The Story
You take on the role of Ann Flores, a young woman with a mysterious past and a disease that causes her to hallucinate and even pass out. The story that revolves around Ann’s illness, her past and family while accompanied by her hacker friend (via a robot) Ayane. The narrative is heavily influenced by both Neon Genesis Evangelion and Hideo Kojima with a healthy use of religious imagery and plenty of unexplained jargon and names that lack any real explanation. It is dense and convoluted simply for the sake of it, but it tracks when you look at the game’s influences. I don’t want to give anything away, but I enjoyed it for what it was and could appreciate the tone and style that was straight out of the ‘90s and early 2000s. It’s nothing we haven’t seen before, and at times the story takes a backseat to the side quests, but it was alright.
Modern Pixels
The first thing about ANNO that caught my attention was the game’s presentation: the neon and rain-soaked cyberpunk aesthetic mixed high quality pixel art called to me. With a solid art direction and a colour pallet that really pops, I thought that this game was a real treat to behold. I am also a big fan of the pixel characters moving about a 3D world, and how they juxtapose each other; no matter what game it is, I love this look.
The world building in ANNO is top notch in my book. I love the neon cityscapes you explore, and the technology present in this world is futuristic while still being believable. Metal Gear is an obvious influence when it comes to the mechs and machines you battle, which I am totally down for. Overall, the setting and presentation is ANNO’s biggest strength.
The blend of side scrolling action segments and open exploration areas is a neat idea, and not something I have seen before. I enjoy how the exploration areas (usually city streets) open up as you progress the story letting you explore more and more. The streets are also full of NPCs going about their lives, which help to make the cities feel alive and lived in. It is kind of amazing how alive the level’s feel given the smaller scope of the game.
The sound design is okay, not great, but defiantly not terrible. The music wasn’t half bad, being more ambient than bombastic, which I think fits with the cyberpunk themes. Combat sounds weighty and it is satisfying to swing your weapons around and smash up the thugs and machines that stand in your way. The voice acting was okay, nothing mind blowing, but definitely not the worst I have ever heard.
Who Doesn’t love Laser Swords?
Fighting thugs, machines, and mutants is the bulk of the gameplay, for better and worse. The combat is your basic beat-‘em style, and while you can upgrade your move set and equip a small variety of weapons, Devil May Cry this is not. It is a button masher through and through, with a very rudimentary combo system. Now, it is not terrible by any stretch of the imagination, just don’t expect anything mind-blowing that requires mad skill. The three/four types of melee weapons you can use (broadsword, katana, and dual blades that can be put together to form a staff) plus the three ranged weapons (your gun, a laser cannon, and a rocket launcher) help to mix up the fighting, but even then, it is a button masher. It is mindless but satisfying.
There is also some lite platforming too. Classic stuff like double jumping and wall climbing, once again, nothing mind blowing, but good in its own right. I never found myself fighting the controls when it came to making the jumps, which is a good thing when it comes to any game. Just like combat, the platforming is passable, but Mario this is not.
Put it all Together
Once you put the art direction and gameplay together, ANNO truly shines as a fun experience and something worth playing. It took me about 15 hours to finish it, and at that length it doesn’t overstay its welcome. If you’re a fan of cyberpunk and the whole modern retro feel, I would say that giving ANNO: Mutationem a try is well worth your time. Just know that it is not reinventing the wheel, nor is it trying to, it is just having fun and paying homage to the late ‘90s world of anime and video games.
