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Anachronox on Steam - User reviews, Price & Information
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Join Sylvester "Sly" Boots and Stiletto Anyway as they trek across six bizarre planets investigating a galaxy-crushing mystery, searching for artefacts from an extinct alien race and unlocking the secrets of a powerful, advanced technology. It's your turn. PICK YOUR POISON.
Anachronox is a rpg, cyberpunk and sci-fi game
developed by Ion Storm
and published by Square Enix.
Released on October 17th 2013 is available in English only on Windows.
It has received 582 reviews of which 435 were positive and 147 were negative resulting in a rating of 7.1 out of 10. 😊
The game is currently priced at 5.99€ on Steam, but you can find it for 0.55€ on Gamivo.
The Steam community has classified Anachronox into these genres:
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System requirements
These are the minimum specifications needed to play the game. For the best experience, we recommend that you verify them.
Windows
- OS *: Windows XP or Windows Vista
- Processor: 1.8 GHz Processor
- Memory: 512 MB RAM
- Graphics: 3D graphics card compatible with DirectX 7 (compatible with DirectX 9 recommended)
- DirectX: Version 7.0
- Storage: 2 GB available space
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User reviews & Ratings
Explore reviews from Steam users sharing their experiences and what they love about the game.
This game is extremely hard to describe, the most charitable way to describe Anachronox would be you going on a vacation in some foreign country, WITHOUT a tour guide. What I mean is that, while you will see some impressive architecture, history and culture that people with tour guides will see, and you might see something interesting off the beaten path, a lot of what you'll see will be of differing quality, and you'll have to do a lot of busy work. I'll start with giving Anachronox praise for its almost flawless presentation: 1) The Story, while simple, works for the tone the game is going for. It's mostly light hearted, but knows when to take itself seriously. Although I do think the story isn't 10/10 interesting, and a bit overhyped by its fans, mostly because I think we dont get to spend too much time with most characters, and only Sly Boots(protagonist you play as) gets proper character development 2) World Building is, arguably, the best part of Anachronox. From how the planets look, to how alien creatures have extremely unique designs, to how there's decent chunk of lore for each planet, and thats why I compared this game to going on a vacation without tour guide. It genuinely feels like you're exploring not just foreign country, but foreign world. They just dont design virtual worlds or aliens like they used to! You even ocassionally see certain places change due to your action, not often but nice to see anyway. 3) Soundtrack deserves its own mention, while its not AS good as something like Deus Ex 1, it comes close in certain places, Anachronox(first planet), and Democratus(4th) probably are the best examples of the game having such an atmospheric soundtrack, you almost forget the repetitive gameplay. 4) Humour is kind of a mixed bag, both literally n figuratively. Literally because it doesnt stick to 1-3 types of humour, but kinda tries almost everything: from juvenile fart joke once or twice, to farce, to political kinda jokes(cops, poverty, democraacy etc), to environmental jokes, to pop culture references, to meta jokes(4th wall breaks). It has it all but I didn't find that many jokes that are "gut-busting", but I did smile a few times. One joke that did make me laugh out loud, is during the end of credits, so not sure if its a positive or a negative when best laugh I got was after the credits rolled Now for tons of downsides: 1) Voice acting. The problem isnt quality, infact when you do hear voice acting, it sounds good, it helps sell characters emotions, thoughts and humour... If only the actors talked outside of story cutscenes... I genuinely think this game would be twice as funnier, if we had more voice acting. For example, one of the world skills(abilities you can use in hub world to progress story or find loot), is called yammer. Basically its Grumpos talking someones ears off until they just give him what you need. Sounds very funny in concept, and if you do read that yammer dialogue you'll find some funny moments, but its not even remotely as funny without Grumpos VA actually yammering the lines. Its not just your party members who are speechless outside of cutscenes, all npcs are voiceless if they dont appear in cutscenes. Which is bad because tons of humour, and world building is in npc dialogue, and voice acting wouldve made it so much funnier and immersive. 2) Gameplay styles are just mediocre AT BEST, or very dull at worst. Most negative reviews bring up dull JRPG combat, and while it is dull, its not the only gameplay you'll be doing. Besides JRPG combat, which is repetitive due to lack of combat skills(especially early on, late game each character can have 4 skills plus mystech ability), and because 95% of the time you fight trash mobs that are dealt with basic attack, you also have other kind of gameplay. The other, even more prominent gameplay loop is what you'd see in early 2000s adventure genre games, aka point n click adventure gameplay but in 3D where you can just move by wasd buttons. What you basically do is just, go from point a to point b to either listen to dialogue to progress story(btw, hold button "\" constantly to speedup backtracking or combat encounters), or fetch some items for your party/npcs, maybe do occasional "detective" work, then you'll reach the dungeon/combat area near the end of your time on the planet, rinse and repeat for the other planets. Its just too simplistic. Even when you do something more exciting, like detective work, it just amounts with you taking pictures of some items, thats about it. Probably best main quest task was on democratus, where you had to participate in an election by trying to find out what higherups think is best choice. But the game just doesnt do this kinda fun tasks often. "What about side quests?" 98% of them are usually just fetch quests(especially fetch quest on democratus, DONT help the robot, his fetch quest is endless, it takes way too long till you get good payout from him). You do something for an npc, once or twice, like finding a rose to give to a girl that scientist loves, n thats it. There's two ok side quests that stand out for taking a while to complete, aka resistance side quest, and one where you help detective solve a case, but they dont hold a candle to even mediocre side quests in games like Fallout series. There's also some exploration you do, but its mostly for finding new loot/abilities for parties. Lastly, there's world skill each character has, and mini games(there are mini games not tied to world skills). Each world skill usually just helps progress story, or helps you get more loot, They're ok, but heavily underutilised, especially for the last two characters. This is probably the only element of "western rpgs" in this game, it would be better to describe this game as an adventure genre game with jrpg combat from time to time. So despite my heavy critique of gameplay, why the positive score? Well thats because, I still enjoyed experiencing Anachronox. Maybe its because of how novel, unique this game is, maybe because I didnt play too many jrpgs before, so I didnt get TOO bored of repetitive combat(I had more issues with backtracking). But I will still remember this game positively, just like going on a trip to foreign country, without paying for a tour guide, Its not for everybody, it has its up n downs, but you'll definitely have a unique journey to experience. (Also dont get shy n look up guides on where to get character skill upgrades n loot, around halfway point youll just be better off doing that instead of trying to explore on your own)
This game is a rare gem. I found out about it on YouTube and I like the style of game a lot. It looks like a classic n64 game but a lot better. I had to patch it for my tv so I could view it in 16:9. You can mod the game for better textures if you want. If you don't like the 4:3 the game comes in you can patch it. This game is a great gem. I only wish that they would have made this game I to a multi part franchise. If you love classic sci Fi stuff and shows this game is for you.
All i knew approaching this game was that i heard it described as a "comedy RPG" and that it's from Ion Storm, the same guys who made Deus Ex (well, sort of, same company, different studio) I say this because perhaps you are as clueless as i was, and you're going in expecting a funny Deus Ex like i did, in which case i must warn you this game is completely different from what i expected To my initial surprise, this game takes a lot of inspiration from classic Final Fantasy and the likes, both in its turn-based combat and general game structure, indeed this is basically a JRPG developed by an American company Whether or not you enjoy the game may depend on how you feel about the genre, as for me, despite being generally more western RPG-oriented, after playing the whole thing my final opinion of it is very positive The gameplay was fine, many people complain about the combat, i found it enjoyable at least once you get more character and you have more stuff going on per fight, but even if you don't i'd say this isn't a very combat-centric experience: there are no random encounters, no grinding needed to progress and a good chunk of the quests are more about exploration, dialogue and puzzles/minigames Its real strongsuit however is the story/setting, humor aside, Anachronox features an original universe full of cool worldbuilding ideas and it was a pleasure being introduced to it The only negatives i have to mention are technical problems which as far as i understand stem from compatibility issues with modern systems You'll often find areas where, when you walk, it feels like your character is being pushed back by an invisible force, causing the walking animation to glitch and your character to move agonizingly slow Moreover, characters tend to get stuck, a lot. Basically any time you have to walk into a narrow space it's a hail mary. Most times i've been able to get unstuck after some furious pressing of the direction keys, but on a couple of occasions i had to reload a previous save Then there's this problem with the camera, where after every cutscene and combat animation it takes some five or so seconds to SLOWLY pan over and get back in place. This one i'm actually not sure if it's a compatibility issue or an old-timey way to mask loading times, either way it's very tedious and a pacing killer None of these are game breaking issues, just minor annoyances that will torment you through the whole playthrough, more importantly i've seen a couple of negative reviews mention that there is a bug near the end that makes the game uncompletable Having completed the game myself i can fortunately say that's not exactly true, the bug is there but it doesn't manifest consistently In the first phase of Detta's boss fight, where he is in the robot and you have to destroy its legs, after you do that you may find that the end combat screen doesn't show up, instead you remain stuck in this limbo state where everyone stands still, your characters' timers fill up and you can give them orders but no animation will start and nothing happens, and you're left with nothing else to do but to exit the game without saving so that you have to redo the fight Very annoying, but as i said it doesn't happen every time, and i know having to redo the fight over and over until the bug doesn't happen by pure chance sucks, but consider it only happens in the first stage of the boss fight, which is very quick and easy (the challenge comes in the second phase if at all) so each retry shouldn't be too burdensome Note that there's another final boss fight immediately after Detta, but the game autosaves on the cutscene in between, so even if you fail that you won't be brought back to the bugged section, once you kill Detta you're done with it If you keep running into this problem and you're growing frustrated i found that destroying each leg individually instead of relying on big multi-target attacks significantly reduces the chances of the bug happening, see if that helps Also there's probably some patch for it that i didn't bother to look for So don't worry, the game is in a playable state all the way through Enjoy it
Anachronox is a singular role-playing game that has earned its cult reputation not through technical excellence or mainstream popularity, but through sheer creativity, ambition, and personality. Set in a richly imagined science-fiction universe, the game opens on a deliberately small and grimy scale, following Sylvester “Sly” Boots, a washed-up private investigator living in poverty on a decaying city-planet. This grounded, almost mundane starting point contrasts sharply with where the story eventually leads, and that slow expansion from street-level detective work to galaxy-spanning stakes is one of the game’s most defining strengths. Narratively, Anachronox is bold and unusually playful. It blends noir detective tropes, absurdist humor, and high-concept science fiction into a tone that constantly shifts yet remains cohesive. What begins as a simple case quickly spirals into a complex conflict involving ancient cosmic forces and the fate of the universe itself. The writing is sharp, self-aware, and frequently funny, but it also knows when to slow down and allow emotional beats to land. Characters joke, bicker, and reflect on their circumstances in ways that make them feel alive, and the game rarely relies on exposition dumps, instead trusting the player to piece together the larger picture over time. The cast of companions is one of the game’s standout features. Each party member brings not only unique combat abilities but also a strong personality that influences dialogue and story moments. Conversations often change depending on who is present, rewarding players who experiment with party composition beyond mechanical considerations. This emphasis on character interaction gives the world a sense of dynamism and depth, making even optional conversations feel worthwhile. The humor ranges from subtle wordplay to outright absurdity, but it’s grounded enough that it rarely undermines the emotional stakes. Gameplay is structured around exploration, puzzles, dialogue, and turn-based combat. Combat follows a system inspired by classic Japanese RPGs, using action gauges that fill over time, but adds a layer of spatial movement within battles that keeps encounters from feeling entirely static. While the combat system is serviceable rather than revolutionary, it complements the broader experience without overstaying its welcome. Exploration often takes precedence, with environments designed to encourage curiosity, observation, and problem-solving. Many progression moments hinge on understanding the world and its characters rather than simply defeating enemies. Visually, Anachronox is unmistakably a product of its era, built on heavily modified Quake II technology. By modern standards, textures, models, and animations are dated, but the art direction compensates with imaginative environments and expressive character animation. The game makes bold use of color and scale, presenting alien worlds and cityscapes that feel distinct and memorable despite technical limitations. These visuals, combined with cinematic camera work and in-engine cutscenes, give the game a surprisingly strong sense of presentation for its time. The game’s pacing can be uneven, particularly in its early hours, where systems are introduced gradually and progress can feel slow. Some mechanics lack polish, and occasional bugs or awkward interface choices remind players of the game’s troubled development history. However, for players willing to push past these rough edges, the payoff is substantial. As the narrative expands and the full scope of the universe becomes clear, the game’s ambition shines through in a way few RPGs attempt, even today. Anachronox ultimately stands as a testament to creative risk-taking. It is imperfect, occasionally frustrating, and unmistakably niche, but it is also imaginative, heartfelt, and deeply memorable. Its mix of humor, character-driven storytelling, and escalating cosmic stakes gives it a voice unlike almost any other RPG. For players who value narrative originality and world-building over technical refinement, it remains a rewarding and fascinating experience that continues to resonate long after the credits roll. Rating: 7/10
This game is a little piece of nostalgia from back before almost every new release had to be a sequel or a new entry derived from an IP. It's an original, difficult to classify game (jprg in a cyberpunk mixed with a noir vibe) which had the potential to be a really good game if not for the lack of polish and depth of its combat, the very dated graphics even for its time, and a combination of being very linear and at the same time not really knowing where you should look for the next important upgrades for you characters, robbing you of a certain sense of "ordered" progression (and incidentally, making the game potentially more difficult whenever you miss on one or more weapon upgrades. particularly before the final chapter). The worst letdown is that you can see the foundations of a really great game that sadly never really materializes, but even so, it's a fun little gem if you can look past its flaws.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Anachronox is currently priced at 5.99€ on Steam.
No, Anachronox is currently not on sale. You can purchase it for 5.99€ on Steam.
Yes, Anachronox received 435 positive votes out of a total of 582 achieving a rating of 7.11.
😊
Anachronox was developed by Ion Storm and published by Square Enix.
Yes, Anachronox is playable and fully supported on Windows.
No, Anachronox is not playable on MacOS.
No, Anachronox is not playable on Linux.
Anachronox is a single-player game.
No, Anachronox does not currently offer any DLC.
No, Anachronox does not support mods via Steam Workshop.
No, Anachronox does not support Steam Remote Play.
Yes, Anachronox is enabled for Steam Family Sharing. This means you can share the game with authorized users from your Steam Library, allowing them to play it on their own accounts. For more details on how the feature works, you can read the original Steam Family Sharing announcement or visit the Steam Family Sharing user guide and FAQ page.
You can find solutions or submit a support ticket by visiting the Steam Support page for Anachronox.
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The information presented on this page is sourced from reliable APIs to ensure accuracy and relevance. We utilize the Steam API to gather data on game details, including titles, descriptions, prices, and user reviews. This allows us to provide you with the most up-to-date information directly from the Steam platform.
Additionally, we incorporate data from the SteamSpy API, which offers insights into game sales and player statistics. This helps us present a comprehensive view of each game's popularity and performance within the gaming community.
Last Updates| Steam data | 17 July 2026 04:16 UTC |
|---|---|
| SteamSpy data | 21 July 2026 11:38 UTC |
| Steam price | 28 July 2026 18:42 UTC |
| Steam reviews | 28 July 2026 05:52 UTC |
If you'd like to dive deeper into the details about Anachronox, we invite you to check out a few dedicated websites that offer extensive information and insights. These platforms provide valuable data, analysis, and user-generated reports to enhance your understanding of the game and its performance.
- SteamDB - A comprehensive database of everything on Steam about Anachronox
- SteamCharts - Analysis of Anachronox concurrent players on Steam
- ProtonDB - Crowdsourced reports on Linux and Steam Deck Anachronox compatibility
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Game modes
Features
Online players
1
Developer
Ion Storm
Publisher
Square Enix
Release
17 Oct 2013
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