FOX n FORESTS Reviews
Fox n Forests is a great game, but does wind up being slotted a bit below something like Shovel Knight. The core platforming and action-oriented combat work well, as does the seasonal shifting mechanic.
Fox n Forests delivers a religious hommage to the 16-bit era platformers, with satisfying big sprites, pixelart backgrounds, but also loose collisions and a mad respawn system. Its numerous upgrades add a nice touch to the adventure, but serves as a weak excuse to revisit the same stages over and over. This is particularly infortunate, because Fox n Forests still has nice aces up its sleeve, like specific controls and shoot'em up stages.
Review in French | Read full review
Chock full of an overwhelming supply of retro-gaming goodness, FOX n FORESTS will take retro fans back to a happier time with an all new adventure to experience. Though challenging, it is done in all the right ways, and the story presented like a fairy tale will leave a smile on your face long after the rage face has dissipated.
It is a shame the game doesn't end on a better note, but I definitely had a good time with Fox n Forests. It may not be the second coming of retro platformers, but it certainly feels like a lost gem.
Fox n Forests is a really enjoyable throwback to its 16-bit inspirations. It takes the style, gameplay, and mechanics of early platformers and produces a game that both feels like a lost classic and remains fun and involving to play. Its main negative is perhaps an inevitable result of its close adherence to historical precedence as it is fairly short.
The frustration with Fox n Forests comes from boring repetition and a lazy approach to progression. It’s a shame – there are unique mechanics at play and some pretty fun platforming. The game just doesn’t hold up to keep players around for long.
Although the gameplay starts out far stiffer than it should and the upgrade system feels more like a grind than anything else, FOX n FORESTS manages to carry itself with particularly strong level design and a unique season shifting mechanic. Being able to switch the season of each stage on the fly leads to dynamic platforming scenarios and Rick's move-set later on turns him into a fluid and enjoyable character to play as. With several secrets to uncover in each stage and a risk versus reward checkpoint system, FOX n FORESTS comes off a creative action platformer with a strong identity of its own.
Fox n Forests is impressive in its authentic SNES visuals, sound, and gameplay.
I may dislike some things here and there, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that this game is faithful to a particular era of gaming. You can put everything into a 16-bit cartridge, plug it in a SNES, and no one’s going to tell that it was made in the late 2010’s. The combat and platforming are very satisfying and rarely did I feel frustrated at any point of the game. The art is beautiful especially with how lively each stage looks and the transition between seasons is seamless. I highly recommend this game to anyone looking to pick up a platformer. Veterans and newcomers will definitely have some fun here.
Not only did they deliver a truly breathtaking rendition of the classic art style, but also introduced an interesting mechanic to the already familiar style of play. There were some choices I didn't love, mainly having to revisit levels numerous times to continue forward. And while it certainly doesn't reinvent the wheel, it hits the sweet spot for those looking to go on a nostalgia trip.
Fox n Forests can't be faulted for its fantastically accurate portrayal of 16-bit platforming; very few indie games have managed to nail the look and sound of the SNES so well. Its season-changing gimmick also makes for some inventive moments. Where it lets itself down is in its fiddly controls and its short length, which combine to make a game that's merely good when it could have been great.
Fox n Forests is still a fun platformer in the end, even if it does hold itself well short of greatness.
If you’re itching for a 16-bit side-scrolling platformer, then Fox & Forests should be the scratch you’re looking for. It features an enjoyable season changing mechanic, funny dialog, and delivers a great experience.
Whether you're looking for something that'll provide a hearty challenge, something that will get you nostalgic or a game with plenty to do and plenty more to explore, then Fox n Forests is for you.
Fox n Forests is a 16-bit inspired puzzle platformer with an emphasis on exploration and collection. It stays true to its influences and expands upon them in order to create a truly unique and entertaining game. If you gave this game to someone, without telling them what it is or the fact it came out this year, they would seriously think they were playing a game of the past. The only issue for me was the requirement to find certain items in order to move the story on and get to later levels. I've always had an issue with this in games as it feels like a forced replayability mechanic, which is a shame as this game didn't need that to get me to replay it.
Slavish adherents to modern sensibilities may wish to look elsewhere. However, if you're looking for a blend of fast-paced fun and familiar flaws, you can't go wrong with this game.
Fox n Forests is a good action and platform game that captures the vibe of the SNES games very well. It has a simple gameplay and provides a nice challenge. The problem lies in the fact that you need to replay the stages to get hidden items and gain access to new levels - this ends up getting boring.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
The justification for badgercide aside, Fox ‘n’ Forests is another of those indie titles that, while a faithful and enjoyable homage to their subject material, also isn’t going to blow anyone away or change anyone’s mind. Whereas Shovel Knight kept what worked from retro games and threw out what didn’t, Fox brings over slightly too much in the name of nostalgia and ends up with a few rough edges
Overall, Fox N Forests truly feels like a lost game from the the Early 90s that you could plug into your SNES and it would seem right at home on all levels. Of course for people who aren't looking for that hit of nostalgia or are generally unfamiliar with that era this may not be a great fit. However, if you've been itching for something satisfies your sense of nostalgia and can dig in to the total experience it's a welcome reminder of how beautiful pixel art games can be.
Fox n Forests has some issues but I can’t say the game isn’t enjoyable. The two flying stages in the game are pretty annoying since you die in one hit, but at least they give a good amount of checkpoints. You do have to spend gold to use them throughout the game, but its not enough to make it annoying. The melee combat is a bit finicky. It seems to kinda work when it wants to at times, when you get the spread arrows it pretty much fixes this issues but its annoying at the start of the game. I think the most glaring issue with this title is its length. You can beat the entire game in around 5 hours and collect everything in around 7. This makes the $19.99 price tag a bit hard to digest, but if you love 16 bit adventures and Metroidvania style titles, you’d likely find a lot to enjoy here.