ANONYMOUS;CODE Reviews
Even if you’ve not played the other games from the series, Anonymous;Code is a great place to start due to its standalone story. While there are a handful of references to past events, these are well-explained in the moment. If you’re looking for an exciting new visual novel, this one is well worth your time.
Just as the Science Adventure games posit that human perception affects reality, not every player will experience Anonymous;Code the same way. For those new to the franchise, this latest entry is an imaginative if conceptually dense sci-fi romp. For those who have played the other entries, it's something more - a gratifying culmination of thematic and narrative strands roughly 15 years in the making. Either way, Anonymous;Code has something special to say about the universe, the soul, and video games as a medium.
While Anonymous;Code is a step in the right direction with interesting ideas and a snappy pace, it still pales in comparison to the best entries in the Science Adventure series.
Anonymous;Code managed to grab my attention in a way that other SciADV games weren't able to, due to its captivating story and excellent pacing.
Overall, ANONYMOUS;CODE is by far one of the coolest Science Adventure games I've played. While the story could have been fleshed out more, and the interactivity needs a lot of improvement, it doesn't change the fact that it is one of the few visual novels that display a significant amount of effort. As such, it is one of the few games that's an easy recommendation to sci-fi visual novel fans.
Anonymous;Code is a stellar addition to the Science Adventure that’s sure to please fans, but still holds enough for newcomers to jump into as well.
A competent visual novel with an engaging story and unique artwork, ANONYMOUS; CODE delivers a solid experience, even though, at certain points, it brings well-known beats from other games in the SciADV series.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
The soundtrack is also great, composed by series regular Takeshi Abo, and it especially shines during particularly action heavy scenes. The localization is overall solid though there were a few typos here and there as well as a line or two that felt a little stilted or awkward, but again these do not occur very often. I am not sure if I would put it at the same level as its most successful predecessor (Steins;Gate), but Anonymous;Code is a very worthy addition to the Science Adventure series and a game that anybody interested in visual novels should definitely take a look at.
The Science Adventure series has always been the “AAA” of visual novels, offering production values and sheer confidence in the experience that is well beyond what almost anyone else can achieve. Anonymous;Code is, apparently, the end of its particular series, and that’s a massive pity, simply because I don’t think I could ever get sick of this kind of creativity. However, as an anthology of stories, the Science Adventure series are a masterwork within video games, and Anonymous;Code is the perfect, thought provoking, intelligent “page turner” to end things on.
I didn't find in ANONYMOUS;CODE the fascinating characters and development arcs that won me over in other SciADV experiences, but this continuation of the saga mitigates this omission with an exciting sci-fi narrative, mature explorations of intriguing themes and the introduction of a save/load mechanic which gives the player an active role in events.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
ANONYMOUS;CODE is a story that requires a solid time investment from you. It's a difficult story to grasp at first and things only get weirder from there. But if you do put in the time, you will experience a thrilling sci-fi adventure like no other. The concept of reloading previous saves is taken to another level and it's done well. You really feel like you stepped into a realistic future that we might experience one day. It's not a perfect story by any means and there are moments where the immersion is broken. But even with the flaws, it's a visual novel that delivers on its premise and keeps you hooked.
ANONYMOUS;CODE is the most recent entry in a series that is already 15 years old and has six main titles but can be appreciated in a standalone form with no issues. The plural themes magnificently explored, the rich characters' cast and the metalinguistic mechanic that has the protagonist and the player interacting make a triad [of elements] that captivates and mantains the interest even for those [players] less used to visual novels that are so focused on reading.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Anonymous;Code may not quite reach the same heights of Steins;Gate, but its exciting pacing and more intuitive path towards its ending makes for a highly engaging story. Despite some preposterousness, it readily captures players’ attention with its take on the near future, successfully blending wider ideas about the nature of the world and science with some traditional and modern conspiracy theories.
ANONYMOUS;CODE manages to explore well its concept of future and the discussion about reality, offering a high level experience. It's a safe recommendation for those interested in the genre, showing once again the high quality of the Science Adventure franchise.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
ANONYMOUS;CODE is an essential visual novel for science fiction fans, which also has a very interesting mechanic called "Save & Load".
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Anonymous;Code is an excellent entry in the Science Adventure visual novel series. It has a deep story filled with surprising twists and an intriguing central concept - what if you could "save' and "reload" your life like a video game?
Anonymous; Code presents us with a very interesting adventure in which its cornerstone consists of the player's reading ability. A fairly well narrated and descriptive adventure where they always explain things in great detail, especially how Pollon feels, which will keep you hooked as long as they are fans of this type of adventure. Good drawing, good music, good story, ingredients that are the most important thing in a visual novel, although with the drawback of having little playable space for the player, as it is a fairly scripted adventure that, sadly, only comes in English.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
ANONYMOUS;CODE is a brilliant visual novel by MAGES. and Chiyomaru Studio that blends the wonders of reality and science fiction for a truly memorable experience. The stellar writing, stunning artwork and CGs, and incredible cast of characters make ANONYMOUS;CODE a standout title in 2023. This is a must-buy visual novel for Steins;Gate fans, and newcomers will be pleasantly surprised, too.
ANONYMOUS;CODE tosses players into a thrilling story set in a post-disaster cyberpunk world that is on the verge of doom.
In the end, the fantastic story gives the perfect gift to players: curiosity about the world we live in and questions about what it means to be alive. If a visual novel can cause you to question existence, it’s doing something right.