ANNO: Mutationem Reviews
ANNO Mutationem features a gorgeous cyberpunk world full of colourful, interesting characters, vibrant locales and stunning pixel art and animation. The visuals are rounded out by fantastic side-scrolling combat sequences and great exploration into the depths of a city I’d love to spend more time in.
New additions are the various difficulty modes. ANNO: Mutationem could be a pretty spicy action game at times, so less skilled players can enjoy a more casual experience with the new easy mode. The “Hell” mode lives up to its name and returning players will find Ann will have no hope of success. Not the best mode to play on Switch, due to the increased load times.
Anno starts rough, and that’s something you definitely need to know if you plan to dive in. Particularly story-wise, where it shoots off a firehose of ideas in an attempt to set up a core mystery. But if you’re able to stick through the first couple hours, things begin weaving together to create a much more graceful package. Aside from the graphics, I can’t say there’s any one aspect that the game particularly excels at. Taken as the sum of its parts, though, the developers at ThinkingStars have created quite an intriguing experience.
An essential cyberpunk anime adventure oozing in charm
Anno: Mutationem is a great action RPG that can, and should, win over any player who wants to give its rich Cyberpunk world a chance. Even without shining so much, the combats work within their purpose and the narrative manages to deliver a thought-provoking story with charismatic characters and deep moments. The game's performance on Nintendo Switch isn't the best, but the game is still worth it as a whole.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
A cyberpunk world rendered with beautiful aesthetics pairs with simple gameplay for a stunning, albeit straightforward experience.
A game with an interesting visual and soundtrack that makes you want to play, the experience on the Switch deserves a positive note and we can count on a great indie game, different from what we are used to. The grade is less good for translation errors and some frame drops, on Nintendo Switch.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Explore the mean streets of Skopp City as Ann Flores, a lone-wolf combat specialist on a mission to find her missing brother. Sample the cyberpunk city life in 2D/3D exploration segments and fight off threats in an agile side-scrolling combat areas. Switch version reviewed.
If you enjoy exploration and world building with a cyberpunky edge, you'll likely find ANNO to have some appeal
ANNO: Mutationem is a solid game, definitely worth trying with a good 10 or more hours’ worth of story and action-packed gameplay. While there are a few things that could’ve been done better, the things it does do well are done incredibly well. The 2D side-scrolling action platform sections balance out the interesting, but confusing story and is more than enough to keep players engaged and help Ann Flores do whatever it takes to see things through to the end.
ANNO: Mutationem is a beautiful indie pixel art game coated with a sleek cyberpunk aesthetic. It features a story that comes off as a little too ambitious but its shortcomings are made up by a refreshing hybrid 2D/3D game style filled with organic exploration and visceral combat.
ANNO: Muatationem tells a strong tale with its core mystery, strengthened by beautiful visuals and satisfying combat. While its inspirations are a little on-the-nose, developer ThinkingStars manages to carve out its own space in the Cyberpunk genre. Some long loads and minor balancing issues take the shine off a little, but it's still an incredibly impressive effort from a small indie team who has created a world that feels as immersive as any £60 AAA RPG.
I was intrigued by ANNO: Mutationem when it came to other platforms earlier this year, and the Switch version seems to largely offer the same experience but with added portability. Its interesting story and decent challenge, in addition to some compelling world building make a strong case for adding the game to your digital library; a free eShop demo is also available for those who want to dip their toes in first. If you can stomach the miniscule text size and a somewhat flat middle portion of the story, ANNO: Mutationem offers an enjoyable and brisk cyberpunk-flavored adventure.
ANNO: Mutationem's sublime blending of 2D and 3D visuals is a delight to behold and a joy to experience. Fast-paced combat and competent RPG systems all deliver so, as long as you can accept the incomprehensible plot and naff dialogue, there's a lot to enjoy.
Anno: Mutationem is a fun game with a few flaws. The fantastic presentation, enjoyable combat and interesting but off paced adventure is worth your time.
ANNO: Mutationem had a lot of promise, but ended up spread far too thin. Both the exploration and combat lack any sort of depth, the story is nonsensical, and the sprite work looks ugly in motion.
This first title from developer Thinking Stars is a mixed bag. Some of it works, while others don't. It's as though the game is only the beginning of something greater, like an anime pilot or a prequel to a novel. Its stunning 2.5D pixel graphics and deceptive depth get obscured by its overly complicated story and unpredictable course of Ann's journey.
I really did want to enjoy Ann’s story, it’s visually beautiful and has some clever little in-game tricks to its aesthetics. It’s just a damn shame the narrative couldn’t quite keep up, leaving ANNO: Mutationem a visually stunning but muddled, confusing game.
While a convoluted storyline and ultimately straightforward gameplay keep it from rising too high, it’s nonetheless an intriguing game worthy of attention and well positioned to be expanded upon down the line.
With extraordinary Cyberpunk world design that sucks you in from the very first moment, unique mixture of 2D and 3D gameplay, gorgeous art style, deep and diverse gameplay and exiting boss fights, ANNO: Mutationem is a true gem that is not appreciated enough, and it will not disappoint if you give it a try.
Review in Persian | Read full review