Got any hilarious and obscure games you would want to see in the next video? Let me know and If its selected will get a special shout out in the next vid!
After the bug-informant says "you would be surprised how rarely people look up" if you look up while through the streets, you will see him flying and observing everything. That's his secret. Small detail among others. Brilliant game
"How could I possibly save the universe? I'm me..." is a fantastic line, and immaculately delivered, but I also have appreciation for the utter rawness that is "Future? You want to know the difference between you and the you five minutes ago? The you five minutes ago had five minutes to live."
It's also pretty great characterization. Boots has so much unearned confidence throughout the game, but it's when he's confronted by actual trauma it's just evaporates.
1:05:34 Funny little aside; THE DOORS DO OPEN FROM THE INSIDE! You can open them an talk to the priest guy and he goes 'ok, so they do open from the inside - what do you want from me, I love DRAMA'
BROTHER - you are a godsend. I dont know how to express my joy in rediscovering this... it was like having a fragment of a song stuck in your head for years, but you dont know enough to hum the whole thing and no one else knows what the hell you are talking about, only to run into your buddy at the pub one saturday and he's rocking the whole album the track is on. God Bless you Mitch Manix :::saluting while wiping away a tear with my free hand:::
I never would have expected this game to be so good on the surface. It’s refreshing to see writing that isn’t afraid to be completely unserious and bizarre. I was also surprised at how charming the cast of characters were. I didn’t know how much I needed a found family, world-saving adventure featuring a miniaturized democracy parody planet until now.
Ah the one and only game I ever worked on. It was such a bad experience that it made me realize the industry wasn't for me lol Always warms my heart to see people discover it though. Tom's wacky imagination, Richie's writing, and Jake's cinematic direction created what I've always described as "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy meets Final Fantasy VII". I hope people can continue to coax it in to running for years to come.
It feels like a decent futurama episode. Irreverently wacky on the face of it, but a surprising amount of morals, character development, science, and internal consistency just under the surface.
@@artmanxp I never got details of the sequel, though Richie reassured me they already had a decent rough draft he was looking forward to working on. Unfortunately it will probably never happen as I believe Eidos still owns the whole thing. Believe me I'm as bummed as anyone about it. I _did_ get a look at some of the half-finished expansion stuff and it had some real promise. Had a lot of even wilder imagination than the base game. The journey in to PAL's mind was probably my favorite of the bits that were in the process of being built before the studio closed. On the one hand I do kinda hope somebody picks it up and finishes what was started but on the other hand... well AAA gaming has been cranking out more stinkers than an IBS patient with a Taco Bell addiction lately, so I wouldn't want them to ruin it. The game was kind of lightning in a bottle with just the right creative team behind it. Without them it just wouldn't be the same.
Legend, a iso hack and slash is another one i remember Planung when i was younger. The cursor was a fairy and was used also to lighten up the Environment. Well i just got a german Version when i was young and the voice actress and whole Charakter made it ... bearable. 😂
Not sure this exactly counts but phantom hourglass on the ds comes to mind as a game with a cursor that was also a character!! Might just be because it’s one of my all time favorites
Never expected to see a video (2 hours no less) about Anachronox in 2024. What an unexpected trip down memory lane. The nostalgia..... Truly a hidden gem and one of my favorite games ever - even 20+ years later.
I don't recall this game. However, i seriously love the humour. Even when it misses the mark and its not that funny, i still get it. Those camera angles and moves, seriously make use of the medium to tell the story. Has an air of artistic flair, the likes of which we have seen little since. Thanks, really appreciate you showing this.
It looked outdated , and blocky, it was made in extremely old quake 2 engine, while on the same time Quake 3 engine is allready 2 years old , together with high level games that was made with it .
Well you got me, unlike most of the other youtubers claiming I've never played a game: I actually haven't played this one, or heard of it, or even seen it for sale anywhere.
@@dm121984 Yeah, Hall said back in 2010 that if he didn't do the sequel in the next 10 years, he'd just write up the rest of the story and put it on his website for closure. So much for that, I guess.
@@dm121984 Said he'd write up the rest of story and put it on his website after 10 years if a sequel wasn't made in that time. That was some 14 years ago now....
I know right? When adding the soundtrack in for the video took me hours to get something I felt worked with it. Amazing how hard it hits for such an older title.
The thing is that comedy rarely works only on its own, this game wouldn't have been as funny if it wasn't for the heavy moments adding weight to how the characters got there and how Boots isn't just some random jerk, he actually tried his best but realised he wasn't good enough and got stuck there.
@@ArvelDreth NO. The steam version cannot be completed and softlocks at a certain point from what I've heard. Also, it's one dollar on _GOG, NOT on steam._ For those who want to pay for it, get the GOG edition. I'm pretty Square Enix holds the publishing rights though, so they're (at least partially) the ones getting paid no matter where you buy it.
@@ArvelDreth i dont know but it's worth getting a copy to make it run properly with VMware or literally any method at your disposal if you've never played it before.
@ArvelDreth there are forums for this sort of thing. Vintage gaming has been making a major comeback in recent years as more and more people realize how absolute shit modern gaming has become, and as a result there is no shortage of helpful information floating around out there to tell you how to make old software run properly. That being said, the specifics vary wildly between different hardware/driver configurations.
Ahh, yes, the IonStorm game everyone forgets, because it wasnt Romero's child. I adore fascinating fusterclucks like this, because deep down theres usually some spark of something great and eduring. You just need to wade through the mire of everything else to find it
@@irishijo1 What's most maddening about Ion Storm is that they were largely seen as a failure due to how bad Daikatana ended up, despite the fact the other titles from that initial batch of three are absolutely incredible: Anachronox and Deus Ex. Two out of three ain't bad.
@@Interference22 The media's obsession with Romero at the time was a classic example of building someone up to knock them down. That infamous Daikatana advert didn't help either. It's a shame as Deus Ex is a milestone classic and Anachronox, while being a so-so JRPG in gameplay terms, has some of the sharpest writting I've ever seen in a game.
That feels so weird to obsess over the “id software guy” when Warren Spector and Deus Ex practically built Ion Storm - and playing Anachronox definitely feels more like Deus Ex than any game that shares the id Tech 2 engine. I think it’s such a weirdly brilliant game - and Ubisoft clearly drank the same beer when they came up with Beyond Good & Evil
People remember IonStprm for only two games, namely Deus Ex and Daikata. DX was Spector's, Romero had nothing to do with it. Neither did he with this one.
Gothic 1&2 are my favorite games ever. I remember playing 2 at release stopping because I loved it so much and went out to find Gothic 1 so I could play them in order
I played Anachronox when it was first released too and loved the comedy, loved the dramatic story telling and loved the silly world it built. I still vaguely hope for a conclusion to the story to this day.
This game has some really professional voice acting. I really enjoyed your addition to the story of your journey! It was beautiful and hilarious to see your humor. Thank you so much for your work, you are a great story teller!
I was going to make a joke how if you let Democratus die in battle, you're indirectly responsible for killing a whole planet. But then was reminded that you're indirectly responsible for killing a whole planet.
the writing is incredibly strong in this game, so funny and weird and interesting, i never finished it but i do intend to play it sooner than later :D and i love the graphics, so much charm :D
Fantastic game. Absolutely top of the list for games that deserve a remake (and to be finished). The line "you would be surprised how seldom people look up" is a line that's stuck with me for 2 decades now
The only reason I don't want it to be remade is because a lot of the humor is of its time and they would deem it not appropriate today and it would change the entire experience. This game is a fine example of not needing to be touched. I would accept a remaster as long as it is done well in so long as they do not change any of the writing or dialogue. The original looks so damn good on proper hardware and a. proper CRT I find it hard to believe they could replicate that well
Wow... this game is so impressive! The team working of this clearly aimed very high with their ambitions and it shows. Genuine passion and authenticity. My utmost respect for their work!
If you're going to be going back and playing funny old games, I highly recommend the game "Armed and Dangerous" from 2003. Made by Planet Moon and released by LucasArts. It's hilarious.
Can't explain why. But this whole thing - the graphics, the feel, the tone. - Gave me vibes of some good old school Star Wars. - With a touch of silly.
I own a hard copy of this. If you can manage to find a copy for yourself anywhere, I'll mention the following: 1) It is absolutely worth playing through at least once. The writing is superb. 2) A user-created patch was made for this game which is absolutely necessary, seeing as all support was pulled from the game after release. There were many quality-of-life functions added and bugs fixed. 3) The plot presents a very interesting, plausible scientific theory regarding the nature of the universe we live in, ourselves, and is an incredible thought experiment. 4) This is a high-effort game made by people who genuinely cared about the quality of the project, and it shows. 5) This was made at a time when copy protection was non-existent and does not require a "key" or "license code" of any kind. If you can find a physical copy somewhere, you own it outright. Permanently.
@@SkaliasPablo Copy protection on "modern" games usually cost a lot of money to a 3rd party company so it can also be a money thing. There are cheap copy protections like basic cd-keys and whatnot but yes, copy protection is old but a ton of games during that time didn't have copy protection because copying CD's at home wasn't so easy yet.
@@SkaliasPablo True enough. Doom itself made a conscious choice not to have copy protection and effectively be "shareware" and that game is much older than Anachronox.
This game is one of the most enduring gaming memories of my adolescence. Staying up until 2am on a school night, stoned as hell, drinking ginger ale and just being utterly immersed walking around the shifting city or the space station. Nevermind the humor and writing, it's a feeling I've chased ever since (and succeeded with games like CP2077, RDR2 and Elden Ring), pretty sure this was the game that first showed me how magical virtual worlds could feel. The Quake 2 engine was already dated when it released but it just goes to show that art direction is the real star when it comes to immersive graphics.
You have no idea how much is being left out in this video. For example; the Dark Servant assault is a dramatic bloodbath where just like the story is guys in power armor blasting the spear carriers from out of range and the places you see on Democritis depends on the party members you had when planet expanded.
The voice actor for Sly the main character in this is also Marcus from the Borderlands series. I thought the voice sounded familiar, but I was not expecting that.
I am blown away by this video. I have a incredible faint memory of my brother playing this, and this just gave me flashbacks to that time. It was a blast to see the full game, and tbh, I quite like the game from what I see, I kinda wish we saw more games like this today, the humor is quite on-point, actual plot twists that I did not expect at the end, and I got weirdly into the story.
This one blew my mind. It's never too late for for a such a gem sequel. Wiki says "On February 17, 2015, Square Enix announced that it will allow developers to create games based on some of their old Eidos IPs via the Square Enix Collective project, including the Anachronox IP." Why it did not happen? 😢
It will _"allow"_ them to. How fucking fortunate these filthy plebian developers are that the ever-magnanimous Square _deigns_ to bestow upon them their holy and totally-not-garbage IPs. Fucking spare me.
Because we live in the worst timeline. And because making games has become so unfeasibly expensive people don't want to take risks on something like Anachronox.
@@l0rf I see. But it's still a shame it's not out even in a form of a story that Hall planned to publish if he won't be able to make the sequel. "Hall remarked in 2010, "If I don't do the game in the next 10 years, I'll just write up the rest of the story and put it on my website for closure, how about that?".[163]" It's way past 10 years now :(
@@l0rf Ye -- it's Shadowrun... the Coorperations have already taken over. Hail Apple, Hail Amazon, Hail Zuckerberg! FU, pervert Musk, since not Bob, but Elon is your (own) uncle!
Its probably because Square Enix is now led by a committee of shareholders instead of actual game designers, and its shown in literally all of their games for the last decade or so. Hbomberguys video on deus ex is a really good resource to get a look into the awful conditions studios need to live under for Exnix's fragile ego. And along with that, after the Square Enix merger back in the early 2000s, like half of the best series from both companies suddenly got the axe for no good reason (again, because its run by shareholders now, not actual artists) - and with the burial of those series', so went the creativity of the company. Its genuinely depressing. Modern day, Square only works on 1-2 ongoing series, and very occasionally they'll allow one of their child companies that they bought out to make an actually new IP. Very rare though, unfortunately. And they're quick to open and close new studios for the fun of it, same as other developer-turned-publishers like ea and ubisoft. Its god awful and terrible, but the only way to really fix it is by making triple a projects less profitable - so that new blood needs to be reinjected into the devs. Its complicated and frustrating. But, we as the general Public also have literally unlimited power. We can make a psuedo-sequel to this game at any point and we don't have anyone to report it to. So, if ya wanna get a new game in this series, support and indie dev teams that can make something as similar as legally possible
I've never seen or heard of this game. After watching this video, I now regret not having played it. There's a vibe here that's just splendid. I'd love to see it faithfully remade for the modern era. We need more games like this nowadays. Great video dude.👍🏻
I heard someone pointed out that Anachronox is a weird traveller from alternative timeline where western developers were so enamored with concepts and ideas of JRPG so all future RPG are made as JRPG. So, in a sense, it's WESTERN JRPG. No wonder it failed commercially, our timeline just wasnt the one for this gem.
I never heard of this game but it looks interesting. I have seen many rpgs with interesting and odd party characters but I have never seen a party character that was a whole planet before now.
my God, the quest where the ugly alien wanted to kiss a man and you had to chose which male companion will have to kiss them so you choose the short bearded guy, and then they say hes the best kisser... never forget.
I cant say I have ever seen that plot line before. A universe removing mass to prolong their universes life span. Very creative and very large scale in scope.
One of the few games that ever made me genuinely care for and laugh about the dialogue and cutscenes... The gameplay is not great...but it doesnt matter. Not many games can claim that quality. In a shelf with other classics like Torment and Fallout.
There is nothing more tragic than an untold story. This video brought to life something that was missing. I’m happy I got to experience this through your video. This was truly amazing.
@@jimmyrustles9807 I wouldn't have thought to look there, but you're right -- 6€ atm (10/2024)! Does anyone know, if it's ready to play (or does it need modding and tweaking?) Thanks in advance!
This def looks like a game I'd have loved back in the day. This is the first time I've heard of it though. It's a shame so many good games never really catch on (Looking at the original Prey).
22:59 Ok you've convinced me this writing is written in gold excellent word play lmfao. Also like how the old man is the first ally I can already see this turning into a hilarious whirlwind adventure.
Long before there was Xbox Game Pass a little known online provider called AOL had a Games subscription service that if you added it on to your online access, gave you access to a fairly decent number of games. Anachronox was one of those, and I absolutely fell in love it with. The Planet party member has stuck with me decades later. And the music, the minute I heard I heard a few notes in the video, I could remember the entire theme in my head.
Played this game because of this video turns out I’ve had it on steam for years but never installed it. Finished it today and it was a proper treat so thank you shame no one really talks about it Hardly and content about it
I mentioned this in another comment, but it deserves to _not_ be remade, and be left as is. It's owned by Square, whose remakes/remasters are total horseshit even when it's their OWN properties. And as others have pointed out, there is a 0% chance the humor will remain intact.
The part with universe creation was great! Developers did homework on this part, so much work to explain something to the player, in simple and understandable way, I'm dumbfounded by this. 10/10 this game is
I remember this. The nasty sock and the old man making Sly eat his socks stuck the most for some reason. Never finished it due to losing my computer and the game in a move.
Anachronox can be only defined as Final Fantasy VII meets Blade Runner, also for people that want to play this, a little hint, all side quests require that you talk with everyone you see and remember what they wanted you to do, also watch out for every Red Bipidri (red little bugs), you will thank me latter, and remember that there are hidden weapons and hidden items in the floor, watch out.
Thank you for introducing me to this, seems right up my alley. It's difficult to believe that there are still so many games a lot of us don't know about or completely forgot. The late 90s/early 2000s of gaming will never be replicated.
Ah yes, back in the distant past where game developers were not afraid to actually make games that were not 'safe' for shareholders. I really miss those.
This is so nostalgic, I remember playing the demo version that came on a disc with a magazine called NAG back in the early 2000s in South Africa. I was like 8 years old
This needs a remaster! We have enough Resident Evils and Silent Hills, somebody do this one. If they managed to redo "Starship Titanic" for modern systems something can be done to salvage this gem.
what do you mean "salvage"? It's not like it's lost and unobtainable lol. The GOG port works perfectly on modern machines and is currently on sale for a buck. Unless you want this game to _not be_ this game, but fuck that.
This game was amazing. I was so blown away by the design and imagination that went Into it. The visuals, the dialogue, the story, the soundtrack, the humour was all top notch. One of my fave rpgs of all time amd it realy realy realy needs a remake.
Even back in the day I could never manage to get the game running on my PC, it came out around the same time as another sci-fi coat wearing protag game so I played that instead
Got any hilarious and obscure games you would want to see in the next video? Let me know and If its selected will get a special shout out in the next vid!
No likes no comment?
Mystery of the Druids, Catherine (hugely underrated), and another one…give me a minute and I’ll check the name of it…
…Limbo of the Lost. That game is a big ol’ bag of crazy.
Noctropolis. Old point and click adventure. Another one with unintentional hilarity 😂
Giants: Citizen Kabuto
After the bug-informant says "you would be surprised how rarely people look up" if you look up while through the streets, you will see him flying and observing everything. That's his secret. Small detail among others. Brilliant game
Looking up continues to be the bane of all gamers
Yeah but dogs can't look up. Big Al says so.
I wish if you looked up in the room it’d have ‘gullible’ written on the ceiling
@@joshuawiener5003 Yep TF2 is a great example.
Not just after, but before. You can see him floating above you in the fountain area
"How could I possibly save the universe? I'm me..." is a fantastic line, and immaculately delivered, but I also have appreciation for the utter rawness that is "Future? You want to know the difference between you and the you five minutes ago? The you five minutes ago had five minutes to live."
It's also pretty great characterization. Boots has so much unearned confidence throughout the game, but it's when he's confronted by actual trauma it's just evaporates.
1:05:34 Funny little aside; THE DOORS DO OPEN FROM THE INSIDE! You can open them an talk to the priest guy and he goes 'ok, so they do open from the inside - what do you want from me, I love DRAMA'
Calling the game's bluff and having it reward you with humorous dialogue is priceless.
For how many polygons they had, they did a fantastic job on those faces. The emotions are clearer than some actual actors.
The planet being a character and then being useful when they were close to death, then becoming a whole level. That’s so fun lol
BROTHER - you are a godsend. I dont know how to express my joy in rediscovering this... it was like having a fragment of a song stuck in your head for years, but you dont know enough to hum the whole thing and no one else knows what the hell you are talking about, only to run into your buddy at the pub one saturday and he's rocking the whole album the track is on.
God Bless you Mitch Manix :::saluting while wiping away a tear with my free hand:::
Best description of this video
I never would have expected this game to be so good on the surface. It’s refreshing to see writing that isn’t afraid to be completely unserious and bizarre. I was also surprised at how charming the cast of characters were. I didn’t know how much I needed a found family, world-saving adventure featuring a miniaturized democracy parody planet until now.
Ah the one and only game I ever worked on. It was such a bad experience that it made me realize the industry wasn't for me lol
Always warms my heart to see people discover it though. Tom's wacky imagination, Richie's writing, and Jake's cinematic direction created what I've always described as "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy meets Final Fantasy VII".
I hope people can continue to coax it in to running for years to come.
Thanks for working on this!
It feels like a decent futurama episode. Irreverently wacky on the face of it, but a surprising amount of morals, character development, science, and internal consistency just under the surface.
Wow
kind of wondering what the expansions were going to be like for this? or at least the squeal?
@@artmanxp I never got details of the sequel, though Richie reassured me they already had a decent rough draft he was looking forward to working on. Unfortunately it will probably never happen as I believe Eidos still owns the whole thing. Believe me I'm as bummed as anyone about it.
I _did_ get a look at some of the half-finished expansion stuff and it had some real promise. Had a lot of even wilder imagination than the base game. The journey in to PAL's mind was probably my favorite of the bits that were in the process of being built before the studio closed.
On the one hand I do kinda hope somebody picks it up and finishes what was started but on the other hand... well AAA gaming has been cranking out more stinkers than an IBS patient with a Taco Bell addiction lately, so I wouldn't want them to ruin it. The game was kind of lightning in a bottle with just the right creative team behind it. Without them it just wouldn't be the same.
Having the mouse cursor as a part of the game and a character was genius and no one did it ever again.
It's been done, but VERY rarely, and to my knowledge not to the same degree.
Legend, a iso hack and slash is another one i remember Planung when i was younger. The cursor was a fairy and was used also to lighten up the Environment. Well i just got a german Version when i was young and the voice actress and whole Charakter made it ... bearable. 😂
Not sure this exactly counts but phantom hourglass on the ds comes to mind as a game with a cursor that was also a character!! Might just be because it’s one of my all time favorites
Black amd white did it to an extent but not quite like Anachronox.
Everhood also did it, there's even a boss battle against the cursor itself!
ua-cam.com/video/n7ApZEpZCdU/v-deo.html
Never expected to see a video (2 hours no less) about Anachronox in 2024. What an unexpected trip down memory lane. The nostalgia..... Truly a hidden gem and one of my favorite games ever - even 20+ years later.
I don't recall this game. However, i seriously love the humour. Even when it misses the mark and its not that funny, i still get it. Those camera angles and moves, seriously make use of the medium to tell the story. Has an air of artistic flair, the likes of which we have seen little since.
Thanks, really appreciate you showing this.
"sIR, WHILE wE ARE all IMPRESSED WITH THE SOCK, THERE ARE RULES..."
An entire game that plays like a saturday night cartoon?
It blows my mind that this did not take off like a rocket, it should have.
It looked outdated , and blocky, it was made in extremely old quake 2 engine, while on the same time Quake 3 engine is allready 2 years old , together with high level games that was made with it .
This must have been a phenomenal amount of work. Brilliant video, you're a very talented content creator. Thankyou Mitch
Thank you so much. Really appreciate that 🙏
Well you got me, unlike most of the other youtubers claiming I've never played a game: I actually haven't played this one, or heard of it, or even seen it for sale anywhere.
the animations and mouth syncing are sooo well done for the art style
I bought this game when it was released and i still want to see it concluded, thanks for this blast from the past
SAME! Tom Hall said he'd release the story if he couldn't get the game made. But he's still not done it :(
@@dm121984 Yeah, Hall said back in 2010 that if he didn't do the sequel in the next 10 years, he'd just write up the rest of the story and put it on his website for closure. So much for that, I guess.
@@dm121984 Said he'd write up the rest of story and put it on his website after 10 years if a sequel wasn't made in that time. That was some 14 years ago now....
Think if he went to kickstart it would get funded? I love ion storm as a Texan and as of a month ago I had never heard of the game
For a comedic game that Sarah/Fatima scene was so emotionally perfect.
I know right? When adding the soundtrack in for the video took me hours to get something I felt worked with it. Amazing how hard it hits for such an older title.
people make comedy to soothe tragedy. They always go together well, because all clowns are sad clowns. See also, the first 2 shadow hearts
So Eddie has weird video game extreme adhd 😂
@@kalenics123 bro. all i could say was "damn"
The thing is that comedy rarely works only on its own, this game wouldn't have been as funny if it wasn't for the heavy moments adding weight to how the characters got there and how Boots isn't just some random jerk, he actually tried his best but realised he wasn't good enough and got stuck there.
For anyone interested, this game is literally one dollar on steam right now
Does it actually work well?
@@ArvelDreth NO. The steam version cannot be completed and softlocks at a certain point from what I've heard. Also, it's one dollar on _GOG, NOT on steam._ For those who want to pay for it, get the GOG edition. I'm pretty Square Enix holds the publishing rights though, so they're (at least partially) the ones getting paid no matter where you buy it.
@@ArvelDreth i dont know but it's worth getting a copy to make it run properly with VMware or literally any method at your disposal if you've never played it before.
@@RighteousJ I don't really have any knowledge of how to make that sort of thing work
@ArvelDreth there are forums for this sort of thing. Vintage gaming has been making a major comeback in recent years as more and more people realize how absolute shit modern gaming has become, and as a result there is no shortage of helpful information floating around out there to tell you how to make old software run properly.
That being said, the specifics vary wildly between different hardware/driver configurations.
Ahh, yes, the IonStorm game everyone forgets, because it wasnt Romero's child. I adore fascinating fusterclucks like this, because deep down theres usually some spark of something great and eduring. You just need to wade through the mire of everything else to find it
@@irishijo1 What's most maddening about Ion Storm is that they were largely seen as a failure due to how bad Daikatana ended up, despite the fact the other titles from that initial batch of three are absolutely incredible: Anachronox and Deus Ex. Two out of three ain't bad.
@@Interference22 The media's obsession with Romero at the time was a classic example of building someone up to knock them down. That infamous Daikatana advert didn't help either. It's a shame as Deus Ex is a milestone classic and Anachronox, while being a so-so JRPG in gameplay terms, has some of the sharpest writting I've ever seen in a game.
I was wondering why the character design kind of reminds classic Deus Ex!
That feels so weird to obsess over the “id software guy” when Warren Spector and Deus Ex practically built Ion Storm - and playing Anachronox definitely feels more like Deus Ex than any game that shares the id Tech 2 engine. I think it’s such a weirdly brilliant game - and Ubisoft clearly drank the same beer when they came up with Beyond Good & Evil
People remember IonStprm for only two games, namely Deus Ex and Daikata. DX was Spector's, Romero had nothing to do with it. Neither did he with this one.
The fact that this game isn’t more widely known is a crime against fun itself! I’m buying it RIGHT NOW!!!
"Did he just talk smack to me?"
I'm dying. This game walked so Gothic could run.
Anx is better than gothic, chump.
Gothic 1&2 are my favorite games ever. I remember playing 2 at release stopping because I loved it so much and went out to find Gothic 1 so I could play them in order
Anachronox, Deus Ex and the three Gothics. If gaming had stopped there we would've lost nothing, except a few titles such as Paradise Killer
The way you are able to perfectly match the tone of the game (for example in the "Final Blow" scene) is incredible. You have some serious talent!
Thank you for this. I played Anachronox when it first came out and spent the next two decades trying to make friends familiar with its existence.
I played Anachronox when it was first released too and loved the comedy, loved the dramatic story telling and loved the silly world it built. I still vaguely hope for a conclusion to the story to this day.
@@dm121984 Sadly I think Half Life 3 is more likely...
One of my favorites. Absolute gem.
This game has some really professional voice acting. I really enjoyed your addition to the story of your journey! It was beautiful and hilarious to see your humor. Thank you so much for your work, you are a great story teller!
I was going to make a joke how if you let Democratus die in battle, you're indirectly responsible for killing a whole planet. But then was reminded that you're indirectly responsible for killing a whole planet.
I mean, its just the ONE planet, if it were TWO though, well that's one too many.
@@paneth8466one IS too many
the writing is incredibly strong in this game, so funny and weird and interesting, i never finished it but i do intend to play it sooner than later :D and i love the graphics, so much charm :D
As is the quality of the voice acting.
Fantastic game. Absolutely top of the list for games that deserve a remake (and to be finished). The line "you would be surprised how seldom people look up" is a line that's stuck with me for 2 decades now
The only reason I don't want it to be remade is because a lot of the humor is of its time and they would deem it not appropriate today and it would change the entire experience.
This game is a fine example of not needing to be touched. I would accept a remaster as long as it is done well in so long as they do not change any of the writing or dialogue. The original looks so damn good on proper hardware and a. proper CRT I find it hard to believe they could replicate that well
This but finished, functional on modern hardware, and with some of the really bad voice actors replaced. I'd love it.
Fucking SAME!
At this point I automaticaly look up every time I exit a building or car and its all due to this game!
We don't need a remake, we need a sequel to finish the story
It deserves to NOT have a remake. It's owned by Square, and their remakes and remasters are uh... really fucking bad.
Wow... this game is so impressive! The team working of this clearly aimed very high with their ambitions and it shows. Genuine passion and authenticity. My utmost respect for their work!
If you're going to be going back and playing funny old games, I highly recommend the game "Armed and Dangerous" from 2003. Made by Planet Moon and released by LucasArts. It's hilarious.
This game is probably one of the most unique ORIGINAL games ive seen in a long time. Its like spaceballs the rpg
I thought of it as "it's like they made a videogame loosely based on The Fifth Element".
Can't explain why. But this whole thing - the graphics, the feel, the tone. - Gave me vibes of some good old school Star Wars. - With a touch of silly.
more red dwarf, honestly
@@acrab6527 I was gonna say 'Firefly On Shrooms.'
its alot, its the ps1 dark background era, its kinda feel hommie , when time was just simply play bug or anything is just extra layer of funny
To think that somebody basically turned Quake 2 into this RPG.
I own a hard copy of this.
If you can manage to find a copy for yourself anywhere, I'll mention the following:
1) It is absolutely worth playing through at least once. The writing is superb.
2) A user-created patch was made for this game which is absolutely necessary, seeing as all support was pulled from the game after release. There were many quality-of-life functions added and bugs fixed.
3) The plot presents a very interesting, plausible scientific theory regarding the nature of the universe we live in, ourselves, and is an incredible thought experiment.
4) This is a high-effort game made by people who genuinely cared about the quality of the project, and it shows.
5) This was made at a time when copy protection was non-existent and does not require a "key" or "license code" of any kind. If you can find a physical copy somewhere, you own it outright. Permanently.
DRM is nearly as old as video games themselves. The lack of it was probably a conscious choice
@@SkaliasPablo Copy protection on "modern" games usually cost a lot of money to a 3rd party company so it can also be a money thing. There are cheap copy protections like basic cd-keys and whatnot but yes, copy protection is old but a ton of games during that time didn't have copy protection because copying CD's at home wasn't so easy yet.
@@SkaliasPablo True enough. Doom itself made a conscious choice not to have copy protection and effectively be "shareware" and that game is much older than Anachronox.
How is this real? Looks like it's an absolute blast.
This game is one of the most enduring gaming memories of my adolescence. Staying up until 2am on a school night, stoned as hell, drinking ginger ale and just being utterly immersed walking around the shifting city or the space station. Nevermind the humor and writing, it's a feeling I've chased ever since (and succeeded with games like CP2077, RDR2 and Elden Ring), pretty sure this was the game that first showed me how magical virtual worlds could feel. The Quake 2 engine was already dated when it released but it just goes to show that art direction is the real star when it comes to immersive graphics.
like $3 on Steam *wink*
@@brya9681 steam nothing get the gog version. has better support
It is real and it is a blast. As for movies or any other form of art, always search for obscure stuff, you'll find gold.
You have no idea how much is being left out in this video.
For example; the Dark Servant assault is a dramatic bloodbath where just like the story is guys in power armor blasting the spear carriers from out of range and the places you see on Democritis depends on the party members you had when planet expanded.
This feels like short form machinima comedy that would have a perfect home on youtube.
The voice actor for Sly the main character in this is also Marcus from the Borderlands series. I thought the voice sounded familiar, but I was not expecting that.
I am blown away by this video. I have a incredible faint memory of my brother playing this, and this just gave me flashbacks to that time. It was a blast to see the full game, and tbh, I quite like the game from what I see, I kinda wish we saw more games like this today, the humor is quite on-point, actual plot twists that I did not expect at the end, and I got weirdly into the story.
I miss games like this. We never get silly games anymore. Absolute loved this, Giants Citizen Kabuto and Armed and Dangerous as a kid.
This one blew my mind. It's never too late for for a such a gem sequel. Wiki says "On February 17, 2015, Square Enix announced that it will allow developers to create games based on some of their old Eidos IPs via the Square Enix Collective project, including the Anachronox IP." Why it did not happen?
😢
It will _"allow"_ them to. How fucking fortunate these filthy plebian developers are that the ever-magnanimous Square _deigns_ to bestow upon them their holy and totally-not-garbage IPs. Fucking spare me.
Because we live in the worst timeline. And because making games has become so unfeasibly expensive people don't want to take risks on something like Anachronox.
@@l0rf I see. But it's still a shame it's not out even in a form of a story that Hall planned to publish if he won't be able to make the sequel.
"Hall remarked in 2010, "If I don't do the game in the next 10 years, I'll just write up the rest of the story and put it on my website for closure, how about that?".[163]"
It's way past 10 years now :(
@@l0rf Ye -- it's Shadowrun... the Coorperations have already taken over.
Hail Apple, Hail Amazon, Hail Zuckerberg! FU, pervert Musk, since not Bob, but Elon is your (own) uncle!
Its probably because Square Enix is now led by a committee of shareholders instead of actual game designers, and its shown in literally all of their games for the last decade or so. Hbomberguys video on deus ex is a really good resource to get a look into the awful conditions studios need to live under for Exnix's fragile ego. And along with that, after the Square Enix merger back in the early 2000s, like half of the best series from both companies suddenly got the axe for no good reason (again, because its run by shareholders now, not actual artists) - and with the burial of those series', so went the creativity of the company. Its genuinely depressing.
Modern day, Square only works on 1-2 ongoing series, and very occasionally they'll allow one of their child companies that they bought out to make an actually new IP. Very rare though, unfortunately. And they're quick to open and close new studios for the fun of it, same as other developer-turned-publishers like ea and ubisoft. Its god awful and terrible, but the only way to really fix it is by making triple a projects less profitable - so that new blood needs to be reinjected into the devs. Its complicated and frustrating.
But, we as the general Public also have literally unlimited power. We can make a psuedo-sequel to this game at any point and we don't have anyone to report it to. So, if ya wanna get a new game in this series, support and indie dev teams that can make something as similar as legally possible
I've never seen or heard of this game. After watching this video, I now regret not having played it. There's a vibe here that's just splendid. I'd love to see it faithfully remade for the modern era. We need more games like this nowadays. Great video dude.👍🏻
I heard someone pointed out that Anachronox is a weird traveller from alternative timeline where western developers were so enamored with concepts and ideas of JRPG so all future RPG are made as JRPG. So, in a sense, it's WESTERN JRPG.
No wonder it failed commercially, our timeline just wasnt the one for this gem.
I never heard of this game but it looks interesting.
I have seen many rpgs with interesting and odd party characters but I have never seen a party character that was a whole planet before now.
my God, the quest where the ugly alien wanted to kiss a man and you had to chose which male companion will have to kiss them so you choose the short bearded guy, and then they say hes the best kisser... never forget.
Anachronox! Amaizing. On of the best, smartest and funniest games of my childhood. Along with Space Quest and Armed and Dangerous.
ARMED AND DANGEROUS!! Holy shit. That game was absolutely incredible
I cant say I have ever seen that plot line before.
A universe removing mass to prolong their universes life span. Very creative and very large scale in scope.
Bro this might actually be my type of game! Thanks for the video!
It probably is, lol
When this game clicks with you it really clicks
One of the few games that ever made me genuinely care for and laugh about the dialogue and cutscenes... The gameplay is not great...but it doesnt matter. Not many games can claim that quality.
In a shelf with other classics like Torment and Fallout.
Ill, barely able to sleep. And this Gem of a Video pops up, makes me wish I played the game. But your layout and narration are fantastic!
There is nothing more tragic than an untold story. This video brought to life something that was missing. I’m happy I got to experience this through your video. This was truly amazing.
Oh my god, the writing here is better than almost anything else I've ever seen.
sitting here at 2:01 thinking I might just not watch this and play it myself
Literally paused the video at the same point and had the exact same thought
A guide "How to get it working on XY (OS)" would be great ;)
I'm pretty sure I have it somewhere, and I've never played it. Possibly Steam.
@@jimmyrustles9807 I wouldn't have thought to look there, but you're right -- 6€ atm (10/2024)! Does anyone know, if it's ready to play (or does it need modding and tweaking?) Thanks in advance!
Thank you for making this video for us!
What an amazing game I never knew about
Bravo, Mitch! 👏🏼 this was fantastic! Thank you for introducing me to this wonderful gem of a game
Mitch, this makes 3 games you've introduced me to; keep up the great work!
I had heard of this game, but I didn't know it was Deus Ex's weird stoner cousin
The one who spent that year in Japan
i'm glad someone else was reminded of Deus Ex
@@0v_x0 *spent a year in jail in Japan
Spot on
Jd vances uncle.sean from. Upstate.
Ok, the souvenir T-shirt joke got me.
this is just absolutely bloody fantastic and your narration is just chefs kiss!!
thanks mate!!
This def looks like a game I'd have loved back in the day. This is the first time I've heard of it though. It's a shame so many good games never really catch on (Looking at the original Prey).
Very nice video Mitch. And if someone would ask me, i would swear that you did the voiceover for the pal and the old man...
the voice acting was fantastic
22:59
Ok you've convinced me this writing is written in gold excellent word play lmfao.
Also like how the old man is the first ally I can already see this turning into a hilarious whirlwind adventure.
Long before there was Xbox Game Pass a little known online provider called AOL had a Games subscription service that if you added it on to your online access, gave you access to a fairly decent number of games. Anachronox was one of those, and I absolutely fell in love it with. The Planet party member has stuck with me decades later. And the music, the minute I heard I heard a few notes in the video, I could remember the entire theme in my head.
Played this game because of this video turns out I’ve had it on steam for years but never installed it.
Finished it today and it was a proper treat so thank you shame no one really talks about it Hardly and content about it
This game deserves a remaster or a remake.
Totally agree. Loved it.
And the planned sequel.
wise words, space station 14 clown
I mentioned this in another comment, but it deserves to _not_ be remade, and be left as is. It's owned by Square, whose remakes/remasters are total horseshit even when it's their OWN properties. And as others have pointed out, there is a 0% chance the humor will remain intact.
If you want a sanitized version of it...
Oh wow, I am impressed. I have never heard anyone else playing Anachronox, let alone met such a person.
the humor is like original ratchet and clank and duke nukem but better dont know how to describe it
This game is amazing, thank you for giving it good justice
Played this as a kid, abnsolutely fantastic game, was in love with the setting. I hope that one day anybody will go for a remake or something.
The part with universe creation was great! Developers did homework on this part, so much work to explain something to the player, in simple and understandable way, I'm dumbfounded by this. 10/10 this game is
Tremendous camera work lol
I'm a simple man, I see a long form video on a video game, I like and subscribw
I remember this. The nasty sock and the old man making Sly eat his socks stuck the most for some reason. Never finished it due to losing my computer and the game in a move.
Someone stole that bro
@@NASkeywest I hope it is so. It's way too good of a game to be incinerated at the waste plant.
This was a great watch! I never heard of this game before! And I certainly want to experience it for myself now!! Thank you for this!!
Anachronox can be only defined as Final Fantasy VII meets Blade Runner, also for people that want to play this, a little hint, all side quests require that you talk with everyone you see and remember what they wanted you to do, also watch out for every Red Bipidri (red little bugs), you will thank me latter, and remember that there are hidden weapons and hidden items in the floor, watch out.
Thank you for pointing me to this game. I would have never found it on my own.
I've have been saying for decades that Anachronox is the best final fantasy ever made.
Thank you for introducing me to this, seems right up my alley. It's difficult to believe that there are still so many games a lot of us don't know about or completely forgot. The late 90s/early 2000s of gaming will never be replicated.
Ah yes, back in the distant past where game developers were not afraid to actually make games that were not 'safe' for shareholders. I really miss those.
Saw that thumbnail, and instant recognition.
I have, in fact, played Anachronox. It was a great game, and the "Yammer" attack always made me laugh.
I really liked Rho here. Laid and cool type of style. Reminded me a lot of number 5 five from the Kids Next Door
One of my favorite childhood memories, I'm so glad it is getting attention. The one thing I will forever desire a sequel for.
Mitch, please start doing audiobooks, I need more of your voice
Damn, what a cliffhanger. Really got in to the story too.
This crazy universe deserve a Tv show or something.
I want more from this bizarre reality.
Thank you for showing me this hidden gem. I vaguely remember missing out because the name was bad.
Thank you for doing this, can’t express enough how appreciative I am. This brings back memories being on an old school pc like no other
This has that late 90's vibe that feels so right. Damn
so happy about this ! Tryed to get people interested in this game ever since it came out ! Thank you .
This was awesome, one of your best
This is so nostalgic, I remember playing the demo version that came on a disc with a magazine called NAG back in the early 2000s in South Africa. I was like 8 years old
Cant help but feel that Sly sounds a lot like Bruce Cambell
Sounds more like Andrew Dice Clay to me.
I'm pretty sure it's the same guy who voiced Alex Denton from the Deus Ex sequel. Same deadpan delivery too.
It's Christopher Sabat aka Vegeta from Dragon Ball Z.
The moment you arrive on Democratus might my favorite moment in gaming ever.
This needs a remaster! We have enough Resident Evils and Silent Hills, somebody do this one. If they managed to redo "Starship Titanic" for modern systems something can be done to salvage this gem.
They wouldn't allow the humour anymore.
Wonder who owns the rights...
@@sheo3394 Square. Maybe the worst company for remasters.
what do you mean "salvage"? It's not like it's lost and unobtainable lol. The GOG port works perfectly on modern machines and is currently on sale for a buck. Unless you want this game to _not be_ this game, but fuck that.
Got some serious Hitchhiker's Guide and Spaceballs vibes with this game! Never even heard of it before, but quite hilarious
I played this, when it first came out!
One of the more bizarre games I have played.
This game was amazing. I was so blown away by the design and imagination that went Into it. The visuals, the dialogue, the story, the soundtrack, the humour was all top notch. One of my fave rpgs of all time amd it realy realy realy needs a remake.
I wanted to play this, but I don’t think my comp at the time could handle it!
I think it's on Steam? iirc
Wow. Fascinating game and tremendous video. Thanks for the content! I'll be rewatching this with friends.
Even back in the day I could never manage to get the game running on my PC, it came out around the same time as another sci-fi coat wearing protag game so I played that instead