SPY×ANYA: Operation Memories Review

A new Forger family “ooting” awaits with GrooveBoxJapan and Bandai Namco Entertainment’s SPY×ANYA: Operation Memories. Based on the wildly popular SPYxFAMILY anime and manga series, does this title manage to complete its mission with great success?

SPY×ANYA: Operation Memories Review

Anya Forger and her family are anything but ordinary. Her father Loid Forger moonlights as the secret agent Twilight, her mother Yor Forger is the infamous assassin Thorn Princess, and Anya herself possesses the unique ability to read minds. Even her dog Bond can see into the future! There’s never a dull moment in this seemingly idyllic household.

As a member of the prestigious Eden Academy, Anya Forger has a new assignment: Fill out a diary of her memories based on previous experiences. 

Needless to say, she’ll have some fantastic material to work with.

Fans of the SPYxFAMILY series will know these beats part and parcel – SPYxANYA is a true love letter to the series. While some may not quite understand some of the references, everybody else will get a laugh out of Yor Forger’s bad cooking or Second Son Damian Desmond’s forever sour attitude.

As players fill out Anya’s diary in SPYxANYA, they’ll head out on different outings to take the perfect shots. Don’t expect this paparazzi work to be overly in-depth; shots are judged by focus, angle, and timing, with colored frames helping players out.

Those that do well by taking the best shots during outings can get themselves Play Points (PP) and Eurekas that unlock more than a dozen different minigames. There’s also a wealth of clothing options for the family that are just waiting to be unlocked.

Keep in mind that SPYxANYA is a slow burn; those looking to minmax their shots and rush to the end will be sorely disappointed. Rather, this title prides itself on charm and immersion; whether one hits the town on their way to infiltrate a candy store or pay a visit to the aquarium, players will fall in love with Anya’s adventures.

Just note that outings aren’t all done in succession; players will have to wait a few days between each one. Players can go out and play hooky from school after some time has passed to speed things up, but those that do so will miss out on some fantastic slice of life moments at Eden Academy.

That’s not to say time between outings is a bore; SPYxANYA has a number of minigames that players can give into. These run the gamut from a Pac-Man tribute that swaps pellets for peanuts, a riveting game of dodgeball, and even a hack-and-slash mode that has players channeling their inner Dante. 

While players will experience the same minigames multiple times, they’re all well-made and have some variations between them. The scoring system also encourages players to be the very best – like no one ever was. We would have loved to see more, but we did enjoy our time with each one.

Anya Forger’s adventures in SPY×ANYA: Operation Memories are well worth the time of any secret agent. While we wish there were more minigames, SPYxFAMILY fans shouldn’t hesitate to go out on this ooting.