Anon a gritty sci-fi game

The playable sci-fi psychological thriller "Anon: Escape the Murder" is neither virtual nor augmented reality, but utilises basic technology from both spatial media. The first level is now available free of charge for iOS and Android. We had a quick look.

The special thing about Anon is that the smartphone display becomes a window into a 3D world that you can walk through in its entirety like in a VR game by moving through the real space - but without VR glasses. Room tracking is made possible by ARKit and ARCore, depending on whether you are using iOS or Android. Anon is therefore neither augmented reality, as the real world is completely hidden, nor virtual reality, as no VR glasses are worn.

The game is based on the Netflix film of the same name, Anon, which was released at the beginning of May. It is set in a dystopian future in which anonymity and privacy no longer exist: People wear implants that record everything they see and upload it to a central database.

Solve puzzles, sneak, hack

The film is about detective Sal Frieland, who has to deal with a series of mysterious murders. As the database has been manipulated, the culprits cannot be traced. Frieland later comes across a first lead: a mysterious young woman who is not registered by the surveillance system.

In Anon: Escape the Murder, players wake up next to a dead woman and have to flee from the arriving police. If you have a large enough room, you can walk around the virtual environment and interact with objects by approaching them. You soon realise that you've probably had a wild night out. As a non-gamer, it took me a moment to understand the zoom controls. So it works even if the room is small. In terms of game mechanics, the story-driven title relies on puzzles, sneaking and a sophisticated skill system that helps with picking locks and hacking computer terminals. I quickly figured out the code for the locked door. I hope the puzzles get a bit trickier. The graphics appeal to me personally, but I wish I had a much larger screen than the one on my smartphone.

Anon: Escape the Murder shows the first (very short) level of the game and is free for iOSand Android available. Definitely a must-try for escape room fans!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tw9dYslfyhE&feature=youtu.be

Source: Vrodo / Youtube