Introduction to Anima Flux
Anima Flux has been generating a lot of buzz in the Metroidvania community, quickly climbing the ranks to become one of the top 5 most Wishlisted titles in the genre on Steam. We were fortunate enough to get our hands on an early demo, allowing us to dive into the dystopian world that Roy and Eileen must navigate. What we found was a game that perfectly balances challenging combat, engaging exploration, and a gripping narrative—all of which contribute to its growing anticipation. Here’s why Anima Flux is a game that Metroidvania fans should definitely have on their radar.
I had the chance to try out Anima Flux’s upcoming Metroidvania title. It follows two genetic soldiers named Roy and Eileen as they search for survivors in humanity’s last city, located on a space ark. The ark is infested with various mutants who aim to tear apart anything in their path.
Slashing and shooting their way through, Roy and Eileen do their best to survive and save what’s left of humanity in the process.
Character Dynamics and Combat
Both Roy and Eileen move at the same speed and share the ability to dash using the shift key, but they each specialize in fighting enemies in different ways. Players like myself, during my time with the demo, will likely develop a preference for one of them during their playthroughs. You can switch between Roy and Eileen seamlessly using the tab key.
Roy specializes in close combat with his sword, while Eileen excels in long-range combat with her bow. Out of the two, I found Eileen easier to play than Roy, partly because I prefer characters with long-range attacks and because I often died more frequently playing as Roy than as Eileen.
The dynamic between Roy and Eileen adds depth to the gameplay, with each character offering distinct combat styles.
Both characters’ basic attacks can be used by clicking the left mouse button. They also have special attacks that can be unleashed once they have enough mutation points in their meter by right-clicking the mouse. Additionally, they each have another special attack triggered by pressing the E button.
When their rage meter is full, they can enter a super-powered state known as Rage Mode. Rage Mode is particularly useful when you’re in a room filled with tough mutants that are quickly overwhelming you, allowing you to clear the room as quickly as possible. It was a great lifesaver for me to use a couple of times.
Gameplay Mechanics and Puzzles
The partner you’re not playing as will be controlled via AI, and you can command them to wait or follow you and attack mutants. Unlike some games with AI-controlled partners, your partner will still get hurt and can be taken down by mutants if they run out of health. However, they can be revived with a limited amount of health… if you’re quick enough, that is.
Sometimes, these commands you give to your partner will come in handy during some of the puzzle elements that Anima Flux has, such as telling them to stay still and guard a certain spot that will open up a locked door.
Local Multiplayer and AI Performance
However, one of Anima Flux’s main boasts is its local multiplayer mode, where you can play with a friend who will take control of the partner you’re not playing as. Suffice it to say, playing local multiplayer is more fun than with an AI partner, as I found the AI to be a bit dumb at times. It would occasionally run into hazards or not watch where it was going during combat, causing it to lose a large chunk of health until they’re on the brink of dying, forcing me to waste time reviving it and leaving myself open to damage. This was particularly frustrating during the boss fight in the preview, which caused me to die multiple times.
The game’s retro-styled soundtrack and stunning art design perfectly complement its gripping narrative and intense action sequences.
As of now, Anima Flux only supports local multiplayer, but I wouldn’t be surprised if online support is added either for its full launch or sometime down the line.
Supporting Characters and Story Development
Anima Flux also promises a set of supporting characters that Roy and Eileen will meet during their travels across each city’s sector, two of whom in the preview were unique and whom I quickly grew to like.
The first is Monica, a funny and happy-go-lucky engineer manning the Animachine, where Roy and Eileen will always respawn every time they die. Despite the dire situation, Monica always has a chipper attitude. Meanwhile, there’s Anrie, an aloof engineer whose wife and child have gone missing due to mass evacuations in the sectors.
Anima Flux combines intense action with thoughtful puzzle-solving, creating a unique and challenging Metroidvania experience.
Roy and Eileen can go to Monica at any time to exchange the biomaterial they find for upgrades, such as shields to give them more life and better effects when they use medkits with the G button (you can also use the H button to give your partner your own medkit), or the ability to have dropped biomaterial be drawn to them like a magnet. The two soldiers can also visit Anrie’s house to check out information about the city that they can decode.
The full game promises more characters during Roy and Eileen’s journey, such as Roy’s friend Aunt Lily. Meanwhile, Roy and Eileen themselves have interesting personalities that play off each other. While Eileen is by the book and looks up to the city’s government, Roy is grumpy and tends to speak badly about them, much to Eileen’s chagrin. Their differing personalities lead to bickering and banter, especially once you die, and they start to snark at each other over their deaths. I’m looking forward to seeing how their relationship will grow during the course of the full game.
Audio and Visual Presentation
Another beautiful addition to Anima Flux is its catchy retro-styled soundtrack that fits each moment in the preview, from fighting the mutants to the quieter scenes involving Roy and Eileen talking to either Anrie or Monica. Then there’s its gorgeous art style, which brings the characters and even the mutants you’ll be blasting to bits to life, making the backdrops of the now-ruined city strangely beautiful yet desolate at the same time.
Closing Thoughts and Release Information
Anima Flux looks to be a challenging game, but one that players will love to experience as they try out both Roy and Eileen’s attacks. The sector I played through in the preview was fun to slash and shoot my way through, leading up to the boss. It will be exciting to explore other sectors once the full game releases in the second half of 2024.
Fans of the Metroidvania genre should monitor updates for this game, as they should definitely check it out once the full game is released.
