While I appreciate that the other reviews make note to reference that Anodyne looks and plays a lot like the 16-bit Zelda titles from a mechanic-perspective, I'm not convinced that they give the game its full-due. The purpose of the game lays rooted in its story, which is nothing like the traditional good versus evil fairy-tale-esque arc of the Zelda series. In short, the game is about a boy called Young who battles through evils which have manifested into form, but whose actual presence lay in his sub-conscious, and as such it's nothing really approaching the Zelda-titles at all. Anodyne is probably best described as a cross between Zelda (mechanics-wise) and something like Yume Nikki (story-wise, though nowhere near as experimental). It's an interesting title which subverts a lot of the traditional aspects of retro adventure titles, while at the same time using them for the appeal they've always held (the fun if you like, - yes the gameplay is enjoyable without being revolution). But yeah, I was impressed with the game, but I'd say that it demands attention from the player. The game will appeal to you if you're somebody who values story and accepts that narrative need not always be external to the gameplay parts (the gameplay is the story, as much as the story is the gameplay).
