Anna

 PC
  • Publisher: Kalypso
  • Release Date: Jul 11, 2012
Metascore
55

Mixed or average reviews - based on 16 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 16
  3. Negative: 4 out of 16
  1. 4Players.de
    Jul 20, 2012
    80
    It starts as an idyllic walk of a dreamer, but soon becomes an occult ghost story with a touch of thriller. Albeit being a classic adventure at its core, Anna shows off a very dynamic orchestration of the supernatural.
  2. Multiplayer.it
    Jul 20, 2012
    80
    You can be sure of this: Anna is an engaging horror tale, intimate and with a strong personality. The best possibile debut for Dreampainters.
  3. SpazioGames
    Jul 20, 2012
    80
    The debut of Dreampainters in the big market of the videogames is excellent. Anna is a great horror adventure game. The sawmill evolves with the plot and the three final contained in the game increase the longevity, between 5 and 10 hours. It's a winner bet for the italian development team!
  5. Everyeye.it
    Jul 29, 2012
    72
    Beyond defects Anna is a valuable work of art that deserves to be played from start to finish.
  6. Eurogamer Italy
    Jul 25, 2012
    70
    Even with some minor imperfections, the game is well developed and entertaining, enthralling with good storytelling and an nicely designed environment, enhanced by the excellent audio recordings.
  7. GRYOnline.pl
    Jul 24, 2012
    65
    Even debutants could have done a better job, but still Dreampainters' game is engrossing and does so without much trouble – if you become annoyed by a puzzle and leave the game for a while, soon enough you will find yourself trying again. Anna has a great, scary atmosphere – and there are no cheap jump scares, the game slowly makes you have goosebumps. Unfortunately, there are flaws: occasional lack of logic or a fairly short story.
  8. GameOver.gr
    Sep 18, 2012
    60
    This Italian indie game doesn't live up to our expectations, but it is in a position to deliver some interesting adventure/ horror moments and can offer some great replay value.
  9. IncGamers
    Jul 27, 2012
    60
    Flawed, but does just enough right to be worth a purchase if it sounds like it's up your alley.
  10. CD-Action
    Aug 29, 2012
    55
    Too short and underdeveloped, Anna is an interesting experiment that won't reach a wider audience but shows Dreampainters' potential. [10/2012, p.74]
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  11. IGN
    Jul 24, 2012
    55
    Anna manages to create a few blood-chilling moments throughout its story, but most of the fear factor is neutered after you realize nothing can harm you.
  12. PC PowerPlay
    Oct 11, 2012
    50
    Design and technical implementation issues mar a promising adventure. [Oct 2012, p.83]
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  13. VideoGamer
    Jul 24, 2012
    50
    'Wasted opportunity' is a phrase that keeps rearing its head, whether it's thanks to the garbled translation, a broken hints system, or completely absent puzzle logic. Anna has some great ideas, but it's the game's carelessness that'll stay with you, not its moments of inspired horror.
  14. Eurogamer Germany
    Aug 27, 2012
    40
    Back to the drawing board to think about, where the fear really comes from and exchange some of the too numerous and crude puzzles for gameplay-value. In this form, it can´t even be recommended for the small price.You get better horror from Slender or the the first two Exmortis without having to pay for it.
  15. Gameblog.fr
    Aug 13, 2012
    40
    I wanted to scare myself a little and chose Anna to do so, a first-person point & click game. But one may not really say that Anna's scary, and given that the story remains obnoxiously obscure, as do many puzzles, one does progress kind of blindfolded. Not really a success.
  16. Adventure Gamers
    Jul 30, 2012
    40
    There's some real scares to be found, but illogical puzzles and a confusing plot make Anna a different kind of horror to play.
  17. Destructoid
    Aug 3, 2012
    30
    As much as I want to like Anna for being a horror point-and-click, with such extensive translation issues, I can't in good conscious recommend it to anyone. It has a few good scares and some startling imagery, but otherwise just can't deliver the well-crafted intrigue of its peers.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
5.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 62 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 62
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 62
  3. Negative: 26 out of 62
  1. Tyrant_T100
    Sep 27, 2012
    5
    I picked this up on Steam when it was released as it seemed like an interesting concept, however there are a few problems with it that areI picked this up on Steam when it was released as it seemed like an interesting concept, however there are a few problems with it that are hard to get over.

    Firstly the character walks very slowly, and while early on this isn't a problem it becomes annoying during the later segments that have large areas you need to keep backtracking through.
    The Graphics are visually fine but nothing exceptional, some low res textures here and there and some models are quite blocky.

    Horror wise it isn't too bad, a few paranormal events happen every now and again when you're in an area too long which are quite nice, sort of like what Underhell did during the House segment.

    My main issue though is the almost random tasks and the hint system, the game suffers from the typical adventure game problem of having illogical tasks and solutions and the game has a hint system, unfortunately that hint system often doesn't tell you what you need to do on a certain task or is very vague, there is also no way of checking the tasks so I would often be wandering around only to find there was an item I missed picking up.
    There is also problems with using some items on certain areas, you may use the item on the object but you often have to click just in the right area for it to work.

    If you like point and click games or art games you might like Anna, and it's probably worth playing if you see it cheap, however it's quite short and gets let down by the vagueness of the tasks.    … Full Review »
  2. localflick
    Sep 22, 2012
    0
    I cannot play this game. I bought the Steam version, put in my CD key, but that's not enough. I also had to register an account with KalypsoI cannot play this game. I bought the Steam version, put in my CD key, but that's not enough. I also had to register an account with Kalypso Media which requires activation through an email that they send. I'm still waiting on that email and am disappointed that I cant play something I purchased hours ago. I filed a ticket with Kalypso, registered for a Metacritic account (which also used email activation), and wrote this review all while waiting for the account activation. Meanwhile there are probably pirates who didn't pay that are already playing it. If you don't like DRM, avoid this game!… Full Review »
  3. Tooterfish
    Sep 22, 2012
    3
    This isn't a game, it is an interactive music video. There is a blatant agenda, by some clever and arguably talented composers, to exploit aThis isn't a game, it is an interactive music video. There is a blatant agenda, by some clever and arguably talented composers, to exploit a popular genre of game via high-traffic distributors like steam in effort to sell music which otherwise had little to no hope at all of being marketed by a major record label. I have played the game to completion, if anyone is wondering. I gave it a very generous 3, because at 2 hours long, the game never pretended to be anything other than what it blatantly is, a desperate attempt to get people interested in some hippie music.… Full Review »
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