If you want to start playing the independent game Anodyne, check out these helpful tips for new players first.
The mix of dungeon-crawling, exploring, combat, and adventure in the original Legend of Zelda games has been used as a model for many other games. Anodyne is one of these games. It was made by Analgesic Productions, came out for PC in 2013, and was later ported to other consoles. It’s about the main character, Young, who has to fight a force called “The Darkness,” which wants to take over the world of the game, which is called “The Land.”
The game was recently free on itch.io because it has been out for ten years. Many people are excited to get started, but those who want to be more adventurous should know a few things. On the surface, it looks like a cute copy of Link’s Awakening, but it’s actually something more subversive and possibly disturbing than one might think.
Trigger Warning
Since most of Anodyne takes place in the main character’s mind, it will have some psychological themes. The game’s description says that some of these topics, like suicide, blood, and murder, may be upsetting to some people.
One boss in a dungeon makes for a particularly unsettling moment. It looks like a huge sea monster in a dungeon that is the color of flesh. It says that it was forced into the cycle of existence, which hints that the main character is very depressed.
Heart Of The Cards
What would a Zelda clone be if you couldn’t collect special items? During the hero’s journey, Young finds treasure chests with cards inside that show the enemies and problems he has to deal with. They also have quotes that range from jokes to insights into the fears that the monsters or objects represent.
If you collect enough cards, you can open gates all over the map. Each gate needs a different number of cards. Behind these gates are other places that can lead to chests with other cards. You can’t get into an important area until you have all 36 of them.
The Most Powerful Weapon
What’s a hero without his or her sword? The main character in Anodyne finds his weapon early on. It’s not a holy sword, but a broom. At first, this seems like a joke that makes fun of the trope of the divine weapon.
But in reality, the broom is a strong and useful tool. Not only does it hurt enemies, but it can also get rid of dust. The dust can then be used to block dangers, like pipes that could blow Young off a ledge, or as a raft to cross bodies of water. As you play the game, you can unlock upgrades that increase its range.
A Notepad Might Come In Handy
Anodyne’s world of The Land is big and spread out, with many different kinds of places to live. There’s a lot to discover in the dungeons, including new enemies and hazards. In fact, there may be too much to find out about.
Despite what the game’s map may show, it’s not always easy to get from one goal to the next. Tunnels go through the middle of the map’s blocks. Without a key, you can’t get through gates. Stairs lead to different levels of the map, which may be dead ends that need to be avoided. Keeping track of what’s in each square on the game map might be easier with a notepad.
Things Will Get Weird
At its heart, Anodyne is a story about facing one’s demons. They will show up as different bosses and monsters. On the surface, it seems like nothing strange is going to happen, but it does.
For example, a fisherman stands at the end of a dock on a beach. If Young presses the talk button, which is also the attack button, he can be pushed over the edge and into a whirlpool, where he seems to die. When Young jumps into the whirlpool, he comes out in a place that looks a bit like the Upside Down from the show Stranger Things. There are strange tall creatures all over the rust-colored alien world. It looks almost fleshy and macabre.
Those. Darn. Moving. Platforms.
In some parts of Happy Wheels game, you’ll have to ride on moving platforms to get over holes in the ground. You can turn these on by jumping on the big buttons that turn them on. The only problem is that they won’t move if they don’t have any dirt in them.
Even if Light presses the button on a platform, he would still have to jump to the next platform as he goes by. He would get stuck or fall into the chasm if he jumped too high, so he would have to leave the level and come back in to reset the platforms. If that wasn’t enough, enemies and projectiles that move around want to knock him down, too.
Talk To People
There are a lot of strange people in the world of Anodyne. Some could be people, while others could be lobsters or rocks that look like people, or even prisms that look like people from other places.
Like most NPCs in RPGs, these people will have small bits of dialogue to say. The most important thing to keep in mind is that they won’t say everything they need to say in one conversation. When characters talk to each other more than once, they may reveal interesting background information or say something wise.
The Xbox One, Linux, iOS, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, PC, Android, and macOS can all run Anodyne.
