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I walked away from every Anger Foot session believing that developer Free Lives had changed the first-person shooter genre for good. Yeah, there are guns and explosives, but the real action lies in how far you can stick your foot up your enemy’s ass. In fact, why not change it up with different kinds of sneakers, sandals, and boots to really get the party going? My Anger Foot preview describes it is an over-the-top narrative of what people who are grossly drunk after a night at a skeezy club probably think the world around them feels like; except with way more foot action.
The Ups and Downs of Shit City
The story of Anger Foot follows the eponymous protagonist who is living in Shit City where crime is encouraged by everyone. The city houses several gangs who each have a hold over different aspects of the city, with Anger Foot acting as a lone wolf among the rest. Anger Foot’s reputation in the city as a loner gets his infamous footwear stolen by a rival gang, fuelling his desire to wreak havoc across the city and earn back what is rightfully his. Every level and completed objective gives you stars that can be used to earn back sneakers to eventually complete the collection. However, don’t expect it to go any deeper than that.
Although the story is as basic as it can be, some of it is told from an environmental storytelling perspective. You’ll be allowed to explore different boroughs of the city and understand how the different gang members live day-to-day. Each of these intermissions between levels gives you a glance at the gangs’ weird lives and how they feel about the world around them. Trust me when I say you’ll meet some incredibly weird personalities; it must be hard to live in a city where everyone looks and dresses the same and you’re constantly getting robbed while you’re trying to rob someone else.
How Would You Like My Foot in Your Ass?
Anger Foot’s gameplay is determined by the types of footwear you equip and how well you can handle fast-paced action. The base settings make it so that you must be reliant on your reflexes, having to restart if you’re hit. Going from room to room requires you to kick down the door, assess the fastest/most effective way to kill everyone inside, and move on. Enemies have no remorse and vary from pigeon swat team officers to tall orange dogs holding submachine guns.
Regardless of their looks, they all have the same objective of shooting you down and then dancing over your body if they succeed. To add to the absurdity, these same enemies go down in a single kick or shot from any gun with classic ragdoll physics. As you progress through levels, you’ll start building up piles of bodies and maneuvering through the chaos like a pro; well, mainly due to everyone’s lack of brain cells more than because of your talented moves. Why would someone with a bomb for a head try attacking you in a cramped apartment kitchen?
Unfortunately, I couldn’t help but feel as though levels slowly started feeling more and more repetitive as I went through them. The gameplay doesn’t expand beyond attacking gang members and this became more and more apparent whenever I would finish a session. While I can understand how some players would enjoy the sameness, I couldn’t shake the feeling that there needed to be more somehow.
After a Rough Night Out
One thing I love about Anger Foot is how the graphics and music never fail to pull me in. Despite how I felt about the game’s repetition, I would still finish sessions with tears in my eyes because I had forgotten to blink for the duration of the one to two-minute levels. I don’t know many games that manage to make the feeling of being horrifically wasted after a rave while trying to get back to an apartment on the bad side of town fun. I also feel that none of those feelings would have come through had the art direction been taken in a more realistic direction. There really is no better ambiance for the game than the cartoonish vibe the devs gave it.
The bass-thumping music also really helped shroud the repetition. I’d find myself going back through levels to try to complete objectives with ease because it was genuinely fun to look at and listen to. I can see myself listening to the soundtrack while working or doing household things to help my motivation.
Do I Have a Foot Fetish?
Anger Foot is a fun and unique take on the first-person genre. The time to switch guns for a sickly shade of green legs with infected-looking toenails is now! The available set of levels that I was privileged to play through were fun and engaging although a bit repetitive and I couldn’t get over how the graphics and music combined would leave me sitting firmly in my chair with tears in my eyes for hours. My time with the Anger Foot preview only raised my excitement for the full launch and what kind of foot action we can expect from Anger Foot against everyone else living in Shit City.
