EuroVideo’s Fox N Forests is aptly named, but it doesn’t do the game’s mechanics, throwback look and feel and challenge into consideration at all. A more suitable name would be “Rick the Fox vs. The Forest,” or something to show the cool journey our character is about to go on.
Naming issues aside, at first look, this is a cool game.
Although we’re roughly only an hour into the game at this point, Fox N Forests has plenty of retro potential and thanks to a fun story, what appears to be some lasting appeal.
While it’s probably an enjoyable experience on the PlayStation 4, Old School Gamer Magazine’s Patrick Hickey Jr. took the Nintendo Switch version for a test drive.
The Good:
A Cool Main Character: Rick isn’t exactly Sonic or Conker, but he’s got plenty of edge, which gives this game a more adult flavor.
Fun Platforming: Jumping around and attacking enemies, collecting items and making it to the end of levels is fun and is totally reminiscent of the Super Nintendo/Sega Genesis era.
Great Main Gameplay Mechanic: Being able to change the seasons to move forward in the game is a nifty little tool that’s easy and gratifying to pull off.
Additional Attacks: The ability to upgrade and add new attacks makes combat feel fresh every few levels and definitely adds more to the overall appeal.
The Bad:
Finicky Controls: While it’s far from terrible, jumping in Fox N Forests requires a bit of practice. With no real sense of momentum or stride, players will definitely die a few times before they get the hang of it.
Initial Thoughts:
Control issues aside, Fox N Forests is a pure throwback game with plenty of potential, that’ll do something many retro-inspired games don’t- make you feel like you’re playing a game from another era.
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Patrick Hickey Jr. is the author of the book, “The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult and Classic Video Game Developers,” from McFarland And Company. Featuring interviews with the creators of 36 popular video games–including Deus Ex, NHLPA 93, Night Trap, Mortal Kombat, Wasteland and NBA Jam–the book gives a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of some of the most influential and iconic (and sometimes forgotten) games of all time. Recounting endless hours of painstaking development, the challenges of working with mega-publishers and the uncertainties of public reception, the interviewees reveal the creative processes that produced some of gaming’s classic titles.
