Published by FURYU CORPORATION, ANOMALITH is an unusual blend of survival horror, third-person shooting and RPG mechanics that takes inspiration from the likes of Parasite Eve while adding a distinctly Japanese take on the liminal horror concept. Set in a future version of Japan where mysterious Anomaly Zones are appearing without warning, the game follows Reona Minazuki, a 17-year-old girl who becomes a Diver for the government-backed Anomaly Zone Countermeasures Office. Her main motivation is finding her missing friend Arisa, who disappeared when the two were caught in one of these strange phenomena. However, Reona’s own experiences inside an Anomaly Zone have left her with unusual abilities, making her an important part of the effort to understand and contain these increasingly dangerous spaces. It’s an intriguing premise, and one that gives ANOMALITH a distinctive identity in a genre that often leans on more familiar horror conventions.
The story gradually expands beyond Reona’s personal search, introducing a wider cast of characters and revealing more about the nature of the Anomaly Zones, the organization sending Divers into them, and the possible consequences of allowing these phenomena to spread. Reona herself is an interesting protagonist, partly because her dry, cynical personality makes her stand out from the more conventional anime heroine. Her relationship with Arisa provides a more emotional foundation beneath that attitude, while the supporting characters help establish the world and its various mysteries. The narrative is presented through dialogue-heavy sequences with a visual novel-like structure, and although some of the character interactions and side stories are stronger than others, the writing generally gives the adventure enough personality to keep it moving. The pacing can be uneven, with the central mystery taking its time to develop, but the story becomes considerably more engaging as it approaches its later revelations. The episodic structure also helps prevent the narrative from becoming too bogged down in exposition, even if not every subplot makes the same impression.
The actual expeditions follow a fairly straightforward loop: prepare at the Countermeasures Office, enter an Anomaly Zone, investigate the environment, collect useful resources and attempt to make it back out. There is an extraction-shooter influence here, although ANOMALITH is a strictly single-player experience rather than a competitive loot hunt. Ammunition, healing supplies and inventory capacity all need to be considered, meaning that fighting every enemy is not necessarily the best approach. Recovered materials can be used to improve weapons, equipment and Reona’s supernatural abilities, giving each successful expedition a tangible sense of progression. The system is not particularly sophisticated, however. Much of the scavenging involves opening similar-looking containers and collecting whatever happens to be inside, rather than carefully identifying resources in the environment. The limited inventory does add a welcome element of decision-making, but the extraction mechanics never develop into something especially deep.
Exploration is one of the game’s more appealing aspects, largely because the Anomaly Zones themselves are often more interesting than the relatively straightforward objectives players are sent to complete. Familiar locations are twisted into spaces that no longer obey the laws of nature, whether that means navigating a residential complex with inverted gravity or finding a way through a shopping street that seems to endlessly duplicate itself. There are also more conventional-looking offices, hospitals and underground areas, but their altered layouts and unsettling emptiness help create an atmosphere that fits the premise. The visual design combines anime-inspired character models with recognizable Japanese environments, including buildings and streets that evoke an older era. This contrast works particularly well, giving ANOMALITH a look that is different from the more realistic presentation of many contemporary horror games. The environments can be striking, although the actual level design is often rather basic, with relatively little environmental puzzle-solving or meaningful exploration beyond finding resources and reaching the next objective. Revisiting locations for side missions also exposes the limited variety, as familiar corridors and enemy encounters start to lose their appeal.
Combat is built around third-person shooting, with several weapon categories and plenty of opportunities to modify firearms to suit different situations. Shotguns and sniper rifles are particularly satisfying to use, while weapon attachments and upgrades provide some room to develop a preferred approach. Reona is far from defenseless, either. Her Anomalization abilities give her access to offensive and defensive techniques, including attacks that can damage groups of enemies, temporarily control their movement or help her deal with incoming strikes. Enemies can also be staggered before Reona follows up with a close-range finishing attack, adding a little more variety to encounters than simply firing until everything falls over. The boss fights make especially good use of these mechanics, often introducing specific weaknesses or environmental gimmicks that require players to pay attention rather than relying on raw firepower. These encounters are among the game’s strongest moments, and the ability to resume certain boss fights from a later phase after defeat makes repeated attempts less frustrating.
Unfortunately, the combat does not always feel as polished or balanced as its collection of systems suggests. Regular encounters can become repetitive, with enemies that behave in similar ways and a relatively limited selection of situations that meaningfully change how players approach a fight. Reona’s powers help, but they do not completely solve the problem, and the balance between ammunition, health and ability use can become increasingly uncomfortable later in the adventure. Some encounters are also made frustrating by enemies appearing in awkward positions or attacking from directions that leave little opportunity to react. The shooting itself is generally serviceable, with weapons such as the shotgun and sniper rifle offering a satisfying sense of impact, but aiming assistance can make precision targeting less reliable when trying to hit enemy weak points. The difficulty options do not entirely resolve these issues either: lower settings can become too forgiving once Reona has received enough upgrades, while higher settings can make incoming damage feel excessively punishing. The result is a combat system that has some enjoyable individual components but never quite finds a consistently satisfying balance.
There is plenty to work toward between missions. The central office serves as a hub where players can interact with the supporting cast, improve their equipment, modify firearms and develop Reona’s abilities. Her powers are particularly interesting because they connect character progression directly to the strange phenomena she encounters. There are a dozen abilities to unlock, and the transformation she undergoes when her health becomes dangerously low adds an unusual risk-and-reward element to combat. Equipment customization is another welcome feature, extending beyond conventional armor to include clothing and accessories that affect Reona’s statistics. Fortunately, players can separate the appearance of her outfit from the equipment providing its benefits, so there is no need to sacrifice useful bonuses for a preferred look. There is a substantial amount of cosmetic content to collect, too, giving those who enjoy character customization another reason to explore and complete optional missions. Still, the upgrade systems can be difficult to evaluate at times, and the amount of repetition involved in returning to familiar locations for side content may discourage players from pursuing everything.
ANOMALITH’s presentation is a mixed bag. Its combination of stylized characters, old-fashioned Japanese scenery and distorted architectural spaces gives it a strong visual identity, and the best environments make excellent use of the unsettling contrast between familiar surroundings and impossible geometry. However, the technical execution is noticeably less impressive. Character animations can be awkward, clothing sometimes clips through other parts of Reona’s outfit, and the overall graphical quality feels dated compared with modern releases. These shortcomings are particularly noticeable when the game invites players to spend time collecting and experimenting with different costumes. The interface is another weak point, with some systems lacking the clarity needed to make equipment management and character progression as comfortable as they should be. The audio presentation has a more positive contribution through its character performances, which help sell the dialogue-heavy storytelling and give the cast additional personality. .
For all its rough edges, ANOMALITH has a personality that helps it stand apart. Its combination of supernatural investigation, old-school third-person shooting, RPG progression and anime-inspired storytelling is not always executed particularly smoothly, and the repeated environments, uneven difficulty and technical shortcomings prevent it from reaching the potential of its premise. Yet there is something appealing about the way it brings these disparate ideas together. The Anomaly Zones are memorable places to explore, Reona is a protagonist with enough character to carry the adventure, and the boss encounters and customization systems provide some worthwhile highlights along the way. Players looking for a polished survival horror experience may find its limitations difficult to overlook, but those with an interest in unusual Japanese genre hybrids, liminal horror and classic RPG-inspired action should find enough here to make the journey worthwhile.
Score: 7.0/10