SPYxANYA: Operation Memories Review - A love letter to SPY x FAMILY fans

SPYxANYA: Operation Memories is an experience I can only describe as taking a page out of Anya Forger's daily life. As a game from a slice-of-life series, it perfectly preserves the fundamentals of everyone's favorite fictional family with a Spy Papa, an Assassin Mama, and a telepathic dog. The game captures the loving Forger family's essence with stunning visuals and a heartwarming story that genuinely feels like an extended episode straight from the anime itself.

As the title suggests, the game's primary focus is to create memories for Anya. And what is the best way to make permanent memories? "Ootings" and photographs, of course! SPYxANYA: Operation Memories captures Anya in absolutely hilarious scenarios that will surely make you smile a lot. And the best part is that the funnier the photo, the better it gets.

Don't be fooled by this simple idea though, you'll need to exercise a considerable amount of skill as a photographer to get the maximum points and progress. But hold on to your horses, since expert photography is not the only aspect you need to focus on. A ton of mini-games that took up a considerable chunk of my time, simply because they're quite addictive if you ask me.

Let's dive deeper and take a look at Anya's daily life and her quirky interactions with friends and family. Maybe the real treasure was the memories we made along the way while playing SPYxANYA: Operation Memories.

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Days in the life of Anya Forger: Ootings and Super Cool! objects

An "ooting" in SPYxANYA: Operation Memories (Image via Bandai Namco)

One of the game's biggest strengths is its portrayal of the Forger family dynamic. You'll spend your days going on ootings (outings) with Loid, Yor, and Bond, collecting "Super Cool!" objects and snapping photos to document these precious memories for Anya's diary. These Super Cool! objects are mostly hidden in plain sight, though you need to carefully scan your surroundings to find them.

The photography mechanic is a core concept. As someone who has dabbled into the field as a hobby, I thoroughly enjoyed how Bandai Namco tried to incorporate the technical bits. You'll need to find the perfect angle, focus, and timing to capture Anya's adorable expressions or a particularly blooper-worthy moment. The more adorable or silly Anya's expression is, the better score you get. It goes without saying that I focused on silly ones and thoroughly enjoyed every single photo I took.

Capturing the perfect photograph (Image via Bandai Namco)

Each outing offers a chance to chat with familiar faces from the anime, unlocking new sidequests. But be prepared for a slow pace; outings only happen every few days, and completing them requires multiple visits. Initially, visiting the same location several times seemed like a drag to me, till I discovered customization options, which completely changed the game. Parts of it, at least.

The game allows you to dress up the Forgers in a variety of outfits that boost stats for different activities. Unlocking these outfits and other goodies requires points earned through interacting with Anya's family and friends. Despite the presence of the interaction and relationship system, it's a very loose representation of a system that's more prevalent like those seen in the Persona 5 games.

Minigames Galore: From Yakuza Brawls to Schoolyard Dodgeball

Yor in the minigames (Image via Bandai Namco)

One of my favorite parts in SPYxANYA: Operation Memories has to be the variety of minigames it offers. Want to enjoy some Yakuza-style hack-and-slash missions? Yor Forger has you covered. Oh, and she has a devastating and cold-blooded ultimate in these sequences with a voice line that says "May I have the honor of taking your life?" The deadliest Assassin can kill with her words as well it seems.

And then there we have Loid's stealthy infiltration and escapades reminiscent of the classic Metal Gear Solid gameplay. Even Anya's school days get minigames with dodgeball and other activities. Yes, you can target Second Son in these, as you rightly should as Anya Forger herself. A lot of other minigames offer a fun distraction, providing a taste of the action and intrigue that lurk beneath the surface of the Forger family's seemingly ordinary life.

Lots of minigames to choose from (Image via Bandai Namco)

The only major problem with the minigames (and the game in general) is that they're incredibly repetitive. In the beginning, you only unlock a handful of minigames. With each destination you visit and every memory you create, new minigames are unlocked. So, if you don't unlock new destinations and memories, you are stuck with playing the same minigames over and over again. Keep in mind that outings don't happen every day, so that makes the pace slower still.

Although the new minigames are exciting and will keep you entertained for a while, they quickly become very boring. I found it difficult to sit with the game for more than an hour at a stretch in most scenarios. There is, however, a neat multiplayer mode that allows you to play the minigames with and against friends. Although I don't come from a background where family gaming nights are a thing, SPYxANYA, with its multiplayer mode, will be a particular hit in many families.

A charming but repetitive experience

The game can get incredibly repetitive (Image via Bandai Namco)

My one and only major issue with SPYxANYA: Operation Memories is the overall gameplay loop that can feel quite repetitive. A normal day-night cycle involves going to school, coming home for dinner, and finally preparing for sleep. There are activities in between, of course, but the repetitive nature is still quite evident even if you complete many interactions in school.

The outings, minigames, and even photography can provide a limbo-esque experience since you do the same things over and over again. It doesn't help that you need to visit the same outing location more than once to complete it in its entirety. That paired with the fact that you can only go on an outing every few days, the game's pace is incredibly slow. The tortoise is not winning the race against any hare in this game.

And then there's the game's soundtrack. The beautiful and quirky soundtrack from the anime is sorely missed, replaced by repetitive background tunes that lack that special spark. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the entirety of the soundtrack is wrong. The normal gameplay during outings and interactions contains the same music overall, which is mostly very vague and uninspiring. Perhaps because of the slow pace and the repetitive nature, it stands out more than it would in other games of the same genre.

The minigames, in my opinion, try to compensate for this, with retro and catchy music to match the pace of the particular minigame itself. Coming from the monotonous music of the main game, these actually felt like music to my ears and made the minigame experience so much better.

Anya's interaction with her friends in the game (Image via Bandai Namco)

The strong voice acting from the original Japanese cast for the anime makes up for the lackluster music of the overall game. They capture the characters' original personalities perfectly, which is why fans of the SPYxFAMILY anime should feel right at home with this game. Factors like these aid in actually making it feel like an episode from the anime rather than being a standalone game.

The game's performance

This is one area where the game has shined, at least for me. In my PC with an average 3060Ti build, I found no issues. Loading times were super fast and the game ran smoothly for every second. I did encounter a rather annoying sound glitch more than once in Loid's minigames where you need to use stealth and search for a secret message in portraits.

The searching sound would be prevalent even after you've completed searching every portrait, and it didn't go away for me unless I restarted the game completely. I am inclined to believe that the annoyance factor was increased because this was a stealth-based mission, and this loud noise of paper crumbling was not soothing to my ears from any angle, especially for an extended time.

In conclusion

Anya in the game (Image via Bandai Namco)

SPYxANYA: Operation Memories is a love letter to SPY x FAMILY fans, but it might not be a game for everyone. This is primarily because the game assumes you already have a good understanding of the anime and its proceedings, especially the characters and the relationship they have with each other. Newcomers who pick up the game might miss out on a lot of the references and jokes sprinkled throughout the game.

The game is a delightful experience for the anime and Anya Forger devotees. The charming story, beautiful visuals, and engaging world almost make the game feel like an interactive episode. If you're an ardent fan looking to experience the adventures of the Forger family firsthand, the game is a worthy purchase and you will surely enjoy it like I did.