Anachronox - Gameplay

Gameplay

Anachronox is a turn-based role-playing game similar in nature to many Japanese role-playing video games like Final Fantasy. The player controls a party of up to three characters as they explore a 3D environment of futuristic cities, space vessels, and outdoor areas. Players can swap other playable characters into and out of their party, talk to non-player characters, and collect and shop for equipment and items. When a player nears a character or item that can be interacted with, an arrow-shaped floating electronic device called the LifeCursor deploys, allowing the player to click on the person or item. After a certain point in the story, players can travel by shuttle (shown in cut scenes) to other planets. Players may encounter puzzles, requiring the use of a WorldSkill such as lockpicking; each playable character has a unique skill. Some sequences of the game involve minigames; in one such minigame, the player must pilot a fighter spaceship and destroy enemies with lasers. Certain maps also have simple two-dimensional minigames, such as the original games Ox and Bugaboo. A special feature of exploration is the use of the protagonist Boots's camera, which can take and store several pictures for memories or minor quests.

Players may also encounter enemies, triggering a combat mode. Like Chrono Trigger, the game features no random encounters; enemies are openly visible on field maps or lie in wait to ambush the party. Similar to Final Fantasy's Active Time Battle, each character has a meter that gradually fills with time; when the meter is full, the character can perform an action. Characters can physically attack enemies, use MysTech magic, unleash BattleSkill attacks, use items, move to a different position, or use a nearby object to attack, if present. For playable characters and computer-controlled enemies, each attack reduces their number of hit points (a numerically based life bar), which can be restored through healing items or MysTech slags. Use of MysTech and equippable shield cells require NRG, a separate energy reserve displayed beneath a character's life bar. NRG is replenished through certain items. Use of BattleSkills require Bouge, a third bar beneath NRG that automatically fills with time; players can use different BattleSkills depending on how full the Bouge bar is. Some characters must undergo certain plot developments to unlock their BattleSkills. When a playable character loses all hit points, he or she faints. If all the player's characters fall in battle, the game ends and must be restored from a previously saved game. Winning battles earns experience points and raises characters' levels, granting them improved character statistics. These statistics can be viewed through the status screen, which displays important character information and current quests. Unlike many other RPGs, Anachronox displays a character's attributes with qualitative descriptors (such as Poor and Excellent) instead of integers.