
Sometimes a game will come along and be absolutely not what you expected at all. Anglerfish is absolutely one of those games. Sure, there may be signs that hint at the game’s true design, such as a bearded protagonist in a schoolgirl outfit, or the game switching to Very Hard mode should you attempt to choose an easier difficulty; but even those don’t really prepare you for the absolute mindfuck that lies ahead.
Many thanks to the publisher for the review code.
LET’S DO THE TIME LOOP AGAIN
After an opening section that asks you to choose between one of three doughnuts (which apparently will be important later) and warns you about the game only saving when you die, you’ll soon find yourself travelling to the Anglerfish bar to celebrate your co-worker’s upcoming wedding. The theme for this bachelor party is ‘schoolgirls’, and the husband-to-be tasks the group to get as many girls’ numbers in order to become his best man.
It’s a fun setup, and the visual presentation is really good too. The game has a really unique sprite aesthetic that I found really helped make it stand out. Whether its the non-major NPCs all being eerily faceless, or the fancy-dress costumes reminiscent of 80s classics such as The Fifth Element and Alien, it all feels like the developer had a blast designing how everything looks. Even the animation is really well done, and I particularly enjoyed the moments when your head gets ripped off.
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that part. As you start accumulating numbers, it’ll soon hit midnight and all the ladies will suddenly turn into grotesque vampires and murder the entire group.
And then the game saves. This time you’ll be given a present that will open the way to a shotgun, allowing you defend yourself and head underneath the bar trying to find out the root of the problem. What makes this first new life even stranger is the dog outside who likes to chat with you and ask questions. Few of your decisions matter, and he likes talking about bees a lot too, but some responses will have a bearing on how things play out during your current life. Nothing particularly major, mind you, but it’s always good to be greeted by a nice surprise. The dog is one of those little elements that has no real bearing on the game, but you’ll always be happy to speak to him at the start of a new life. You’ll even unlock the ability to pet him, if you manage to find out how.
Anyway, this initial death will introduce you to the main mechanic of the game: the time loop. Every time you get killed, the game will save and you will start over – and believe me, you will get killed. To make things easier, there’s some element of progress as you work your way through the underground of the bar. Shortcuts, for example, can be found that allow you to skip over certain sections – although there are still plenty of rooms you’ll be seeing again and again.
What makes this repetition tolerable is that your route through isn’t always exactly the same. This world morphs and changes when you die, introducing different elements to catch you off-guard or even accommodating you to make things easier. That dark maze you went through? Maybe it’s just a straight corridor this time. Died to vampires too many times? Have a super shotgun that makes light work of them. The game really wants you to succeed, and will do everything in its power to ensure that you’re always progressing. Sure, there are definitely still moments where you start tired of seeing the same areas, but the game still does a respectable job at changing things up enough to encourage you to keep going and beat the game.
Except, you don’t. Before you even finish the game, you’ll likely encounter a room that hints at more lying beyond the credits – and it really isn’t joking. With a secret ending, and three playthroughs, there really is a lot more to the game than you think. Without spoiling anything, the game does a fine job at continuing to subvert your expectations in the second and third playthroughs, making them something you will want to experience as soon as you’re done. Your knowledge of the bar’s underground will certainly help you in these future playthroughs, but the game will also use that knowledge against you to do things differently.
And there’s not a whole lot more I can say about the game without ruining the surprise. You go around shooting vampires and exploring the basement’s secrets and puzzles, trying your best (and failing) not to die. There’s loads of secrets and Easter Eggs hidden around that help add to the game’s longevity, but really the fun lies in just seeing the next thing that the game throws at you.
VERDICT
Anglerfish had me grinning the entire time as I went through the game three times in a row, with each playthrough containing more surprises than the last. If you’re after a weird time loop game that continuously subverts your expectations, then this game is an absolute must purchase. It does drag occasionally as you start going through the same areas repeatedly, but it still throws enough curveballs to help maintain your attention for the duration.
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