Review by Jon Donnis
Antro wastes no time pulling you into its world. One minute you're watching Nittch, a cynical delivery runner scraping by in the lowest levels of a ruined underground city. The next, you're sprinting through a collapsing tunnel to a pounding hip hop beat, every jump and dodge locked to the rhythm of the track. This is a game that knows exactly what it wants to be. Stylish, bleak, and fast.
Set in a post-collapse future where humanity survives in the dark strata beneath Barcelona, Antro throws you into a society split by class and crushed by a totalitarian regime known as the Dome. Music is banned, art is gone, and the city is split into layers where the poor suffer and the powerful control, basically a Communist hell hole. You play as Nittch, alone and bitter, until a routine delivery sends him colliding with a rebellion known as the Discordants. From there, it's a mix of exploration, puzzle solving, and sharp, unforgiving parkour, all driven by a soundtrack that never stops moving.
The game shifts between control styles in clever ways. Some levels let you explore at your own pace, solving environmental puzzles and absorbing the atmosphere as well as finding collectables. Others throw you into autorun segments where every jump, slide or wall-hop has to be timed to the music. One mistake and you're back to the start. It's frustrating in the right kind of way, and when it clicks, it feels great. The rhythm puzzles are also well executed, asking you to press buttons in sync with the beat. They're simple, but satisfying.
What really gives Antro its edge is the music. The blend of Spanish hip hop, drill, R&B and electronic tracks gives each level its own identity, and helps tell the story without saying much at all. The sound design ties into the gameplay closely, not just guiding your actions but shaping the emotional weight of each scene. It's a rare case where the soundtrack isn't just a feature, it's the spine of the game.
The biggest problem is that it's all over far too soon. You can finish the entire game in just over an hour, maybe closer to two if you take your time or replay sections. At £13 on PlayStation 5, that feels like a steep ask for something that ends before it really finds its groove. There's a free demo that captures the tone and mechanics well, and honestly, it gives you most of what the full game offers. That's a shame, because the potential here is obvious.
Some players might also prefer more traditional control. The sections where you guide Nittch freely through the city are the most engaging. They're slower, more thoughtful, and let you appreciate the world building. The autorun levels look great and feel intense, but the trial-and-error loop can get tiring fast. If you've played something like American Arcadia, you might find yourself wishing Antro leaned more in that direction.
Still, there's no denying the creativity on display. The visuals are bold, the setting is rich, and the way the music feeds into the action makes it stand out. Antro delivers something memorable, even if it ends too soon.
It's an easy game to recommend to fans of rhythm-based gameplay or anyone looking for something short and striking. Just know what you're getting. I score Antro a solid 7 out of 10. The ideas are strong, the execution is sharp, but the length holds it back from being something more.
Antro is out now on PS5
Thank you to Selecta Play for providing the game key.
