Anew: The Distant Light is an exploration game set against the backdrop of a sci-fi alien world. As well as puzzle-solving elements, the game also features combat mechanics. As the game progresses, it provides a clear sense of progression through the ability to customize gear and vehicles.

The variety of gameplay styles makes Anew: The Distant Light difficult to describe as one style. However, most of the gameplay takes place in a 2D side-scroll style, much like Blasphemous and ResidentVania. The art style is also quite distinctive.

An exploration game at heart

While there are a lot of gameplay mechanics to experience in Anew: The Distant Light, the game is an exploration game at its core, with a large cohesive world for the player to explore. The world features many puzzles and enemies to fight, and it incorporates a number of visual storytelling elements. There are also many distinct environments within the game world.

A science fiction story

The player takes on the role of a human who finds themself on a moon twenty light years from Earth, with their ship damaged almost beyond repair. The player’s objective takes them across the interconnected alien world, where they will unravel the nature of the moon and encounter hostile entities that they must defeat.

A mix of many styles

Anew: The Distant Light features a massive open world for the player to explore. It also incorporates a number of different styles of gameplay, which may be a positive or negative aspect, depending on the player in question. The visuals of the game are well-crafted and incorporate modern graphical elements, with retro-style pixel art for a distinctive look.