This game is easily one of the better H-games that I've played. Other reviewers have largely explained why already - solid gameplay that's technically competent with just the right amount of survival-horror clunk, decent enemy variety, good worldbuilding through the artwork and limited cutscenes, and some solid art in general.
However, there is one thing I wanted to point out here as especially good, compared to other sprite-sex games that I've played - Anthophobia does sprite sex better than... probably any other game that I've seen, for three major reasons that are kinda linked:
The first reason is the transition into sex. Specifically, Anthophobia generally has them. Rather than, say, the player entering a knocked-down state, and then the enemy magically appearing in the sex pose when they get near enough, enemies will actually grapple with, knock down, or otherwise engage with the heroine in one smooth, natural(ish)-looking motion. I do believe there are edge-cases where the player may "die" outside of a sex move, and that might cause a little bit of jank when an enemy does get close enough to initiate sex, but for the vast majority of the time where that doesn't happen, it's so much better.
The second, related, point, is that the heroine tends not to remain static in these scenes, even outside of that transition. Again, to make a comparison with other games, when the heroine is put in a sex pose - say, just getting fucked missionary-style - she'll stay in that position for most of the scene, maybe moving back and forward a little with the thrusting, and that's about it. With Anthophobia, the heroine tends to struggle until she's at least partially beaten (i.e. when an attack fully drains her Stamina but she hasn't "died" yet), at the bare minimum. With smaller enemies, she often tries to walk or get away from them. Medium enemies frequently manhandle her, flipping her over and moving her position. Larger enemies do buck the trend and head towards some more static scenes, but others really take it up a notch, yanking and throwing the heroine around, or running away with her. It's something that I really don't see in many games, but works well here, especially with the horror theming - rather than a simple, meek surrender like most heroines offer up, she continues to fight until overwhelmed, and the involuntary moving around serves to emphasize just how overwhelmed she is.
Third are the multi-stage scenes. Practically every scene has some significant change in it, not even counting variations for the attack continuing once the heroine's beaten. Even the basic zombie goes from an over-eager rubbing of his cock against her stomach, to sex while holding her half in the splits, to something approaching a piledriver. Some of the later enemies really get into it, even alternating between hurting and healing the heroine. It really gives a sense of escalation and, outside of one scene in one game, I don't think I've ever seen progression like that within a single attack. Note that I'm not talking about an enemy having a variety of attacks (in fact, I think almost all enemies only have the one), though, but progression within a single attack.
Now, obviously, I don't just want to dunk on other games. I get why others may not do transitions or handle stuff differently. But personally - especially considering the genre - this makes the game stand head-and-shoulders above other H-games in general. I'm really looking forward to see what SourJelly does next, because if it's as good as this, it's another must-buy for me.
However, there is one thing I wanted to point out here as especially good, compared to other sprite-sex games that I've played - Anthophobia does sprite sex better than... probably any other game that I've seen, for three major reasons that are kinda linked:
The first reason is the transition into sex. Specifically, Anthophobia generally has them. Rather than, say, the player entering a knocked-down state, and then the enemy magically appearing in the sex pose when they get near enough, enemies will actually grapple with, knock down, or otherwise engage with the heroine in one smooth, natural(ish)-looking motion. I do believe there are edge-cases where the player may "die" outside of a sex move, and that might cause a little bit of jank when an enemy does get close enough to initiate sex, but for the vast majority of the time where that doesn't happen, it's so much better.
The second, related, point, is that the heroine tends not to remain static in these scenes, even outside of that transition. Again, to make a comparison with other games, when the heroine is put in a sex pose - say, just getting fucked missionary-style - she'll stay in that position for most of the scene, maybe moving back and forward a little with the thrusting, and that's about it. With Anthophobia, the heroine tends to struggle until she's at least partially beaten (i.e. when an attack fully drains her Stamina but she hasn't "died" yet), at the bare minimum. With smaller enemies, she often tries to walk or get away from them. Medium enemies frequently manhandle her, flipping her over and moving her position. Larger enemies do buck the trend and head towards some more static scenes, but others really take it up a notch, yanking and throwing the heroine around, or running away with her. It's something that I really don't see in many games, but works well here, especially with the horror theming - rather than a simple, meek surrender like most heroines offer up, she continues to fight until overwhelmed, and the involuntary moving around serves to emphasize just how overwhelmed she is.
Third are the multi-stage scenes. Practically every scene has some significant change in it, not even counting variations for the attack continuing once the heroine's beaten. Even the basic zombie goes from an over-eager rubbing of his cock against her stomach, to sex while holding her half in the splits, to something approaching a piledriver. Some of the later enemies really get into it, even alternating between hurting and healing the heroine. It really gives a sense of escalation and, outside of one scene in one game, I don't think I've ever seen progression like that within a single attack. Note that I'm not talking about an enemy having a variety of attacks (in fact, I think almost all enemies only have the one), though, but progression within a single attack.
Now, obviously, I don't just want to dunk on other games. I get why others may not do transitions or handle stuff differently. But personally - especially considering the genre - this makes the game stand head-and-shoulders above other H-games in general. I'm really looking forward to see what SourJelly does next, because if it's as good as this, it's another must-buy for me.
