Anachronox is fun to play. It's pretty and the environment and story are interesting. But it dawned on me that I think it might not even be an actual game. The reason why I think this is because there is no actual challenge. As long as I don't make dumb mistakes in combat, it's 100% impossible to lose the game.

The game is almost totally linear, and most of the time, there are so few choices of where I can go, it's impossible to get lost. I'm essentially just reading a story with pretty pictures. That's basically the whole game. So what kinds of decisions do I get to make that effect gameplay? The way I run battles basically. Maybe. But if I win a battle, the game isn't really changed. And doing poorly in battle is hard to accomplish. As long as I am wise with healing and movements, battles are winnable 100% of the time. Playing the game on a harder difficulty only results in harder battles. Everything else in the game is the same.

Story-wise, the game is 99% linear. The primary quest always has to be done. If you're not working toward the primary quest, then you're simply delaying it. The only times you can deviate from the primary quest is by going to planets that you don't need to go to, and that's only a very temporary thing.

Sure, Anachronox is pleasurable, but I don't think I can honestly call it a game.

So what do y'all think?

(And I'm already aware that there are a VAST number of "games" that are like this. However, I almost never play "games" like this.)

No offense, but i think you are completley wrong. :)

What you are basicaly saying here is that you had other expectations from the game. When i saw the game and how it was played i realised it is first and foremost an adventure game with some mindless pointless but fun parts (combat).

Just like all adventure games the story is the most important thing. Everything else baiscaly doesnt have to suck for the game to be good. And of course like most adventure games - the story is linear.

The game is simply an adventure game with an awsome story and rpg elements.
A similar game is Septerra Core (iirc) - the only difference is there are TENS OF THOUSANDS more battles and HUGE portions of the game where its battle after battle after battle ...

It's a JRPG

Under your definition I don't think we could call Half-Life or Doom games.

Or pretty much most games. Super Mario, Zelda, 99% of FPS, etc etc.

Under your definition I don't think we could call Half-Life or Doom games.
I strongly disagree.

Or pretty much most games. Super Mario, Zelda, 99% of FPS, etc etc.
Well, those, I couldn't say.