The Anacrusis

The Anacrusis is a co-op shooter with remarkably few surprises and surprisingly unremarkable gunplay.

The Anacrusis is yet another shooter, but it immediately stands out for its original setting. In terms of both gameplay and technical aspects, it feels very much like a clone of Left 4 Dead. So if you’re looking for something new and fresh, we definitely recommend the game, but it doesn’t offer anything groundbreaking in terms of gameplay. The Anacrusis is still in development, so it’s important to give the developers some time and wait to see what new special missions and maps they have in store for us. However, one thing is certain: if you want to play something familiar, albeit a little different, this game is perfect for you. We don’t recommend buying it at full price, though.

For an early access game, we cant expect The Anacrusis to be perfect. The Jetsons themed retro-futuristic setting is brimming with potential, none of which is used effectively. The bland characters fit right in with the bland soundtrack and story. It feels as though the strength came from the theme and when it came to designing the rest of the game, everyone ran out of ideas. It's a swing and a miss, quite a shame when the potential was there but could not be realised.

The Anacrusis has a long road ahead to win the heart of co-op shooters' lovers.

The Anacrusis falls behind the heavyweights in the four-player, cooperative first-person shooter genre. Although this is an unfinished game, currently, the game offers almost nothing to motivate me in wanting to play this again.

To say that The Anacrusis is better with friends is an incredible understatement, as it’s less like a different experience and more like a completely different game. Everything just feels more cohesive with co-op. Teamwork and communication make objectives and combat more exciting, while death feels less like a chore. This is the type of game that is meant to be played one way and one way only, but when it’s that much better, there’s nothing really wrong with that, and The Anacrusis is well worth anyone's time if they can put together their own team to tackle it with.

The Anacrusis’ Game Preview launch is plagued with performance issues. In its current form, it also lacks any kind of identity, punch, or vigour. It is one of the most lacklustre games of its genre right now and Stray Bombay has a lot to do to make this the refreshing co-op experience many expected it to be.

The Anacrusis looks to be everything I want from a spiritual successor to Left 4 Dead. The pick up and play nature is compelling from the drop, and the 70s sci-fi setting is so refreshing. The AI Driver really makes every session totally different, facing different combinations of aliens in different settings doesn’t get stale. I know the next few months of my life will be spent replaying the game over and over again with my partner, and I can’t wait.