Preview conditions: We played a little over 2h30 on Anger Foot. This preview contained no less than 28 levels as well as two boss fights, and was therefore not quite the final version of the game.
Welcome to Shit City
Contrary to what we saw two years ago, Anger Football changed a few things just in the narration. From now on, our protagonist, living in Shit City bringing together the cream of all the most violent and influential gangs in the city, is a great collector of Sneakers. After collecting his last pair of preemo sneakers that were supposed to go into his large collection, the violence gang steals everything from him. It is from there that Anger Foot will do everything to recover them.
If we compare the game to the version two years ago, Free Lives has reworked the scenario quite a bit, where it is now a whole collection of sneakers which is stolen, unlike Arthur the shoe which was taken hostage in the old version. What's more, this preview allowed us to see that in addition to the levels that we chain together, small narrative passages will be included. Nothing very transcendent because you will just be able to talk to a few members of gangs scattered in small areas, before moving on to the fight.
These are, however, welcome, and allow you to breathe a little between several levels, which are crazy intense. All that remains now is to see if the story will be even crazier than the initial pitch, and we are already looking forward to discovering the two other types of gangs than those already seen in this preview, and which had already been more or less seen in the version that we had tested two years earlier. Undeniably, Free Lives has not been idle all this time and postponing the release of the title seems to have been more than beneficial to it.
In passing, we will also remember an artistic direction still on point. Its cartoonish side still works well, and the game still has the luxury of being relatively pleasant for the retina. It is quite possible that the game has undergone a new graphical facelift. There are still some slight display or AI bugs but, however, we logically expect that this will be corrected in the final version of the game. We also clearly highlight the quality of the soundtrack which gives pep to action and which should delight fans of hard tech, and whose hair-raising musical themes fit perfectly with the crazy atmosphere of the software.
Some positive changes with great fanfare
To refresh your memory on what Anger Footballit's a Fast FPS that plays it Hotline Miami. In other words, you will die if you get hit once in melee, or if you get shot twice. This will have the effect of making you start the level from the very beginning.
Regarding gameplay changes, there are few, but they remain relatively welcome. If the game is even more nervous and punchier, know that the aim is now a little more precise, and the recoil is slightly less pronounced than in the original version. Rest assured however, this absolutely does not make the game casual, given that the difficulty curve is progressive, and Anger Football still remains punitive for the slightest misstep, if you are not responsive enough. Of course, you can always smash everything with a pump, but also swallow a few energy drinks or beers if you want to be faster or, alternatively, drunk, and therefore be less precise and clear in your movements.
Suffice to say that the experience is very enjoyable, especially since these always crazy enemies to face. The more you advance in the levels, the more you will come across new opponents to beat with kicks or with the blows that the small strikes leave here and there once eliminated. The latter will have very specific specificities, and note that there are almost the same individuals to face as in last year's demo, with a redesign on the design of some who look much better.
It's positive, and note that we also appreciate some reworked weapon and enemy designs which clearly look good. We understand why the game was postponed, and the work completed is truly wonderful. We will also note a much better level design on the proposed levels of the two zones. They mostly oscillate between verticality and trying hard to end up knowing the levels by heart and doing better. Still, the concept of the game can quickly become redundant in the long run, although there are two boss fights that are quite nice and give a bit of a challenge, the last of which we had to face.
In terms of new products, a new map of each area and levels to go through, while the interface for obtaining shoes is different and much better put together. Indeed, the maps of each zone are much better finished, and what's more, they are clearer. In addition, know that shoes are obtained via stars, which are obtained by completing levels under conditions (finish a level within a given time, crush a certain number of cockroaches, finish the level without jumping, etc.) .
This mechanic is ultimately simpler and less messy than the challenges to accomplish on the demo version a year ago. The icing on the cake is that the shoes add a little touch to the gameplay with the different effects they bring when you equip one (possibility of a second chance after death, doing more damage to bosses, dashing, etc.). All this spices up the gameplay, which is already well calibrated and offers instant gaming pleasure.
For the moment, Anger Football always makes our little hearts capsize with hard tech. Between a certain overhaul on the map of the choice of levels, obtaining the various shoes with passive effects through a small graphic facelift and a gameplay which does not hamper the pleasure of the game, Anger Football is set to be a Fast FPS at the Hotline Miami damn successful. If we wonder about its potential redundancy or its few small bugs which may frustrate you, we must admit that the title of Free Lives can establish itself as a fun, rigorous and punitive Fast FPS which will please a lot of people. world. Even its replayability risks being pure crazy, and we can't wait to see the final version of the software, which still has no official release date.