Up until the last Steam Summer Sale, Anno Mutationem was a game I’d looked at, but hadn’t checked out. I played the PC version after getting it on sale but having it on Switch was too good of an idea to pass up. Anno Mutationem plays just as well on Switch but offers a more versatile experience.

Anno Mutationem is a Metroidvania-esque action RPG where you play as Ann Flores, a trained fighter who suffers from a mysterious ailment. Her brother sets out to find a cure and in the process gets tangled up in a web of deceit, conspiracy, and crime. As Ann, you’ll have to fight through a cyberpunk city and uncover all sorts of secrets in order to save her brother.

Anno Mutationem is split into two main segments. You have segments where you traverse areas outside of combat, undergoing investigative side quests and exploring the cyberpunk world the game offers. The second set of segments are the action-oriented segments, where you explore typical Metroidvania-esque levels and fight enemies, while also utilizing platforming to explore and find items.

You can craft consumables using items you find in your travels. Additionally, you can use the Grom system to upgrade Ann’s abilities via a skill tree. You have to collect Grombits by killing enemies and doing quests, but the progression systems are fairly simple and easy to understand. You can also use Grombits to increase her backpack capacity or her hacking capabilities.

Ann can equip a light and heavy melee weapon, as well as a ranged gun. There are different types of weapons to suit differing playstyles, and each weapon can be augmented using chips that boost the weapon’s stats. For guns, you’ll need to find or craft ammo. Ammo isn’t that hard to come by, but in long dungeon segments you might need to use it sparingly.

As you progress, you’ll gain new abilities such as a berserker mode that increases Ann’s stats and makes her do more damage for a limited time. Overall, the combat is fairly simple and easy to understand. The controls are relatively easy as well, so you likely won’t find Anno Mutationem to be too demanding.

I do think that the game could use a few accessibility add-ons, such as increased font sizes or different text colors. Other than that, I really like what the developers have done with Anno Mutationem. The environments are done with colorful pixel art, and even on the Nintendo Switch the levels and characters are a feast for the eyes.

Specifically for the Nintendo Switch version, as I played there were a few instances of lag but they weren’t common. If anything, the Switch version’s portability and the ability to play on a TV make it worth a few laggy moments here and there. Especially since the game is just so enjoyable as a whole.

The story is interesting, the side quests are unique, and this is probably the best example of a Cyberpunk Metroidvania I’ve ever played. If you’ve been looking at Anno Mutationem on other platforms and haven’t pulled the proverbial trigger yet, consider the Switch version. Even if you haven’t been eying it, if you like the style and aesthetic, Ann’s adventure is very worth your time.

A Nintendo Switch Review Copy of Anno Mutationem was provided by Lightning Games for this review.

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Anno Mutationem

$24.99

9

Score

9.0/10

Pros

• Gorgeous Pixel Art Aesthetic
• Simple Combat Mechanics
• Variable Difficulty
• Easily Understood Progression Systems

Cons

• Could Use Font Size and Color options
• Occasional Lag