Anarchy Reigns

Lore & Background

The game is set in a post-apocalyptic future in the fictional city of Altambra. Three months after being arrested for his wife's murder, former Bureau of Public Safety agent Maximillian Caxton stages a jailbreak, and his former team the Strike One Unit is dispatched to Altambra to find and kill Max. Agent Leonhardt Victorion splits off from the group to search on his own in hopes of bringing Max back alive, as he remains unconvinced that his former mentor could have turned into a violent killer. At the same time, Chaser Guild member Jack Cayman is met by Max's daughter Jeannie, who asks him to retrieve her father.

Reader's Guide

Anarchy Reigns received 'mixed or average' reviews on both platforms according to Metacritic. Critics praised the satisfying combat, soundtrack, and variety of playable characters, but criticized the repetitive single-player missions, weak story, empty world, and technical issues such as framerate problems and fuzzy visuals. The game features seventeen playable characters and one additional DLC character, including Bayonetta from PlatinumGames' own Bayonetta series. Its significance lies in its attempt to blend open-world brawling with online multiplayer, though it was often compared unfavorably to other PlatinumGames titles like Bayonetta. The game's legacy is as a cult title that offered frantic, character-driven combat but struggled with execution in its single-player campaign.

Did You Know?

• The game includes separate story campaigns for two characters: the 'Black Side' featuring Jack Cayman and the 'White Side' featuring Leonhardt 'Leo' Victorion.
• Bayonetta is playable via downloadable content, with a back story added that her soul took possession of a perfect organic clone of herself after her death.
• The game was released in Japan on July 5, 2012, and in North America on January 8, 2013.
• Famitsu gave the game a score of 36 out of 40.