it's not as good on a replay as it was the first time through... there are a lot of choices that feel interesting on a first play (the size of the 3d overworlds, the sorta-rhythm-game segments, the obvious lampshaded padding in the second half, the metacommentary) but wear off later on.
BUT! this is probably the most gamey analgesic game (at least until angeline era gets released) and i think it benefits from that. by gamey i mean that it feels super in love with and engaged with the nonsense language of video games; where even the ocean and sephonie really stretch for real world thematic resonance, and the original anodyne is sort of unformed and messy, this one feels like it has a complete and coherent point of view within itself, because of the way its different gameplay styles and aesthetics are stitched together. and that lets it access all kinds of emotional complexities and weird little grace notes. (desertnpc/no such scene is the obvious one, but i was struck this time by a missable npc in pastel horizon who you basically steal life force from. and the overall warmth and sweetness of the new theeland area.)
it's a super imperfect game. but those imperfections also give it a very human quality, and i don't think i would change anything about it.
BUT! this is probably the most gamey analgesic game (at least until angeline era gets released) and i think it benefits from that. by gamey i mean that it feels super in love with and engaged with the nonsense language of video games; where even the ocean and sephonie really stretch for real world thematic resonance, and the original anodyne is sort of unformed and messy, this one feels like it has a complete and coherent point of view within itself, because of the way its different gameplay styles and aesthetics are stitched together. and that lets it access all kinds of emotional complexities and weird little grace notes. (desertnpc/no such scene is the obvious one, but i was struck this time by a missable npc in pastel horizon who you basically steal life force from. and the overall warmth and sweetness of the new theeland area.)
it's a super imperfect game. but those imperfections also give it a very human quality, and i don't think i would change anything about it.
A surreal, reflective, and wonderful experience that dives deep into the wonders of dreams. I feel like this game does everything a sequel should do, as it expands more on both gameplay and narrative themes than the first one did. Anodyne 1 walked so Anodyne 2 could win the marathon and boy, did I have a blast!
unfortunately doing very bad with video games lately! the early energy i felt toward them this year has dissipated into feeling like kinda a chore more often than not...which is not the fault of the games i've been playing but i think i need to do better at finding my niches
and this is not really for me...like, i've more or less been informed that having a history with this sort of game makes it significantly more intuitive and without that background it feels more like, tedious than inviting...i got stuck countless times and the solutions were ultimately arbitrary and unrewarding, but again, maybe that's on me for lack of experience
oh well, going back to the beginning to better understand what i want out of games...DS Director's Cut soon!!
and this is not really for me...like, i've more or less been informed that having a history with this sort of game makes it significantly more intuitive and without that background it feels more like, tedious than inviting...i got stuck countless times and the solutions were ultimately arbitrary and unrewarding, but again, maybe that's on me for lack of experience
oh well, going back to the beginning to better understand what i want out of games...DS Director's Cut soon!!
such weird writing, cool out of bounds exploration, and a unique tone