ANONYMOUS;CODE Review (Switch) | Nintendo Life

For a lot of the time that Science Journey followers have identified of its existence, Anonymous;Code has been extra of a ready sport than, effectively, an precise sport. First introduced all the best way again in 2016, this sci-fi-heavy visible novel was smacked with delay after delay till it lastly noticed a Japanese-exclusive launch on Swap in 2022. Now, Western gamers have their probability to expertise the sport, and we’re pleased to report that it was (principally) definitely worth the wait.

Developed by Mages — the corporate behind fashionable titles like Steins;Gate and the Famicom Detective Club remakes — Nameless;Code is the sixth mainline entry within the developer’s loosely related Science Journey collection. The sport brings the motion to the far-flung yr of 2037, a hyper-futuristic period dominated by augmented actuality, world simulators, and AI girlfriends. You might be launched to protagonist Pollon Takaoka, a teenage hacker with a coronary heart of gold and a need to assist these in want. After an opportunity encounter with a mysterious lady named Momo Aizaki, Pollon finds himself caught in an earth-shattering conspiracy revolving across the thriller of Cicada 3301 and the prophesied finish of the world.

There’s a motive why Mages’ Science Journey video games are thought of a number of the finest VNs within the enterprise. Like its predecessors, Nameless;Code predicates its narrative upon a mash-up of real-world historic mysteries with a number of the most thought-out, well-developed explorations of exhausting sci-fi mechanics on the market. It’s completely mind-bending stuff, constructing upon advanced concepts from earlier entries whereas tossing in a couple of revolutionary bombshells of its personal. The quantity of long-winded scientific explanations that get tossed round could show overwhelming to newcomers, however these extra conversant in the franchise’s overarching universe will discover its solutions to sure longstanding conceptual questions rewarding.

Nameless;Code explores these sci-fi concepts within the service of crafting a sprawling, emotionally resonant narrative that weaves between zippy motion sequences and heavy bouts of existentialism. The ensemble solid of characters, whereas a tad underdeveloped and much from probably the most memorable SciADV group, are a likable bunch, and their characterization is bolstered by the addition of a stellar English dub possibility for all spoken dialogue. Pollon notably stands out as an instantly endearing protagonist, due partly to an all-timer of a efficiency from his English voice actor, Max Mittelman, who gamers could acknowledge because the voice of Ryuji in Persona 5. Sure, he does belt out a “For actual?!” or two.

By way of presentation, Nameless;Code principally shines. The sport adopts a cel-shaded artwork model for its character fashions and backgrounds, and it completely pops on Swap, particularly in handheld mode. What’s extra, the title sometimes switches to lovely 2D stills and comedian book-style panels for pivotal story moments. The latter sequences are a deal with nearly each time they present up and assist maintain the sport’s visuals dynamic. The one obvious challenge graphics-wise appears to be a case of well-intentioned over-ambition. Character fashions are semi-animated, and whereas we’d usually recognize that further flourish, the animation itself usually appears to be like gaudy and unnatural.

All of that is effectively and good, however there’s nonetheless a significant query in want of answering: What precisely do you do in Nameless;Code? The Science Journey video games have at all times strayed on the facet of limiting participant interactivity to a singular or small group of mechanics, and Nameless;Code isn’t any totally different. In truth, this newest entry may be probably the most non-interactive VN within the collection but, because it largely eschews the branching narrative paths and plethora of alternate endings that different entries are identified for. Which may show disappointing to some, however Nameless;Code partially makes up for it by introducing what’s arguably the franchise’s most artistic and narratively integral mechanic so far.

Early on within the sport, Pollon stumbles upon Nameless;Code’s save display screen — the exact same one which the participant has been utilizing to leap out and in of the sport — and learns that he can create his personal saves and cargo them of his personal volition, all whereas retaining his recollections. This skill successfully grants Pollon the ability of time journey, permitting him to leap again to a earlier save if issues go south and take a look at a unique tactic. Save and Load is what facilitates the primary supply of participant interactivity, as they’ll pull up the display screen at essential moments and persuade Pollon to load a earlier save in an effort to keep away from one of many sport’s many ugly fail states.

Save and Load is a delightfully meta mechanic that enables the story of Nameless;Code to progress in some surprising instructions. Nonetheless, it’s not an ideal implementation — the junctions at which Pollon can Save and Load are tightly scripted, and it may be irritating to try to lock down the precise line of textual content it is advisable to be on to persuade Pollon to load. This mechanic can be iterated upon in some cool methods afterward within the sport, however these modifications aren’t clearly telegraphed, and may sometimes depart you at a loss when it comes to how you can transfer the story ahead.

Revealing the narrative significance of Pollon’s Save and Load skill can be a spoiler-y step too far, however we are able to confidently say that the payoff is immensely satisfying. Via this mechanic and different artistic ideas, Nameless;Code takes the thought of the meta online game to its logical conclusion. The result’s a compelling thesis assertion for visible novels as a style — a narrative that might solely be most successfully informed in an interactive sport format.

Conclusion

Simply because the Science Journey video games posit that human notion impacts actuality, not each participant will expertise Nameless;Code the identical approach. For these new to the franchise, this newest entry is an imaginative if conceptually dense sci-fi romp. For individuals who have performed the opposite entries, it’s one thing extra — a gratifying fruits of thematic and narrative strands roughly 15 years within the making. Both approach, Nameless;Code has one thing particular to say in regards to the universe, the soul, and video video games as a medium.