Anger Foot exemplifies a easy concept executed to the ninth diploma. As a livid sneakerhead possessing seemingly the deadliest legs on this planet, you could retrieve your prized assortment of stolen footwear by kicking the whole lot in sight. The bombast accompanying this wacky premise – fast-paced, split-second motion, satisfying gunplay, and delectable destructibility – turns Anger Foot from a one-kick pony into one of many 12 months’s most fun, difficult, and tough-to-put-down adrenaline rushes.
Going down on the seedy streets of Crime Metropolis, the place crime just isn’t solely inspired however is a lifestyle, you’ll plow by means of 4 gangs and their leaders throughout dozens of ranges to retrieve your pilfered sneakers. Initially, your naked foot is your finest and solely weapon, as kicking sends the litany of armed goons flying, showcasing the satisfying (and, generally, hilariously damaged) ragdoll physics. This primary-person motion recreation’s frantic but considerate tempo is delightfully paying homage to Hotline Miami and Doom. At finest, you’ll be able to full the small, densely packed levels in beneath a minute, and success means shortly and strategically taking out deviously positioned foes earlier than they will off you.
Since just one or two hits kill gamers, quick response timing and, for higher or worse, trial-and-error win the day. Ranges can border on being labyrinthine with enemies hiding in blind spots or lurking behind doorways, and also you received’t uncover their presence till their bullet enters your cranium. Some deaths really feel low cost resulting from generally questionable enemy placement that makes taking injury appear unavoidable in spots. Different instances, you are a sufferer of physics; a grenade that misses the primary time could bounce off one thing and unexpectedly land at your ft the second time. Dying means beginning the stage anew, and whereas that stings after a very good run, instantaneous respawns hasten the method of repeatedly working by means of ranges and absorbing their layouts.
Kicking foes feels nice, however Anger Foot additionally encourages strategic use of the atmosphere and your opponents, comparable to kicking doorways into distant targets or sending exploding enemies careening into their allies. Wielding firearms, comparable to handguns and shotguns, plus extra unique fare like crossbows that impale a number of foes and flamethrowers, provides a complementary ranged side to the melee-focused motion. Gunplay feels superior, and you’ll even throw empty weapons to stun targets, offering excellent setups for a kick. I additionally take pleasure in how the varied enemy varieties encourage me to vary techniques on the fly, comparable to shield-bearing foes blocking gunfire or speedy, knife-wielding mice specializing in relentless swarming. The multi-stage boss fights are fulfilling (and absurd) however don’t evaluate to the fun of blasting by means of the usual ranges.
When Anger Foot is firing on all cylinders, which is usually, it’s a gleefully chaotic execution of talent and resourcefulness. I really like slipping into the circulation state of working into rooms, quickly taking out adversaries, grabbing their weapons, lobbing depleted firearms to stun different targets, and kicking the whole lot in sight. A senseless method can work, however extra typically, it pays to have an excellent order of operations for eliminating threats and pinpointing each environmental benefit. Copius destructibility means encounters typically devolve right into a parade of exploding rubble, splintered wooden, and shattered glass that leaves rooms wanting like a twister plowed by means of them. This factor might be advantageous; why decide off goons perched atop scaffolding when taking pictures an explosive barrel sends all the construction tumbling down? Although the framerate often dips when the motion overindulges in explosions and enemy mobs, it runs clean as butter in any other case.
Anger Foot often introduces new concepts and mechanics to maintain the gameplay and problem contemporary. Highlights embody hopping throughout and dodging trains in a subway and kicking throughout rooftops whereas avoiding a sniper’s laser sight. I all the time regarded ahead to seeing what a degree had in retailer and was typically stunned and enthusiastic to deal with no matter impediment developer Free Lives concocted.
Finishing levels and non-compulsory goals, comparable to ending it beneath a time restrict or taking no injury, rewards as much as three stars spent towards unlocking ability-granting sneakers. You possibly can solely put on one pair of those particular sneakers at a time, they usually add enjoyable wrinkles to the motion. Some present useful perks, like a shoe that grants an additional life or one which causes doorways to blow up when kicked. Different sneakers perform like foolish cheat codes, like a pair that reduces gravity, that means the whole lot, your self included, floats. One helpful shoe provides enemies comedically giant heads, making them simpler targets for headshots. Footwear might be potent recreation changers, offering a powerful hook to replay levels and full supplementary duties to unlock all of them.
Defeat is usually a bitter tablet in Anger Foot, however I used to be amazed at how keen I remained to leap again in time after time. Firefights remained an thrilling problem even when I’d performed it quite a few instances. Thwarting foes milliseconds earlier than they pull the set off, both by brute pressure or cleverly using my environment, by no means ceased to really feel cool. You need to undoubtedly stroll a mile in these sneakers.
