Naylorben
2016
Anatomy is a game that made me very glad I live in a small one-bedroom flat because when I finished playing it wouldn’t take too long to check all the rooms.
Even then, peering into the kitchen and switching the light on, opening the fridge, checking the bathroom, and then further down the hallway finally peering into the living room was an anxious experience.
Anatomy is the terror you felt as a child when you had to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and that short distance between your bedroom and the bathroom seemed to stretch on forever. Even worse is if this happened in a home you were staying in on holiday and for some reason you had to go all the way downstairs to use the toilet, and it was the most terrifying thing in the world. Keeping you back to the wall as you navigate this unknown space so nothing can grab you from behind.
I’m not even sure that actually happened to me and yet it feels like an almost universal memory. There are various memories I have of holidays as a child staying in unfamiliar homes. These memories are too faded now that I probably couldn’t even place enough details to ask my parents or siblings “what was up with that place, when did we go there, why?” But they linger sometimes, vague memories of unfamiliar liminal spaces that create a sense of unease. Houses where you were too young to really understand the dimensions of the physical space so it feels like any room could lead to anything else.
Anatomy isn’t actually about any of these things by the way, but it triggered these memories in me. It’s more particularly about the house itself that seems to be malevolent, and I think that’s a fascinating facet to the fear I’m thinking of. that a physical space itself can have it out for you. Something that has motives beyond human understanding, and yet it’s supposed to be a familiar, mundane and comforting space.
Obviously, Anatomy is a game that you’re best off going in knowing as little as possible, it’s well worth checking out, Kitty Horroshow also has other free games her available from her site.
Even then, peering into the kitchen and switching the light on, opening the fridge, checking the bathroom, and then further down the hallway finally peering into the living room was an anxious experience.
Anatomy is the terror you felt as a child when you had to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and that short distance between your bedroom and the bathroom seemed to stretch on forever. Even worse is if this happened in a home you were staying in on holiday and for some reason you had to go all the way downstairs to use the toilet, and it was the most terrifying thing in the world. Keeping you back to the wall as you navigate this unknown space so nothing can grab you from behind.
I’m not even sure that actually happened to me and yet it feels like an almost universal memory. There are various memories I have of holidays as a child staying in unfamiliar homes. These memories are too faded now that I probably couldn’t even place enough details to ask my parents or siblings “what was up with that place, when did we go there, why?” But they linger sometimes, vague memories of unfamiliar liminal spaces that create a sense of unease. Houses where you were too young to really understand the dimensions of the physical space so it feels like any room could lead to anything else.
Anatomy isn’t actually about any of these things by the way, but it triggered these memories in me. It’s more particularly about the house itself that seems to be malevolent, and I think that’s a fascinating facet to the fear I’m thinking of. that a physical space itself can have it out for you. Something that has motives beyond human understanding, and yet it’s supposed to be a familiar, mundane and comforting space.
Obviously, Anatomy is a game that you’re best off going in knowing as little as possible, it’s well worth checking out, Kitty Horroshow also has other free games her available from her site.
2021
At the time I got on pretty well with the original as a platformer, and didn’t seem to have the difficulties that a lot of people seemed to have. So, I was surprised that I did find this very difficult to control and was soon turning on some of the accessibility options.
I think what messed with my head is the placement of the lb/lt and rb/rt on screen. I understand why they’re how they are, but it feels wrong to me, and there was no way change it. It is fun to move around in the game and utilize the powers, but it also very easy to make mistakes which makes me wish it had been designed in a way that was more naturally forgiving and felt tighter so I wouldn’t feel a need to shortcut to options that make it easier
Not a major problem though because the real joy of the game is the story, and this does the Pixar style thing of having something kid-friendly go deep into darker topics of trauma very well. There’s a real empathy and understanding, that feels like an important progression on the first game, as tackling topics of mental health in the same way wouldn’t really fly. So, it’s a real achievement to just make a sequel to Psychonauts, that still has the same spirit of a game released 16 years ago, but also feels contemporary and mindful of how times have changed since.
I think what messed with my head is the placement of the lb/lt and rb/rt on screen. I understand why they’re how they are, but it feels wrong to me, and there was no way change it. It is fun to move around in the game and utilize the powers, but it also very easy to make mistakes which makes me wish it had been designed in a way that was more naturally forgiving and felt tighter so I wouldn’t feel a need to shortcut to options that make it easier
Not a major problem though because the real joy of the game is the story, and this does the Pixar style thing of having something kid-friendly go deep into darker topics of trauma very well. There’s a real empathy and understanding, that feels like an important progression on the first game, as tackling topics of mental health in the same way wouldn’t really fly. So, it’s a real achievement to just make a sequel to Psychonauts, that still has the same spirit of a game released 16 years ago, but also feels contemporary and mindful of how times have changed since.
2021
The pilot's all like "What are you going to do? Take on their whole army?!" and you want to be like "Yes I am actually I've done this several times, how do you not know this?!" It's a bit annoying really.
The open world has it's merits but it feels a little rote. The levels themselves are very repetitive and samey to look at.
But ultimately the guns feel very good and that carries it through all it's problems to make it an overall enjoyable experience . I wouldn't pay full price for it, but I enjoyed my time.
The open world has it's merits but it feels a little rote. The levels themselves are very repetitive and samey to look at.
But ultimately the guns feel very good and that carries it through all it's problems to make it an overall enjoyable experience . I wouldn't pay full price for it, but I enjoyed my time.
2021
Purely for combat I think this might have been the most fun I've had with an RGG game, certainly since Yakuza 0.
Some of the mini games and side content is also very high tier, though some of the school stuff drags on a little longer than necessary (How many damn robot fights and motorcycle races do you want me to do.)
For story, it’s one of the shakier one’s, without wanting to dissect too many beats (partly because I think I want to keep this spoiler free, and partly because these stories are so long and convoluted it’s hard to even remember.) I think it comes down to character’s motivations becoming very questionable and frustrating. It wouldn’t make for a very interesting story if they did, but you really just want certain characters to just sit down and be a bit more reasonable.
There was also some criticism around the handling of a story involving a sexual assault, where I felt like it wasn’t as problematic as described in some reviews, but it also wasn’t particularly well handled either. It doesn’t come across to me like it’s any kind of commentary on the #metoo movement. But it is written by Japanese men who are very disconnected and don’t quite have the nuance and understanding to write these topics well.
Some of the mini games and side content is also very high tier, though some of the school stuff drags on a little longer than necessary (How many damn robot fights and motorcycle races do you want me to do.)
For story, it’s one of the shakier one’s, without wanting to dissect too many beats (partly because I think I want to keep this spoiler free, and partly because these stories are so long and convoluted it’s hard to even remember.) I think it comes down to character’s motivations becoming very questionable and frustrating. It wouldn’t make for a very interesting story if they did, but you really just want certain characters to just sit down and be a bit more reasonable.
There was also some criticism around the handling of a story involving a sexual assault, where I felt like it wasn’t as problematic as described in some reviews, but it also wasn’t particularly well handled either. It doesn’t come across to me like it’s any kind of commentary on the #metoo movement. But it is written by Japanese men who are very disconnected and don’t quite have the nuance and understanding to write these topics well.
2021
Loved it. I do think the roguelike aspects up top feels unnecessarily harsh. Creates an unnecessary barrier that stops you seeing the first big twist. If it hadn't been for realizing you can kind of save scum, I might have given up before I got to that point. But I'm glad I persevered.
If you're familiar with Pony Island, you'll kind of know what to expect in a way, but this goes so much further with similar ideas, but also feels a lot more refined.
If you're familiar with Pony Island, you'll kind of know what to expect in a way, but this goes so much further with similar ideas, but also feels a lot more refined.