Anodyne 2: Return to Dust

One part 3D game, one part 2D game, Anodyne 2: Return to Dust for Nintendo Switch almost defies explanation. In this review, we will try to explain it and let you know if its worth checking out. Well, maybe we will.

Anodyne 2: Return to Dust is a very strange game. Its story is so bizarre that no explanation could properly tell you what its about. The closest explanation is that you play as someone who shrinks down and goes inside of things to rid of them of a foreign disease called Dust. At least I guess thats what your doing. Its pretty weird.

While you explore the world of Anodyne, the game is in 3D. When you shrink down and go inside of something, the game goes into 2D. The 3D in Anodyne is similar to what we saw on the Playstation 1: very old school, retro 3D.

The 2D looks very nice. The game is basically a puzzle game in 2D mode. The graphics are cute here, while the 3D is just very strange.

You may have noticed that I called what you are helping things instead of people. Other than your main character and perhaps two other characters, most of what you encounter in Anodyne are bizarre creatures that can talk. They live in that city you’ll be exploring (for the most part) and you’ll be going into some of them to rid them of Dust.

The gameplay in Anodyne goes between 3D open world exploration to 2D puzzle gameplay easily. The load times are between the two modes are not bad. You can turn into a car too, which makes exploring the city faster.

Sometimes the in-game camera gets a little too close to the character while exploring but other wise, the controls in 3D are fine and even better in 2D.

A weird rhythm game appears sometimes and it seems out of place, but then again, how would I know? Everything about this game is different.

There is so much to do and see in Anodyne 2. Its a pretty ambitious game. Anodyne 2: Return to Dust won’t be for everyone but there is an audience for this game out there. The story doesn’t really make sense, the gameplay is varied and its unlikely you’ll be bored. Anodyne 2: Return to Dust is a game that you’ll just have to see to believe.

Thanks to Ratalaika Games for providing a digital code for this game. Anodyne 2: Return to Dust is now available on the Nintendo Switch eshop!