Fox N Forests

Remember 16-bit games? Those classic side-scrolling adventures filled with hack and slash combat and puzzling platformer gaming. The memories of those titles come flooding back when you play FOX n FORESTS by Bonus Level Entertainment, and you’ll be sure to find a great deal of well designed and engaging gameplay.

Gameplay

The gameplay is that classic side scrolling, hack and slash adventure style that a lot of us veteran gamers were brought up on and I’ve got to be honest, it’s great to see it make such a fashionable re- appearance for the newer generations of gaming.

Following the main character Rick, the player is given an interesting adventure game with RPG mechanics and platforming style combat. Rick has great manoeuvrability in combat and movement as he is able to shoot, slash, slide and, most interestingly, switch seasons.

This is probably the piéce de résistance: Rick is able to change the weather at the flick of a switch. With an ability gained early on, there are many puzzles and platforming requirements that are met by the ability to change what time of year it is. Perhaps you need the water nearby to freeze to cross it and then turn it back again for another purpose, the game only gives you two seasons per mission and you cannot choose what they are or use any of the others in its duration so it makes it a little easier.

Art Style

Designed in an adorable 16- bit art style, this game looks nothing short of stunning. All of Rick’s animations are smooth and easy to follow; it conveys his weight and the purpose of his movement very well. In addition, both Rick and the all the enemies character models are great, especially the bosses.

And finally, there’s the world and backgrounds, which for all intents and purposes serve the viewer well. Being able to change the seasons at the press of the button is a fun little mechanic but where the game comes through beautifully is showing each of those seasons with equal attention to detail. There were no points where I was sat trying to figure out what I was looking at or felt like I couldn’t understand what the developers were trying to tell me. The art style is very reminiscent of something you might have found on the old Super Nintendo Entertainment Systems but plays with the smooth and responsive controls attributed to a more modern game like Celeste, although a little slower in pace perhaps.

Story

The story is quite simple and easy to follow. You follow Rick, an anthropomorphic Fox who has to find a retrieve the magical bark stolen from a wise old tree. The story is only about an hour long but the combat and world design makes it a little lengthier.

Pros

• Beautifully designed world
• Combat and movement is fun and engaging

Cons

• Criminally underused story and characters
• Too Short