Anomaly 2 Review – You couldn’t ask for more

Our rating:

By: Chillingo Ltd

Version #: 1.0

Date Released: 2013-10-31

Developer: Anomaly 2 Support

Price: $4.99

User Rating:

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Unlike the name suggests, Anomaly 2 is the third Anomaly title to be released on the AppStore after Anomaly: Warzone Earth and Anomaly Korea. The game of the same name for PC was launched in March this year and we’re super excited to hear that 11 Bit Studios has ported the exact same game to iPhone and iPad instead of creating a rip off, like many others are doing.

The year is 2034

Robots have taken over the Earth and turned it into a huge ball of ice-covered land. Very few humans have survived and you’re one of the still fewer soldiers. You play the role of Sergeant Lynx who is leading the attack onto the machines, in hope to revive the planet. Project Shockwave, a secret scientific project holds key to human race’s fate and is your prime objective.

Shoot’em up

The gameplay in Anomaly 2 is very much similar to the previous ‘Anomalys’.

Each level sees you raiding the hot area with a squad under your command. Everything from choosing the best path and buying apt tanks to timing the use of power-ups and the order of the vehicles, is upto you. Don’t let your people down and get out safely.

The Tact button gives an X-ray overview of the hostile area just like before, but is more graphically intense here. Plan the perfect route and use the Squad button to buy, upgrade, sell or rearrange tanks. Lead the convoy through enemy territory, destroy their towers, collect resources, complete missions and reach the rendezvous point.

Each journey through the valley of death puts you in front of dozens of enemy tin cans and hence, the levels are longer than average. Don’t worry though ‘coz the Repair and Decoy options are here for backup.

Its all about planning

Like any other tower attack games, Anomaly 2 is all about strategy.

It starts right away when you’re asked to choose the best out of multiple paths. Routes with less enemies are safer but less rewarding in terms of score & cesaurum mineral. Alternate routes might be filled with cesaurum but have giant machines at guard. Know the strength of your squad and plan the best route which is acceptable both in terms of safety and rewards.

The choice of Tanks is also tricky as different vehicles have different specs. For example, Assault Hound has fast shoot rate, is less powerful and has short range – useful for close combats. The Sledge Hammer, on the other hand, slowly shoots massive ammos for long range but only in a straight line – perfect in open fields. Tactical use of Decoys and Heals can make a huge difference in your success rate too.

Morph, morph, morph!

Gameplay-wise the only change that Anomaly 2 brings on the table is the ability to Morph your tanks. Double tap on the panzer to transform into its not-so-evil twin. The evolved form differs from the original in huge margins in terms of attack and powers. For instance, Sledge Hammer can only blow up things 30 degrees from its front and fails terribly in close combats. But tap him twice to bring up the Rocket Hammer who can rotate his turret and fire continuously, saving him off the tight situations.
I heard many users and reviewers claiming that Morphing is not such a big deal, but personally, I think it changes alot. It keeps us alert throughout the game and changes the way you used to select your convoy.

The other stuff

Speaking about the execution, Anomaly 2 is par perfect. The first thing you’ll notice is the absolutely stunning visuals, which is evident not only in the cut-scenes but all way through the game. Every single word in the game is gorgeously voice-overed and is one of my favourites. Four different Difficulty Modes and Checkpoint based level progress works great but the indispensable fast-forwarding is not as fast as it should’ve been.

Some of the common complaints I heard are the 1.20 GB size and too long levels. But for me, Anomaly 2 has done an excellent job in bringing the same PC/console experience to iOS at the cost of these large parameters.

The verdict

At the end of the day, I’m far beyond impressed by Anomaly 2. Great execution, graphics and gameplay makes it worth the tag.
If you’ve played the previous Anomaly titles and are looking for something new, I suggest you wait for a price drop before you get this bad boy. But for anyone new to the title, Anomaly 2 is a shut up and take my money deal.

Tips

• Choose your tanks wisely and frequenty morph them according to your needs – eg:
  • Assault Hound and Sledge Hammer for open grounds
  • Hell Hound and Rocket Hammer for close combats
• Dont just skip the Machine bio section. It gives key infos on how to tackle them.
• Collect as many Cesaurums as possible and upgrade your weopanry.
• The perfect place to plant a decoy is just behind the Machine, in order to prevent misses.
• The first vehicle always gets more hits. So before jumping to Repair, rearrange your squad and repair them together.