Roundup: Here's What The Critics Are Saying About The Anacrusis

The Anacrusis is another co-op shooter arriving day one on Xbox Game Pass, and a load of early access previews on it just hit the web. Truth be told, impressions so far are pretty varied, and there aren't too many scores floating around just yet — probably due to the fact it's launching as part of Xbox Game Preview.

Still, it's an interesting title being created by some ex-Valve developers. That brings obvious comparisons to the Left 4 Dead series, although the setting is rather different.

Here's what the critics are saying about The Anacrusis so far:

IGN - (5/10)

"The Anacrusis lets you explore a plush spaceship heavily indebted to paperback sci-fi cliches. It's one of the better settings deployed in a co-op shooter, but the actual co-op shooting against waves of aliens suffers from a stark absence of any interesting ideas beyond the change of scenery."

GameRant

"If Stray Bombay does deliver on this promise, then The Anacrusis could be something genuinely special. Fans who recognize this potential can assist with its development by airing their desires for the game, but at the end of the day, at least in its current state, it’s a coin toss on whether it’s remembered as a true spiritual successor to Left 4 Dead or just another in a long line of faceless clones."

NME

"The first moments of The Anacrusis are tame, as the few scattered aliens politely wait to receive a shot in the head. It’s a deceptive calm before the storm, but it gave me a chance to take in its futuristic corridors, which look like someone has gleefully ran through with a multipack of sherbet sticks."

TheSixthAxis

"There are some fun set pieces thrown in that do help spice things up, like holding off waves of enemies in a blaring disco, the first episode’s climactic battle on the bridge of the starship, and some fun times with sluices – this game’s a shoe-in for the Best Sluices GOTY 2022 award – though some levels come in feeling like they’re a bit on the long side."

Rock Paper Shotgun

"Yes, it's still pretty similar to Left 4 Dead, but is home to a few things that help separate it from its zombified brethren. [...] All in all, we sampled a ‘full run’, so a total of four levels, each with lots of, “Oh god, oh no,” moments. And it’s safe to say we had a lot of fun with it."

Impressions so far seem mixed, although we have to remember these are taken from the early access release. We're still looking forward to giving The Anacrusis a go, especially given some of the studio's pedigree.

Will you be diving into this one on Xbox Game Pass later today?