While playingAnger Foot, I often wished the game had been something else. Don’t get me wrong, the formula is good, it’s kind ofSUPERHOTmixing with the brilliance ofHotline Miami, but it’s when the game veers away from the short, action-packed levels thatAnger Footshows it has more to it.
I’ll come to the gameplay in a moment, but let’s take a second to appreciate the style of this game. It’s often said that style over substance is a bad thing, but when the style is this good, I can’t help but be impressed. The game takes place in Shit City, a place where crime is rife. So rife that literally everyone is a criminal.
Anger Foot - Devolver Digital
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There was a moment when I was free-roaming within a level and approached two youngsters. One of them told me that when they went up the next set of stairs, they got mugged. The person next to them, with delightful comic timing said, “I’m a mugger.” You get the idea, everyone is a bad guy. Except they’re not. I met one crocodile-looking character who wanted to learn to read and blamed the poor education system of Shit City. He seemed nice.
It’s these moments whereAnger Footshines. It’s a bit silly, the characters are these weird larger-than-life creatures who look a bit like Muppets strung out on meth. The entire city has a charm to it. Of course, it’s supposed to be over-the-top and a little crude - there are often NPCs taking a leak in random places with a blurred bar over their sensitive areas - but it taps into a level of humour that I just wanted more of. Sadly, you don’t get much of that during the individual levels and these moments of exploration are few.
Anger Foot - Devolver Digital
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The combat, for the first few levels, takes some getting used to. Much likeHotline Miami, death comes often. Taking just a couple of shots from grunts will kill you, even less are needed from advanced enemies that are happy to throw around explosives. The problem with this is the repetition. Because the enemies spawn in the same place every time, each try feels more like a lesson in memorisation rather than learning how to combat each enemy. This is particularly so when everything dies to just one bullet. There’s no need for the SMG, for example, as the pistol does the job. And if they get close to you, a kick will suffice.
After the first part of the city, I felt like I’d already seen everythingAnger Foothad to offer. The visuals and art style got better, plus there are some very cool enemies to see further down the line, but the combat never really won me over. I’d enter a level, die, learn where enemies spawned, and then play it slowly to shoot them before they even got a chance to see me. It left me wondering what the developer was going for.
Anger Foot - Devolver Digital
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Speedrunners will have a blast, but playing fast just gets you killed quickly, though playing slow takes away the frenetic energy the game feels like it both needs and starts with. I knew I could play with speed, but why would I when I could beat a level taking it cautiously? Here’s another thing, once you’ve kicked down a door, the enemies will stream towards you. If you want, you can stand just inside the doorway and hold down the kick button. Suddenly, everything is getting booted into oblivion. Taking away any sense of improvisation surely removes the sense of joy?
Suddenly, the only way I was dying was from cheap attacks that come from behind, or from overly punishing rooms filled with a variety of enemies, leaving only a fraction of leniency.
There’s a lot of replayability, however. Completing a stage rewards you with a gold star, though there are more to claim if you complete certain tasks, like only kicking everything, or speedrunning the level. While this adds another layer, your mileage will only go as far as your patience.
Those stars go towards unlocking new shoes, all of which have a neat little feature. Some will electrocute enemies, another will replenish your ammo, while yet another pair gives you a double jump. Much like the different guns though, the lack of experimentation means that you’ll likely stick with the sandals that give you an extra life and resurrect you on the spot.
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Anger Foot - Devolver Digital
There’s a terrific game in here somewhere, but it’s tough to find among the odd choices in its creation. Odd highlights will pop up, like booting a grenade back to the lobber or puzzling your way around the bosses that can be ridiculously tough, and some chaotic moments will remove your cheese strats and force you to take on everything with your foot and your guns. I just wish there was more of this. Or at least some randomness that urges you to play around with everything included.
Pros: Great identity, often funny, chaotic gunplay, and amazing style
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Cons: Restrictive gameplay, repetitive, can be frustrating
For fans of: Hotline Miami, Neon White, SUPERHOT
6/10: Good
Topics:Indie Games,PC,Steam
