I’ve been following the progression of Anger Foot from the demo to the beta, and it has finally been released. It is a fast-paced action game that follows the journey of our hero through Shit City. Shit City is a city rife with crime and has four different areas to conquer, each with its theme of crime, such as violence, pollution, business, and depravity. Progressing through the dozen or so levels in each area and defeating a boss allows you to advance. The gameplay is enjoyable, and there is plenty of humour.
The game starts with Anger Foot arriving home to have a date night with his girlfriend after an adventure out to get some new sneakers. Upon arriving home, he shows off his newest set of sneakers and proceeds to place them in a display box in the vault. Suddenly, with a rumble and a crash, the wall with his four pairs of special shoes is ripped away by the leader of the Violence gang. Soon, I was venturing into the Violence gang’s area on the map, battling levels and unlocking sneakers as I progressed.
The completion of levels unlocks stars, each level allowing the acquisition of three stars through different actions on the level, such as speedrunning, only using feet, or using a type of shoe, as well as many more different and sometimes rather funny yet difficult tasks. These stars unlock sneakers, and for every five stars, another sneaker is unlocked; each of the sneakers has a unique ability. These abilities vary and have many funny effects on our would-be hero and combat, from simply giving enemies big heads to making all weapons shotguns, even giving the player the power of resurrection, or controlling flies. With twenty-four different shoes to unlock, there is a sneaker for all types of battles.
The gameplay is fast and controlling, similar to games like DOOM or Serious Sam, with the bonus of kicking everyone and everything in sight. Levels have various lengths, puzzles, and goals to them, and the level designs are accented similarly to the gangs they represent, from streets to sewers and even business offices. The game leans heavily on weird humour, and before some levels, you can speak with the inhabitants, which is very enlightening. These levels occurred both at the start, midway and post-boss battle and allowed me to see what effect I was having on the world at large. Enemies are also distinct in each district, starting with elemental crocodilian-looking foes with bats and progressing to weird dog-looking folks with guns. Each area introduces some new enemy types, and the old ones follow you through the levels as they are displaced from their gangs and seek out new ones.
Along with the various enemies comes a variety of guns, from pistols to machine guns, shotguns and even miniguns. There is a multitude of ways to defeat your enemies, and progression means seeing the full suite of this playing out. Each gun also has a unique feel to it: pistols are precise, while shotguns are good for areas of attack with bullet spread, and crossbows are great for pinning foes to a wall. While the game does focus on the feet aspect, the gunplay is excellent. On both the mouse and keyboard, as well as the controller, I always felt like I was in full control of the weapons, and most level failures came down to my faults and not the games.
I enjoy playing Anger Foot, a game created by the same developers as Broforce. This game might have come close to replacing it as my go-to game, as I find myself playing it a lot. It runs smoothly on my PC and laptop, especially on my Steam Deck. The game is very portable and works well on all these devices. Each level offers enough challenge to keep me engaged, and for those who find it difficult, there are options in the menu to make the game easier. The visuals are vibrant, and the enemies have unique designs, which I appreciate because the game doesn’t have the same old sepia tone and repeated enemy types that other games use. The game also has options to prevent issues like flashing lights and blood, showing that the developers put thought into making the game accessible to everyone.
The game’s soundtrack and audio are pleasing to my ears. The heavy bass riff is constant and fits well with the intense moments. I found it amusing when enemies danced on my grave during death scenes. The music changes with the enemies and their interactions, coming in strong and easing off when they are defeated, which got my adrenaline pumping more than once. Additionally, the gameplay sounds are great – the guns sound crisp, and the enemies all have unique sounds. It’s very satisfying to hear the enemy squish, scream, or thunk into a wall when you kick or stomp on them.
The music, gameplay, and visuals combine to make this game what it is, and I’m on board with it. Once I’m done writing this, I’m diving back in to kick some more ass and, if possible, take a few names while I’m at it.
