Anger Foot’s goofy name perfectly encapsulates the ridiculous action game that it is. Right from the start, the Violence Gang of Shit City steals your precious sneakers. In an anger-fueled rage, you’ll kick through countless doors and thugs to get them back. While also encountering toilet humor at every chance. It isn’t that surprising Anger Foot doesn’t take itself too seriously when you consider some of the absurd games the developer Free Lives has made.
It has everything from a porter potty with “pee pee poo poo” written on it to a dog drinking its pee. Ridiculous humor aside, bashing through doors into onslaughts of enemies is always a great time. It makes for compelling level design where every door reveals a chaotic playroom to tear apart. When you’re not busy speeding through every room, it can feel like a puzzle to tackle.
Hotline Miami fans will feel a similar energy as you frequently restart determined to get through a level. Each death is rarely frustrating due to how short levels are and how fast you can get back into the action. This makes it tempting to always charge haphazardly into rooms. Which is encouraged further by the rhythm the high-tempo soundtrack gets you into. While nothing stops you from playing slow, it’s hard not to slip into an intense trance.
Part of what I love about Anger Foot is that the developers don’t force you to play a certain way. As you complete levels, you’ll unlock new sneakers that provide unique modifiers. These can be as simple as making everyone have a big head or boots that give you a powerful dash. Every new pair creates an opportunity to play each level differently and chase new challenges. This is how Anger Foot feels like a sandbox where you’ll want to replay levels over and over.
Sometimes I’d see a challenge to complete a level in 15 seconds that originally took two minutes and have no idea how. This is where the puzzle side kicks in as you search for a trick you might be missing. Such as a shortcut that leads immediately to the exit or using the right shoes for the occasion. My favorite run has to be the one I completed in literally two seconds.
When I’m not repeating levels to complete challenges, I’m working through the somewhat basic story. While it starts with the Violence Gang stealing your sneakers, they actually spread them across four different gangs. This creates four separate areas each with quiet intermissions where you can speak with the many gang members. The dialogue doesn’t build on the story but it does continue to add humor often related to their affiliated gang.
This is where you’ll occasionally see blunt social commentary like the police running the Violence Gang. They harass those not committing crimes since it’s practically illegal not to in Shit City. Then, there’s the Business Gang full of dystopian bits that make you wonder how far from reality they are. One intermission features the wellness center where you’re welcomed by what I can only assume are HR employees in clown outfits. They demand you feel relaxed while also telling you to have enough wellness tokens before entering.
I applaud the developers for getting their little jabs and criticisms in even if it’s surrounded by lowbrow humor. I can’t even get a free pizza party since I need 100 wellness tokens to afford one.
Running back to the gameplay, each new gang area introduces new enemies. This keeps you on your toes and sometimes makes you slow down when an enemy can explode in your face. Alongside new enemies, you’ll also find new weapons too. This provides an opportunity for new toys to play with while using all sorts of crazy shoes as well. But, sometimes I just want to throw an empty gun at an enemy, kick them, pick it back up, and throw it again.
Anger Foot Review | Closing Thoughts
Anger Foot’s fast-paced action is an adrenaline ride you won’t want to get off. It’s chaotic, fast, loud, and extremely satisfying to speed through. Which can make it difficult to appreciate the world-building visible everywhere. From ridiculous posters placed on every wall to nonstop toilet humor. Just don’t be surprised if the toilet humor wears on you over time. I don’t know if it became less tolerable or weaker the more I saw. With that said, Anger Foot is an excellent experience especially if you’re looking for what is essentially a first-person Hotline Miami.
Review Score: 9/10 (Amazing)
Anger Foot was provided by a PR agency via a Steam code.
Jeff is a journalist with over 10 years of experience writing, streaming, and making content about video games. With an associate degree in journalism, he’s a sucker for RPGs, survival games, roguelikes, and more.