8Bit/Digi

The Fact You’ve Arrived Here

Welcome to another story of how I was introduced to an awesome game during a convention or expo. It was during GDC 2023 that I was given the opportunity to check out some upcoming titles from Spike Chunsoft. One of the titles being previewed was ANONYMOUS;CODE. Even though I was already familiar with the Science Adventure series, I was still wowed by what I learned. Flash-forward to now and it’s everything I was expecting and more.

ANONYMOUS;CODE is the latest entry in the Science Adventure series of visual novels. Players are tossed into a connected post-disaster world that is on the verge of doom. Their choices and actions will determine if humanity lives to see a future.

This Moment in Your Life

One year before the story’s beginning, a cataclysmic event known as “Sad Morning” reshaped humanity. Triggered by a computational error caused by the Y2K38 bug, numerous military satellites unleashed their payloads upon major cities, resulting in over 120 million deaths. Behind the scenes, various governments secretly revived their Earth simulation programs, driven by the need to prevent another tragedy like Sad Morning.

Beginning in 2037, the story follows Pollon Takaoka, an activist hacker, whose fateful encounter with the mysterious Momo Aizaki thrusts them into an unexpected predicament. What should have been a brief diversion turns into a frantic escape as they are hunted by the army. Matters take an unusual turn when Pollon gains the ability to manipulate time (via Save & Load Hack). After escaping the army, Momo reveals the startling truth — she seeks Cicada 3301, who possesses vital information about an impending global catastrophe. To thwart this impending apocalypse, they must intercept and prevent several pivotal events from happening. Yet, shadowy forces are working behind the scenes to ensure this catastrophic destiny becomes a reality.

If you’ve played any of the Science Adventure games then you have a good idea about the story. It once again draws inspiration from real-world events, predictions, and elements of popular conspiracy theories. Added to the mix are also real concerns over ethical uses of technology. Most are ethical concerns over VR / AR along with artificial intelligence. All of this is told through complex and likable characters you will grow to love or loathe. Of course, it also has that sense of humor that is needed at times. 

Delights Me to No End

Right away one has to appreciate the visual attention to detail put in bringing the story to life. Visual novels will either have a mundane or impeccable visual design. ANONYMOUS;CODE transcends expectations by not only immersing itself in intricate detailing but also by exploring various artistic styles. The main game has its own artistic style that emphasizes the details while giving it that cyberpunk look. The artistic direction of the cutscenes is also unique as it has a different style while presented like a manga. Both approaches seamlessly with the narrative tone and setting, enhancing the overall experience.

There isn’t much to the gameplay of a visual novel but don’t think you can finish the game by skipping everything. Save & Load Hack is instrumental to the experience and you need to be prepared to use it at the right moment. After the tutorial, you will need to figure out when to activate the hack. Failure to do so and it’s game over and you will need to start from the last point you saved. This will get annoying so pay attention to the dialogue.

One can’t also overlook how your choices will determine not just the story but your experience. This just adds to the overall replay value as you do want to go back for the best experience possible.

Rip Off the Mask

ANONYMOUS; CODE is another solid entry in the Science Adventure series but it also has a minor shortcoming. This can be summed up with some characters not being well written or feeling out of place. 

When examining poorly written characters, consider Wind Maki as an example. He is intended to embody kindness and optimism, yet his characterization veers uncomfortably into desperation at best and disconcerting creepiness at worst. Then you have the Cyber Force Dolls as an example of characters that are out of place. They are an idol group that also moonlight as an anti-cyber crimes police unit. A bubbly personality would make sense but being an idol group feels completely out of place. But at least they are better written than Wind Maki.

Thankfully these issues are very minimal and won’t really hamper the overall narrative experience.

Close the Loop, Hack into God

ANONYMOUS;CODE tosses players into a thrilling story set in a post-disaster cyberpunk world that is on the verge of doom. The sixth entry in the Science Adventure series once again creates an experience inspired by real-world events and popular conspiracy theories. It’s a story fans will enjoy as it’s everything you could expect from the beloved series. 

Disclaimer: Spike Chunsoft provided the game used for this review.

This review is the critique and thoughts of one writer. If you want to see how other critics felt then check it out on OpenCritic.

8Bit/Digi is an independent media outlet that provides insight into the gamer community of the San Francisco Bay Area

ANONYMOUS;CODE (PC)

9

Excellent

9.0/10

Pros

• Solid story that draws from real-world events and conspiracy theories.
• Its artistic style works to create the narrative tone of the moment.
• Rich gameplay elements in a visual novel experience.
• Ideal balance between keeping players engaged and invested in the story.

Cons

• Some characters are not well written or feel out of place.