Anonymous;Code Critic Reviews

The Science Adventure series has always been the “AAA” of visual novels, offering production values and sheer confidence in the experience that is well beyond what almost anyone else can achieve. Anonymous;Code is, apparently, the end of its particular series, and that’s a massive pity, simply because I don’t think I could ever get sick of this kind of creativity. However, as an anthology of stories, the Science Adventure series are a masterwork within video games, and Anonymous;Code is the perfect, thought provoking, intelligent “page turner” to end things on.

Anonymous;Code is a stellar addition to the Science Adventure that’s sure to please fans, but still holds enough for newcomers to jump into as well.

With a solid localization and a gripping story, Anonymous;Code is definitely a game I would recommend to basically anyone who enjoys visual novels or sci-fi. Very few games had me Googling terms and events with the fervor I had when playing this. It simultaneously made me feel like the biggest idiot and the smartest person in the room. You just can’t put a price on that feeling.

Anonymous;Code is the pinnacle of the science adventure series. A very eccentric game that may not be for everyone, but that fans of the universe of works like Steins;Gate or Chaos;Child will enjoy for sure. If what you're looking for is an eccentric and somewhat complex story full of crazy science fiction twists, you can't miss it.

Overall Anonymous;Code is one of the more interesting visual novels I have played. The animated 3D models used in place of the usual static 2D character portraits do a fantastic job of giving each character personality by making them feel more alive and expressive. The soundtrack is also great, composed by series regular Takeshi Abo, and it especially shines during particularly action heavy scenes. The localization is overall solid though there were a few typos here and there as well as a line or two that felt a little stilted or awkward, but again these do not occur very often. I am not sure if I would put it at the same level as its most successful predecessor (Steins;Gate), but Anonymous;Code is a very worthy addition to the Science Adventure series and a game that anybody interested in visual novels should definitely take a look at.

If you’re looking for another game that will do for you what Steins;Gate did, I regret to say that I don’t think that will be Anonymous;Code. Once you get past that, this is a really slick visual novel that will take you on a sharply-written science-fiction adventure that will leave you twisted in knots. Its relatively speedy pace will appeal to many, and while its characters and central interactive aspect aren’t as good as one might hope, Anonymous;Code is still a superb story that is more than worth experiencing.

Anonymous;Code is the best Science Adventure release since the original Steins;Gate thanks to its superb localization, story, and characters. This is an essential on Nintendo Switch, and only held back by a few issues.

Given the novel’s taut pacing, likable leads, and first-rate aesthetics, Anonymous;Code serves as one of the most approachable entry points into the Science Adventure games. It might not top the emotional crests of Steins;Gate, but it's every bit as wonderfully mind-bending.

Just as the Science Adventure games posit that human perception affects reality, not every player will experience Anonymous;Code the same way. For those new to the franchise, this latest entry is an imaginative if conceptually dense sci-fi romp. For those who have played the other entries, it’s something more — a gratifying culmination of thematic and narrative strands roughly 15 years in the making. Either way, Anonymous;Code has something special to say about the universe, the soul, and video games as a medium.

While the story could have been fleshed out more, and the interactivity needs a lot of improvement, it doesn't change the fact that Anonymous Code is one of the few visual novels that display a significant amount of effort.

Does Mages have me back with Anonymous;Code? I think so. That might be a surprising answer given everything I’ve said above, but I can see the bones of what the developer wanted to pull off here. There are some fun moments, and I enjoyed my time with it, but that outline of something better makes it clear that this game doesn’t live up to what it could have been. So, I once again live in hope, hope that the next time I load into a Science Adventure game, I can see their full ambitions realized.

ANONYMOUS;CODE is a story that requires a solid time investment from you. It’s a difficult story to grasp at first and things only get weirder from there. But if you do put in the time, you will experience a thrilling sci-fi adventure like no other. The concept of reloading previous saves is taken to another level and it’s done well. You really feel like you stepped into a realistic future that we might experience one day. It’s not a perfect story by any means and there are moments where the immersion is broken. But even with the flaws, it’s a visual novel that delivers on its premise and keeps you hooked.