First thing a shooter has to get just right is the shooting. This game pulls it off decently enough. Guns are satisfying to use and there are the usual rag-doll shenanigans,exploding barrels,blood,and elemental particle effects going on that make dispatching hordes of enemies fun! Additionally there are an assortment of melee weapons like axes,kitanas,and chainsaws to help you in closer quarters.

Next up are the maps which are surprisingly vast (But not "too vast") and competently designed. Exploration has been a pleasant jaunt and you will find the occasional "special weapon" off the beaten path that makes it worth it just to look around.

The cartoonish graphics add to the appeal while upping the surreal. At times this is akin to experiencing a DMT triggered hallucination of the wizard of oz infused with night of the living dead,obscure adult themed 80's-90's animation projects,bootleg badly dubbed over anime shows,and lord of the rings!

You'll be mowing down an assortment of zombies,nordic trolls,grim-reaper-themed-shamans,hawt fire-ball tossing gobbo-girls,and even a few dragons as your main protagonist rambles on and on about wanting to become an online anime girl icon. (Yeah honey,that's what should be on your mind during the end of the world. Internet stardom!)

It's obvious the devs didn't give a single fudge-brownie about the story-line or what constitutes as positive character development. I understand this is a "satirical jab" at the horde-wave shooter genre but you can be funny while simultaneously weaving a decent plot with endearing protagonists. (Senran Kagura Peach Beach Splash did a very similar concept superbly and Bullet-girls-Phantasia tried its' damnedest whilst wearing its' heart on its' sleeve! Left 4 Dead also balanced humor with a relatable cast and their realistic reactions to the dire situation they were in.)

That stated,a game doesn't necessarily need all that to be a guilty pleasure. Memorable faces and a nostalgic yarn are just the side-dressing of the main course. Asset flip or not, Anime Versus Evil: Apocalypse is a decent old skool 3rd person monster-blaster that is a relaxing way to unwind!

You probably should not pay "full price" for it but if a sale drops there are far worse ways to spend anywhere from 6 to 10 buckaroos!

Pros

+Plenty of weapons to buy and characters/outfits/levels to unlock.

+Shooting is satisfying.

+Made just to be fun!

+Good maps with charming locales.

+Fan-service and character customization.

+Soundtrack is surprisingly complimentary to the gameplay. (Though among the few soothing ambient tracks expect the usual Slop-Billy "butt-rock" and generic doldrums!)

+More enemy types than "just zombies".

Cons and suggestions for improvement

-Repetitive progression. Environments may change but you go thru the exact same motions on every map to advance further.

-The slightest attempt towards developing an okay story and relatable characters would elevate the experience somewhat. I'm fine with crude politically incorrect humor as well as blatant lewdness but give it all a semblance of a soul!

-AI voices are every bit as cringe as the IQ draining dialogue they bounce off my reluctant eardrums! Text bubbles and comic book panels would work better if VA talents are currently too expensive to hire.

-Needs some kind of "last-act-over-lord-baddie" that adds proper grandiosity to this apocalypse. Perhaps a man or woman of science being controlled by a parasitic eldritch horror,ritualistic shaman now possessed by an arch-demon,powerful Skeletor-looking arch-lich,reality bending psychic ghost-girl,or just a plain old vampire or mummy waking up from a 500-year nap! The dragon fights are alright but they in no way explain what's going on overall.

-Give the girls unique abilities. Maybe the witch automatically starts with unlimited elemental bullets. Maybe the demon girl can jump higher and glide short distances. One character might be "extra acrobatic" thus can do evasive rolls very quickly. The possibilities are endless yet simultaneously do not have to be anything that's overly difficult to include.

Neutral

+/- Visuals will probably turn some people off but personally I enjoyed the odd combination of cartoonish whimsy and post apocalyptic grim-dark!