I'd put off Anodyne 2 for long enough. Sephonie was one of my favorite games I'd ever played, Anodyne had a bunch of really fun moments, EtO had the best core gameplay of any of the Analgesic games, and even All Our Asias proved meaningful w/o any inherently fun aspects. No matter what, I felt that Anodyne 2 was going to be disappointing to me, as I had envisioned it as one of my favorite games ever before even playing it.
It was better than I really thought it could be.
Gameplay is pretty simple, with some fun platforming and a slight expansion of Anodyne 1's 2d sections, both of which mostly serve as a method to experience the true joy of the game - the music, visuals, and characters that make up each of the game's lovely locations. So many places in this game will forever be seared into my memory, as each place feels so distinct and so foreign - while also being instantly nostalgic, something accomplished through both 'beautiful ps2 but better' graphics, as well as one of my favorite soundtracks from any game ever.
But despite all the praise I just gave, the part of this game I can't stop thinking about is the writing. It was my favorite part of Sephonie, and lo and behold, it's my favorite part of its predecessor as well. It's ability to go from hilarious to sad to 'rethink your entire life' is awe-inspiring, and there are so many moments that you can't do anything but just pause the game and think about. Anodyne 2 is truly a special experience among special experiences, and a game that will be hard to displace as my favorite thing I played this year. And it's January.
10/10
Game #3 of 2024, January 15th.
It was better than I really thought it could be.
Gameplay is pretty simple, with some fun platforming and a slight expansion of Anodyne 1's 2d sections, both of which mostly serve as a method to experience the true joy of the game - the music, visuals, and characters that make up each of the game's lovely locations. So many places in this game will forever be seared into my memory, as each place feels so distinct and so foreign - while also being instantly nostalgic, something accomplished through both 'beautiful ps2 but better' graphics, as well as one of my favorite soundtracks from any game ever.
But despite all the praise I just gave, the part of this game I can't stop thinking about is the writing. It was my favorite part of Sephonie, and lo and behold, it's my favorite part of its predecessor as well. It's ability to go from hilarious to sad to 'rethink your entire life' is awe-inspiring, and there are so many moments that you can't do anything but just pause the game and think about. Anodyne 2 is truly a special experience among special experiences, and a game that will be hard to displace as my favorite thing I played this year. And it's January.
10/10
Game #3 of 2024, January 15th.