Ankora: Lost Days – PC Review

Genre: Anime survival adventure
Developer: Chibig
Publisher: Chibig
Release Date: September 16th, 2022
Edited by AlexKnight2005

Exploring space and seeing new worlds might sound like a real adventure to some people. But what if something goes wrong? Are you ready to face the challenges of an unknown planet and everything that is headed your way? Let’s find out in Ankora: Lost Days.

First, let me say that when I read the Kickstarter campaign for this game, I was very intrigued by the description the developers gave us. “A cute-as-heck exploration adventure.” And I have to admit; they weren’t joking.

Once the game starts, you will be greeted by a very colorful anime-style intro showing you what you’re up against. And I could easily imagine watching this art style in a movie. The game itself is in a 3D world, but that doesn’t mean it’s lacking in style the devs were promising us. But even though the game is made to look cute, you will be moving through many biomes, which can vary from beautiful plains, through a green riverside, to scary dark forests and barren deserts. And every one of these biomes does look different, so you will not get bored while adventuring on the planet Ankora.

You will be put in the boots of a young intergalactic ranger Mûn who got stranded on Ankora while exploring. Luckily for you, your first encounter is with the trader of the Ank tribe, who is glad to help you out. Shortly after that you get your first tool and start to explore the world around you while uncovering secrets of the unknown world and its inhabitants.

The map isn’t a big open wide space but cuts into small chunks. It can be used as a way to navigate because every one of these sectors is numbered, even though your map is kind of basic. You can only see what biome the chunk is, which way it is possible to go from there, or important points of interest, and it’s possible for you just to remember the way through numbers.
And yes, you can move freely in the sectors, but they are all set on a grid on which every terrain block, obstacle, or building is set. This means that if there is an obstacle on the grid square, there is no way you can move around, even if it looks like you could fit there. And dealing with all that is not something that you can achieve with your bare hands.

In Ankora: Lost Days, the tools are everything to you. Whether it’s a building hammer, saw, and pickaxe to help you get materials or a shovel to help you terraform your surroundings. Is there a rock in your way? Use your pickaxe. Is a river preventing you from reaching your goal? Build a bridge. Is the block that you need to get to lower than you? Build a stairway or use your shovel and dig down. That way, you will slowly transform all your surroundings for easier movement and reaching points from which you can travel to adjacent sectors.

Another way of getting around the map is by using a network of ancient portals. As you slowly uncover more and more of those, your adventures will become easier. And sometimes that is exactly what you need. Because not only are there natural obstacles in your way, but you will also encounter other things that will be trying to stop you. Wildlife and mysterious enemies of Anks. And if you manage to overpower them, you will get a treat in the form of loot that can be useful resources, things to sell, or food.

As if it wasn’t enough to deal with your foes, you will also need to watch out for your hunger and energy levels. Luckily you know how to cook yourself some food and craft temporary shelters. And you can use the friendly Anks or your spaceship to take care of both of these issues.

Ankora also involves a leveling system and tool upgrading to make your way through the world easier and spice things up. It’s all up to you if you want to prefer a quick fighting style or if you want to focus on upgrading your weapon and boosting up your strength to take care of your enemies.

It wouldn’t be a real RPG game if you didn’t get any quests. Although this feels like a weaker point of the game because most of the time, you just get fetch quests. Just go to point A, get something and bring it to point B. With lots of walking in between that. Now I’m not saying that the story in itself isn’t good. Just the quest between the important moments can feel a bit tedious.

A real adventure always requires a good soundtrack. Developers bet on two independent musicians, who they had already worked with on their previous games, Summer of Mara and Deiland (Which both belong to the same universe as Ankora). And it paid off. The music fits the playthrough so well and matches the situation. It’s the kind of soundtrack I can imagine myself listening to separately.

You won’t have much to learn in terms of controls because you can easily suffice with just a few keys and a mouse. Even though the system of fighting, interacting, and terraforming is quite complex, and you need several different tools, all you will need is an action and movement buttons and two keys to switch the action you have “equipped.”

All things considered, this is a fun game, with a lot of potential, and if you are a fan of casual RPGs, Ankora: Lost Days is an experience worth trying.

Pros:

• Art Style
• Soundtrack
• Easy controls

Cons:

• Confusing map
• Dull quests

Coipher gives Ankora: Lost Days for PC a Drastik Measure of 7.1 out of 10.0 (71)