It’s not unheard of to receive a review code for a game you’ve never heard of, and Anglerfish for the Nintendo Switch was one such title. Developed by Professional Villains and published by Feardemic, this is one indie horror experience you won’t want to miss.
Regardless of how long you’ve been playing games (nobody cares), nothing can gear you up for this game. From the outset, the devs make it clear that each playthrough will be unique and that any preconceptions you have of what will happen next won’t, or maybe it will, but in epic proportions.
You begin Anglerfish, like all adventures in life, from the sofa. Like how so many of us dress at home, your character is kitted out in a Sailor Moon-like outfit and an animal mask. You mean you don’t dress like that? Me neither. Saying for a friend. For the judgemental ones out there, the reasoning behind the outfit is a stag do.
Anglerfish Switch Review
My worst fear about this game was some sort of fishing game. Except for Dredge or the upcoming Normal Fishing, that’s not what I want to play on my Switch, so I was pleasantly surprised when I almost immediately died. Wait a second…
That’s right, with all the best intentions of an easy lay from some bar hoe, our hero promptly dies and returns to the outside of the bar. There’s no escaping death in Anglerfish, and it’s a very crucial part of its design as there are no manual saves – just when you die. And, unless I’m being cute, there’s no way to exit the game other than pressing the home button on the Switcheroo.
It doesn’t matter as it’s doubtful you’ll exit the game as each death brings a new beginning, and no, that’s not a Hallmark expression – the innovation in this game is bloody brilliant. Emphasis on bloody.
Don’t Be An Ass
So, without giving anything away, not that I could, your goal is to escape the bar somehow and each time you respawn, it’ll trigger new dialogues, choice prompts, and different behaviour/new content from NPCs and any of the freaky enemies that decorate the scene.
You might want to know whether this is a platform game or a visual novel. Anglerfish is neither: it’s a side-scrolling (ish) survival horror, and yes, you get a shotgun in the first few minutes. And, if you’re new to the concept of shotguns and horror, the game is, indeed, pretty gory – in the context of pixel art.
Breaking the fourth wall works pretty well here, and as mentioned, Anglerfish is an innovative game that keeps you on your toes, as you’ll never really know what’s around the corner until you peer around it. Face first. My reservations with the game aren’t in its relatively short playtime but in the controls.
There’s nothing complicated about movement here, though I found there was a delay in shooting, enemies closing the gap faster than anticipated, and general movement around obstacles and triggering events somewhat clumsy. These are mostly minors, though they did enough to burst that hypnotic, immersive bubble.
Anglerfish Switch Review Summary
For the unpredictable nature of the narrative, Anglerfish is a must for those looking for something unique, especially if you have a penchant for wearing a Japanese schoolgirl uniform whilst dripping in claret. If that sounds like your thing, give this a look. It’s your choice. Or do you even have one…?
