Anger Foot Review: Two Kicks Forward, One Kick Back

Anger Foot is a game that throws you into a whirlwind of brutal, cartoonish violence and intense gameplay, combining exhilarating highs with frustrating lows. Developed by Free Lives and published by Devolver Digital, this kick-exalting FPS hit the shelves on July 11th, 2024, for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Despite its quirks and occasional annoyances, Anger Foot manages to keep you hooked through great level design, constant novelty, and mostly solid fundamentals.

Developer: Free Lives
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Release: July 11th, 2024
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Available on: Steam, GOG
Price: TBC
Reviewed on: Intel Core i5-8600K, 16GB RAM, Nvidia RTX 2070, Windows 10

You know that feeling on a rollercoaster when you brace yourself for extreme motion? That's what playing Anger Foot is like. The game is a blend of brutal, instant-death violence and an absolutely banging soundtrack. If Hotline Miami was a cocktail of chemical euphoria and guilt, Anger Foot is like doing whippits out of balloon animals and rhythmically headbutting a portaloo for hours. It's a masochistic ordeal, but what a buzz!

Gameplay Breakdown

The core of Anger Foot is simple but thrilling. You kick doors open, take out enemies, and collect weapons. Here's a typical sequence: boot a door open, knock out a pipe-wielding lizard, rush through the doorway, and get shot by a hidden goon. Restart. Boot the door again, take out the pistol goon, grab his weapon, and keep going. The game's fast-paced, chaotic action forces you to act on instinct rather than strategy.

The kick mechanic is central to the game. You can hold the kick key for an endless chain of kicks, and using it strategically—like booting goons as they come through a door—can be effective. The game feels like a high-stakes poker match, with you and the game constantly one-upping each other. It's cheeky, unpredictable, and full of surprises.

Variety and Challenges

Anger Foot does a good job of introducing new elements and challenges. The game is filled with novel surprises, like enemies that throw live snakes or armored bears with miniguns. The stages are populated with a variety of enemies and weapons, each requiring different tactics. There are four main maps, each run by a different gang with unique environments and challenges.

Replayability is a big focus. Each of the 63 stages takes between one and three minutes to complete, and each stage has optional challenge objectives, like using only your feet or completing within a time limit. You unlock new pairs of shoes by earning stars, each pair offering different abilities. While some shoes are more practical than others, they add a fun layer of variety to the gameplay.

Balance and Frustration

The game isn't without its frustrations. Anger Foot's difficulty can be punishing, sometimes discouraging experimentation with new abilities. The time it takes to restart after dying—three seconds—can feel like an eternity compared to the one-second restart time in Hotline Miami. This minor difference significantly affects the flow of the game, making deaths feel more annoying than they should.

Despite this, Anger Foot gets its core mechanics right. The ten different weapons are distinct and useful, and the kick mechanic remains central and satisfying throughout. The game excels in creating fast-paced, chaotic action that keeps you on your toes.

Final Thoughts

Anger Foot is a high-concept game based on a simple but funny idea, expanded into an engaging and challenging experience. The novelty, solid fundamentals, great level design, and spiffy physics keep it fresh for hours. The soundtrack is fantastic, adding to the overall energy and excitement.

While the game has its flaws—like occasional frustration and some unfunny moments—it's still a blast to play. The bosses are generally fun and challenging, and the game occasionally delivers moments of sheer exhilarating fun, reminiscent of the best parts of Hotline Miami.

Anger Foot is a wild ride that's worth taking, even if it sometimes kicks you back harder than expected. If you're looking for a fast-paced, chaotic FPS with a unique twist, Anger Foot delivers a memorable experience that's both challenging and entertaining.