ANOMALITH | A Different Kind of Survival Horror With an Identity of Its Own
Our first impressions of ANOMALITH reveal a distinctive survival horror experience combining unsettling Japanese environments, aggressive third-person combat and deep customisation, with promising ideas that still need refinement before release.
ANOMALITH is one of the most unusual projects associated with FuRyu in recent years. Rather than another JRPG, the new game developed by FuRyu Corporation moves into survival horror and third-person shooting, building its entire identity around liminal spaces, supernatural anomalies, and an alternate version of Japan shaped by a strong Showa-era aesthetic.
The available demo already shows why ANOMALITH is worth paying attention to. Its atmosphere, setting, and the way it distorts ordinary locations create a distinctive foundation, while combat attempts to combine the pressure of survival horror with much more aggressive gameplay. At the same time, there are still areas that clearly need further polish, particularly when it comes to PC controls, the feel of certain weapons, and difficulty balancing.
A Different Japan Filled With Anomaly Zones
The story takes place in an alternate modern-day Japan, where mysterious areas known as Anomaly Zones begin appearing without warning, distorting the laws of nature and transforming ordinary places into unnatural and dangerous environments.
The protagonist is 17-year-old Reona Minazuki, who first met Arisa Kato while living on the streets after running away from a troubled family environment. The two became close friends, until a shopping mall they were visiting suddenly transformed into an Anomaly Zone and Arisa disappeared.
Reona survives the incident under circumstances the game deliberately keeps hidden for now, and later becomes a Diver working for the government-run Anomaly Zone Countermeasures Office, voluntarily entering these areas in search of her missing friend.
Her first mission ends in disaster. Other Divers fall victim to the Anomalies, while Reona discovers that she possesses an unusual resistance and abilities directly connected to the anomalies themselves. From that point, a much larger mystery begins to unfold around the origins of the Anomaly Zones, the true extent of Reona’s abilities, and what the organisation she works for actually knows.
Showa Retro and Liminal Spaces Are Its Greatest Strength
ANOMALITH’s strongest element so far is undoubtedly its environment. The game is built around spaces that look familiar but behave completely wrong. Apartment buildings where gravity is overturned, corridors that distort, commercial streets that seem to multiply endlessly, and buildings that look as though they were abandoned only moments ago all create the sense that something is fundamentally out of place.
The retro Japanese aesthetic makes this approach even more effective. Old signage, public telephones, hospitals, shopping arcades, apartment blocks, and analogue technology create environments that feel nostalgic and unnatural at the same time.
The demo also makes particularly effective use of sound. Large portions of exploration keep the music almost entirely in the background, allowing footsteps, equipment noise, and the sounds of the environment itself to dominate. When a threat appears, the music becomes more intense, and the transition from quiet exploration into combat works well.
This is also what separates ANOMALITH most clearly from a conventional anime shooter. It does not need constant jumpscares or darkness to create tension. Often, it is enough that a completely ordinary place has simply stopped behaving normally.
More Aggressive TPS Than Traditional Survival Horror
Comparisons with Resident Evil are easy to make because of the third-person camera, inventory system, ammunition management, and exploration of enclosed environments. In practice, however, ANOMALITH follows a noticeably different philosophy. The game does not constantly try to keep the player weak. Instead, combat is designed to reward aggressive play.
There are several weapon categories, including handguns, submachine guns, shotguns, and assault rifles, with different models available within each category. Ammunition still remains a resource that needs to be monitored, and the limited inventory forces players to decide what is actually worth bringing back to base, but ANOMALITH does not appear to follow the strict ammunition economy of a traditional survival horror game.
Instead, it wants the player to shoot. The reason is the Anomalization Skills, a set of 12 special abilities available to Reona. These include both offensive and defensive options, with parrying being one of the most important.
Using these abilities consumes a separate resource that is replenished through gunplay. This creates a combat loop in which firearms restore the available energy, Anomalization Skills create opportunities for increased damage, and combat continues without strongly encouraging passive play.
The parry system is a good example. Enemies provide a clear warning before certain attacks, and a successful parry can leave them exposed, allowing the player to follow up with heavy damage or a melee attack.
The absence of a traditional dodge roll and the reduced emphasis on cover make the system even more direct. ANOMALITH largely wants the player standing face-to-face with the enemy rather than hiding behind an object.
Exploration, Loot and Returning to Base in ANOMALITH
FuRyu itself describes the game’s core structure as Dive, Retrieve, Return. Reona enters an Anomaly Zone, explores, fights, collects items and anomalous materials, and eventually has to return with whatever she considers most useful. Inventory space is limited, meaning the value of each item has to be weighed against the available capacity.
Exploration is also supported by a radar system that indicates the direction of nearby items, giving players an additional reason to search side areas rather than simply moving toward the next objective.
Back at base, collected materials can be used to develop and upgrade equipment. Weapons can be fitted with different components that affect characteristics such as recoil, magazine capacity, and handling, while Artifacts provide additional stat bonuses.
The overall structure therefore resembles a single-player extraction and loot loop more than a strictly linear survival horror experience. Each Dive feeds into the next through better equipment, additional options, and Reona’s gradual progression.
Far More Customisation Than You Might Expect
Customisation also plays a significant role in ANOMALITH. Beyond weapon modifications, Reona’s appearance is divided across nine different equipment slots, while more than 300 customisation items have been announced. Equipment can affect stats, but visual appearance can be changed independently, meaning players do not have to sacrifice the look they prefer in exchange for better attributes.
A similar level of attention appears to have been given to the lore. Defeating and investigating Anomalies unlocks Dive Reports detailing their behaviour and nature, with more than 200 related reports and files announced. Side missions are also used to reveal more information about the characters and their relationships.
The scenario is written by Romeo Tanaka, character design is handled by MON, while the soundtrack is composed by Yuka Kitamura, known for her work on Elden Ring, Sekiro, Bloodborne, and Dark Souls III.
ANOMALITH’s PC Demo Also Reveals Its Current Problems
As interesting as ANOMALITH’s foundation may be, the current build has not yet reached the level of polish the final release will need. The most significant issue at the moment concerns mouse and keyboard controls. The default bindings and the way certain menus are handled do not follow the usual conventions of PC games, meaning actions that would normally feel intuitive require some adjustment. With a controller, the overall control layout feels considerably more natural.
FuRyu has already acknowledged the issue and has planned changes that include mouse support across more UI screens, additional key-binding options, and mouse sensitivity settings.
There is also room for improvement in the gunplay itself. Aiming at enemies’ bodies receives considerable assistance from aim assist, but headshots require greater precision, and certain weapons still lack the clean, consistent feel expected from a game that relies so heavily on firearms.
Even more noticeable is the difficulty spike during the demo’s boss fight. The encounter is significantly more demanding than those that come before it, featuring powerful area attacks and a much smaller margin for reaction. The abrupt increase makes the boss feel more like a balancing issue than a natural culmination of the area.
These problems have not been ignored, however. The demo continues to receive updates based on player feedback, with additional changes planned before release.
Our First Impressions of ANOMALITH
ANOMALITH does not yet look ready to stand without reservations alongside the best third-person survival horror games. There are areas of the controls, gunplay, and balancing that still need work, and the quality of the final release will depend heavily on how effectively the remaining months of development are used.
On the other hand, its foundation is considerably more interesting than simply being an “anime Resident Evil.” The combination of Showa retro aesthetics and liminal horror gives the game a clear identity, the structure of the Anomaly Zones provides genuine room for exploration and progression, while combat is built around a specific idea: gunplay and Anomalization Skills should function as a single aggressive system rather than two separate mechanics.
Atmosphere is the element that stands out the most, but ANOMALITH does not rely on atmosphere alone. There is already enough depth across weapons, upgrades, Artifacts, investigation reports, and character customisation for the full game to potentially become something much larger than a short horror experience.
The question is no longer whether ANOMALITH has interesting ideas. It clearly does. The question is whether Winning Entertainment Group and FuRyu can give those ideas the level of polish they need before launch.
ANOMALITH is scheduled to release for PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch 2. The official Japanese release date is October 29, 2026, while the European Steam and PlayStation Store versions will become available on October 28. The free demo remains available on Steam and is expected to continue receiving improvements ahead of release.
To learn more about ANOMALITH, read our exclusive interview with the developers, where we discuss the game's design philosophy, Anomaly Zones, combat mechanics and the improvements planned following player feedback.
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