《ANOMALITH》预览：提取射击张力结合动漫生存恐怖

ANOMALITH gives me an extraction shooter vibe while also feeling like a proper survival horror game. The inventory system contributes to that, but so does the structure: prepare for an expedition, enter somewhere dangerous, recover useful objects, and make it back.

Add supernatural abilities, a story-driven campaign, and a familiar anime presentation, and there are plenty of ideas competing for attention. From what I played, they come together surprisingly well.

The roughly 45-minute demo focused on a hospital overtaken by anomalies. Its horror felt atmospheric rather than particularly frightening, but that worked for me. The unsettling environments support an experience that gives you more to think about than what might jump out around the next corner.

Preparation is part of survival

Before entering an Anomaly Zone, you prepare at base. Once inside, you explore, fight, and collect objects that can help improve your equipment when you return. Ammunition management and deciding what deserves space in your inventory are central to that loop.

In fact, the demo gave me different weapons without enough ammunition to use everything carelessly. Carrying another firearm expands your options, but keeping it supplied creates another demand on your inventory. Meanwhile, every useful object you discover gives you a reason to reconsider what you are carrying. The grid-based inventory makes those choices tangible, because larger items occupy more space.

Firearm customization adds another layer to preparation where attachments let you adapt weapons to different combat styles, while materials recovered from Anomaly Zones support equipment development and upgrades. Artifacts serve a separate purpose by improving Reona’s statistics. 

Run, Create Distance, or Commit to a Parry

The Japanese locations look excellent, and the hospital gave me plenty of rooms to investigate, different enemies to fight, and hidden chests and loot to discover. I wanted to check corners before following the objective because there was often something useful waiting away from the obvious route.

The Showa-era retro influence mixed with liminal spaces is clearly visible. ANOMALITH pairs stylized anime characters with relatively grounded interiors, then disrupts those environments through surreal geometry, distorted humanoids, and supernatural effects. Recognizable buildings become uncomfortable because of the things happening inside them.

Combat has a run-and-gun feeling because there is no dedicated dodge button to build my defense around. Instead, I relied on positioning, backing away, and deciding when to parry an incoming attack. I quickly realized that when enemies committed to attacking, I could often run away, create distance, and shoot them before they reached me again. And don’t forget, headshots always deal more damage than bodyshots. 

Parrying offers a more aggressive response. You can stand your ground and interrupt an attack, but doing so requires committing to the timing. That choice between retreating and confronting an enemy gives movement a clear role in combat.

The ammunition restrictions also prevent this from becoming entirely about maintaining distance and firing indefinitely. You have to consider what you are spending, which weapon suits the situation, and when Reona’s supernatural abilities can help.

Reona’s mutation changes the fight

The transformation is one of ANOMALITH’s more unique ideas. Reona’s body becomes increasingly monstrous, connecting her combat abilities to the same anomalies she is investigating. Mechanically, the transformation is linked to her health. A sufficiently low health level triggers a partially mutated state that strengthens her Anomalization Skills and allows MP to regenerate over time.

Her powers include close-range attacks and defensive abilities such as parrying, while the complete game advertises 12 skills to unlock and develop. Using skills consumes MP, and landing firearm shots replenishes it. In other words, shooting helps fund the supernatural attacks you can use when enemies close in, while the mutated state introduces additional risk because stronger abilities become available when Reona is already vulnerable.

Reona’s search for her missing best friend Arisa Kato gives those expeditions a larger purpose. The two become separated when a shopping mall anomalizes, leading Reona to join the Anomaly Zone Countermeasures Office and return to these dangerous spaces. The supporting cast includes mission operator Yuiga Koda, Office Chief Kyoka Sudo, research head Imari Fushimi, and security head May Hibiya. Side missions explore characters’ backgrounds and relationships, while Dive Reports provide information about the anomalies themselves. 

ANOMALITH is worth your time

I liked how much ANOMALITH managed to connect during a short demo. Preparation made exploration matter, limited ammunition influenced combat, and the supernatural powers gave Reona something distinctive beyond her weapons. Those 45 minutes showed several sides of the game without establishing how they will hold up across a full campaign. What stayed with me was the feeling that its different genres already belonged together.

The demo is worth trying for its atmospheric environments, resource management, and combination of firearms and supernatural combat. It left me interested in seeing more, particularly whether new locations, enemies, and upgrades can keep that promising structure engaging.

ANOMALITH is in development for Windows PC (via Steam), Switch 2, and PlayStation 5 with a global release set for October 29th.