Summary
Xbox’s Game Pass library has seen a wealth of excellent title since its inception as Microsoft’s standard subscription service. While this includes a number of high-profile AAA releases by various well-known studios that have been brought under its banner, Game Pass has another side to it with its catalog of great indie games. Some of these are often missed upon initial release, and the service offers fans a chance who might not have otherwise heard of or been able to experience them. One of these inclusions that recently made its way onto Game Pass,Anuchard,is a 2D action game by a small, three-person indie development team based in Indonesia called stellarNull. Originally released for PC in 2022,Anuchardhit Xbox Game Pass in February 2024.
Anuchardis currently sitting at very positive reviews on Steam and elsewhere. Much of theXbox Game Passtitle’s buzz centers around it feeling and playing a lot like one of the most classic and beloved titles in all of gaming:The Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past.With its dungeon-crawling exploration and action, Chosen One hero story framework, and arresting pixel art visuals,Anucharddoes a great job of channeling the style ofLttPand other similar games of yore, while also managing to carve out its own unique identity to avoid being just a nostalgic copycat.
Anuchard is a Charming Classic Zelda-Like Game Pass Title
Indie Zelda-Likes
A growing pool of titles in the genre of what might be called “Zelda-like games” have seen their time in the spotlight intensify in the past few years. While the label can sometimes be taken to mean games akin to the vast open-world and crafting/survival systems seen in the latestZeldaentries, it just as often refers to games calling back to the classic 90s era of the franchise.Zelda-likes have a general gameplay and design involving top-down dungeon-crawling action with various weapons and abilities that gradually unlock subsequent areas as demanded by the main plot, in addition to optional and secret ones. Some notable titles that fall under theZelda-like banner:
Anuchard Is a Spot-On Modern Zelda-Like With Its Own Flair
While theZeldaseries has evolved greatlysince the days ofLink to the Past, there is also a timeless quality to its overall design and style, as well as others as related to that generation.Anuchardhits many of the same notes, such as the player taking the role of a prophesized hero wielding a legendary magic bell, which, for all intents and purposes, serves the same narrative and gameplay role as the Master Sword. But it also stands out with its cast of well-written characters in a vibrant and stylized setting, providing a serious enough fantasy tale, and sprinkling it with a lot of light-hearted moments and quirky interactions.Anuchardleans into drama when necessary and pulls back into comedy to keep the tone even and enjoyable, all while giving fans more complex, interesting dungeons and locales to explore and battle through as it unfolds.
ThoughAnuchardmay not be flawless,as there are a few hiccups and predictable turns throughout, it still largely hits the spot for those players looking for a classic experience highly reminiscent ofLink to the Pastand its peers.Anuchardserves as a great example of a modernZelda-like, as its smooth gameplay, charming world, and earnest enthusiasm pay homage to the past while showing what can be done with current console generation capabilities.
Anuchardis available now for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is the highest tier of Microsoft’s flagship game subscription service that offers over 100 game titles that you can play with a single purchase, making it one of the most outstanding value propositions of the Xbox ecosystem to date.
