Early Access

Anomaly President

Voting with your fists has never been so fun

Anomaly President combines sharp beat 'em up combat, roguelite builds and biting political satire into an Early Access game that already feels substantial, despite one frustrating late-game bottleneck.

Introduction

There are games that take several hours to show their cards and others that manage to hook you from the very first hit. Anomaly President belongs to the second group. As soon as I grabbed the controller, I couldn’t put it down. Its mix of arcade action, roguelite progression and acerbic humor turned each “run” into the perfect excuse to continue a little longer. That little bit more ended up turning into about 25 hours and a completed campaign.

The initial premise is a battle between two presidential candidates: your father and his rival, who currently has the upper hand. To beat the other candidate, the game asks you to manage part of the electoral campaign from your bus and go out to win votes by defeating the other candidate’s ministers. The combination seems crazy, but it works surprisingly naturally and gives the game an identity that goes far beyond simply imitating the classics.

A campaign fought with fists

At its core, Anomaly President retains the immediate pleasure of traditional beat ’em ups. We advance through stages full of enemies, measure distances and look for the right moment to attack, parry or dodge. The roguelite structure completely changes how we approach each route, which will be different in every “run”. Unlike the beat ’em ups of old, memorizing a combination of attacks is not enough. Here, we choose random upgrades after completing each “stage”, creating a build that will disappear when we die or reach the end. We can also choose two weapons before starting the level, among which I would personally highlight the hammer and sickle.

The political campaign does not work as a simple gimmick. We will have to recruit Fluffies, manage the bus and build new rooms to advance and unlock upgrades. The end result is that everything fits together very well: on the one hand, you have the instant satisfaction of clearing a new level and, on the other, improving the “base” on the bus.

Combat as a driving force

That whole framework wouldn’t work if fighting wasn’t fun, and this is where the game scores its greatest victory. The confrontations are fast, demanding and very satisfying. The response to your inputs is quick, the dodges work perfectly, and the overall speed keeps the action from losing tension. Even when the screen fills with threats, the controller responds with the precision necessary to make every victory feel deserved. It can get a little chaotic when you try to parry while surrounded by enemies, but since the game is in Early Access, I have no doubt that the developers will end up polishing it.

Anomaly President does not offer a difficulty selector, so its challenge cannot be lowered from a menu. This reinforces the importance of learning patterns, honing reflexes and understanding which combinations work best. It can be a barrier for anyone looking for an easy experience, but it is also the reason why overcoming a difficult area is so exhilarating. Defeat rarely makes you want to give up immediately; it almost always leaves the impression that the next attempt may go better.

The variety of powers and upgrades also helps. Each choice steers you towards a specific build, whether it is focused on weapons or on making the most of anomalies. The system encourages experimentation without turning every planning mistake into a death sentence, and that freedom supports the repetition component very well.

Progression, dungeons and a final bottleneck

Progression maintains a compelling pace for most of the adventure. There always seems to be an upgrade nearby, a new possibility for the bus or a combination that deserves to be tried. That cadence makes the hours pass with almost dangerous ease and turns repetition into learning. Repeating does not mean limiting yourself to following the same path: it means doing so with more knowledge and a better-defined strategy.

The only problem I encountered came near the end. There comes a point when the available paths for improvement narrow and the player can get stuck in a particularly complicated area without a clear alternative way to become stronger. A defeat in the final area forces you to repeat the previous ones, so the repetition can stop feeling productive and begin to weigh you down. Less skilled players may find themselves stuck in a sequence that is too long before getting back to the challenge they actually want to overcome.

It is not a flaw that ruins the whole experience, but it is the most obvious balance issue in this version. More direct access to the decisive stretch or new growth options would alleviate the frustration without reducing the difficulty.

Humor and personality

The other great virtue of Anomaly President is its humor. The political satire, the characters and the contrast between campaigning and launching into a new area to fight create a distinctive tone of their own. The game understands that such an absurd premise should be embraced unapologetically, and it maintains that energy in both its systems and its presentation.

One map lovingly inspired by a cult classic stands out in particular. The reference is immediately recognizable, but it works on its own merits and fits wonderfully with the speed, stylized violence and sense of humor of the whole. It is one of those moments that does not need the joke to be explained to provoke a smile and that sums up the creative confidence of the adventure.

Furthermore, throughout the different “runs”, we will discover new cutscenes involving secondary characters. These add more depth to the story and will almost make you want to die just to continue seeing how their stories end. Although we generally have no say in the outcome of these secondary stories, we still end up feeling involved in them.

The studio’s previous experience with this type of action is also evident. The legacy of Anomaly Agent is present in the fluidity, the flair for spectacle and the way it combines attacks with a very distinctive aesthetic, but this new instalment expands the formula through its run-based structure, its mobile base and the electoral campaign.

Early Access status

While there is still room to expand the content and fine-tune the balance, the current version has a sense of completeness that is unusual for an Early Access release. The available campaign can be explored from start to finish and offers enough variety to sustain around 25 or 30 hours without the whole experience feeling like a skeleton waiting for future updates. What already exists could stand as a complete experience in its own right, always keeping in mind that development is continuing.

Performance reinforces that impression. Throughout my playthrough, I encountered no bugs, crashes or significant technical problems. The action remains stable even during the most intense moments, which is especially important in a game where a frame-rate drop or delayed response can get you killed.

The interface and texts are available in Spanish, English and more than ten other languages. This makes it easier to follow both the campaign and the upgrade choices, although it is worth remembering that the main attraction is a combat system that speaks a fairly universal language: enter, dodge, hit and convince yourself that there is still time for one more run.

The good

Fast, demanding and very satisfying combat
Progression and repetition capable of maintaining interest for hours
Humor with personality and excellent technical performance
The launch price: €12.39 is a bargain for a game like this

The bad

The final stretch can leave the player without clear ways to continue improving

Conclusion

9/10

Anomaly President arrives in Early Access with unusual strength. After about 30 hours and having completed the campaign, I am left with memories of excellent combat, a rhythm that is difficult to abandon and progression that constantly invites you to try one more time. The final bottleneck and the forced repetition of certain areas need adjustments, but they do not tarnish a substantial, stable experience with enormous personality. For those who enjoy classic arcade games and roguelites, it is an easy recommendation.

Action roguelite, adventure and RPG

Recommended for

Lovers of classic beat ’em ups and arcade action games
Roguelite players who enjoy creating builds and learning through repetition
Those who enjoy a challenge and acerbic humor