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FOX n FORESTS |OT| Füchse sind gar keine Rudeltiere!

Tizoc

Tizoc

Member
Oct 25, 2017
23,792
Oman
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Developer
Bonus Level Entertainment

Release date & pricing
May 17th 2018, USD/EUR 19.99

Platforms
Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4, Xbox One, Steam

Genre
2D Action Run and Jump

Review thread

The Fable
An evil force is meddling with nature and the season bent on creating a 5th season and commanding an army of wood-like and animal monstrosities.

Enter Rick the Fox, while he would otherwise have no interest in sticking his neck out to figure out what's causing this ruckus, the reward of riches and a mighty crossbow entice him to take on the evil horde and stop it once and for all.

Gameplay synopsis
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FOX n FORESTS is a 2D side scrolling run and jump game inspired by the 16-bit games of yesteryears, developed by German Studio Bonus Level Entertainment.

Gameplay is set on a 2D plane as you progress through levels battling enemies using your crossbow, in addition you can also change between seasons that change the levels slightly in order to progress by creating platforms or removing obstacles.

Changing Seasons will make certain elements change such as the weather, plants and animals. For example, switching from Summer to Winter will freeze water allowing you to pass through certain areas with water obstructing your path.

As you play through stages you will collect coins which you can then spend on upgrades, furthermore, during a stage, you can also spend coins to activate checkpoints if you want, otherwise you can give yourself a small extra challenge by beating a stage without using checkpoints.

Media




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funo

funo

Member
Oct 27, 2017
433
You had me at the [OT] title....
never heard of this one, looks perfect for my Switch!
 
Oswen

Oswen

Member
Oct 25, 2017
806
I'm very interested in this, looks great and the style really hits all my nostalgia chords.
 
eXistor

eXistor

Member
Oct 27, 2017
12,424
Looks pretty good and actually has an art-style reminiscent of the old days instead of that samey modern pixel-look. Not sure if I want rpg elements in this though, I wish we could just get a short and sweet run 'n gun game instead of padding it with unnecessary busywork. Not sure if they're a big part of the game or not, but it's something I could do without most of the time.
 
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OP
Tizoc

Tizoc

Member
Oct 25, 2017
23,792
Oman
eXistor said:
Looks pretty good and actually has an art-style reminiscent of the old days instead of that samey modern pixel-look. Not sure if I want rpg elements in this though, I wish we could just get a short and sweet run 'n gun game instead of padding it with unnecessary busywork. Not sure if they're a big part of the game or not, but it's something I could do without most of the time.
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I'll let you know when I play it if the coin system doesn't greatly affect the gameplay progression. I know one indie platformer I played a few years back which had a coin/upgrade system that wasn't majorily impacting the progression.
 
sir_crocodile

sir_crocodile

Member
Oct 25, 2017
23,640
This looked a lot more like a puzzle platformer the last time I saw it. Is it actually closer to a pure platformer?
 
Mega Man Zero

Mega Man Zero

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,827
sir_crocodile said:
This looked a lot more like a puzzle platformer the last time I saw it. Is it actually closer to a pure platformer?
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They say their biggest influences are games like Wonder Boy in Monster World, Actraiser 2, and Castlevania.

https://foxnforests.com/

The game is inspired by the glorious days of 16-Bit and all time classics like Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts, Wonder Boy in Monster World and ActRaiser 2 as well as the Castlevania and Zelda series.
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Narroo

Narroo

Banned
Feb 27, 2018
1,819
Still bugs me how annoying that OST is in the trailers. Is the overall BGM better in game?
 
Ys45

Ys45

Member
Oct 25, 2017
463
I am so getting this tonight when I get back home, I have an itch for old-school style lately .
Hopefully this and Bloodstained Curse fo the Moon can fix it.
 
David Sr.

David Sr.

Banned
Feb 27, 2018
740
Do we know how many levels does the game have? I've read reviews about it being pretty short, but can't find the total number of stages or hours anywhere.

Also, the structure sounds a lot like Demon's Crest and Wario Land 3, where each level is like a little labyrinth you have to revisit in order to open new paths and get new abilities, am I right?
 
Lukar

Lukar

Unshakable Resolve - Prophet of Truth
Member
Oct 27, 2017
23,799
Didn't realize this was out today! I remember seeing a trailer a while back that looked pretty interesting. I may pick this up later, or next week at the latest.
 
Mega Man Zero

Mega Man Zero

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,827
OK I got it. Some quick notes after playing maybe 10 minutes.

- You get a magic crossbow that does melee attacks and shoots arrows.
- You can't shoot and run at the same time or shoot while jumping, so this isn't a run 'n gun at all, because you can't run and gun.
- You get a double jump
- Melee attack has a short range, so you have to be very careful getting close to enemies.
- You can do a ducking stab and upwards slash.
- You can melee while jumping, but not after the double jump.
- You switch seasons with R2.
- Season change is on a sort of timer. It requires MP to keep active. MP regenerates when back in the normal season.
- You get infinite lives.
- You lose your money when you die.
- You use gold to activate checkpoints.
- You keep the money you have at the time you bought the checkpoint after dying.
 
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ScOULaris

ScOULaris

Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,969
Mega Man Zero said:
OK I got it. Some quick notes after playing maybe 10 minutes.

- You get a magic crossbow that does melee attacks and shoots arrows.
- You can't shoot and run at the same time or shoot while jumping, so this isn't a run 'n gun at all, because you can't run and gun.
- You get a double jump
- Melee attack has a short range, like in Wonder Boy in Monster World, so you have to be very careful getting close to enemies.
- You can do a ducking stab, standing slash, and upwards slash.
- You can melee while jumping, but not after the double jump.
- You switch seasons with R2.
- Season change is on a sort of timer. It requires MP to keep active. MP regenerates when back in the normal season.
- You get infinite lives.
- You lose your money when you die.
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Can you switch to any one of the four seasons, or does each level just have two seasons that you can swap between?
 
Mega Man Zero

Mega Man Zero

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,827
ScOULaris said:
Can you switch to any one of the four seasons, or does each level just have two seasons that you can swap between?
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I only have 2 right now. I don't know if it's limited per level.

I got to the second level and it's Spring (?) and Fall now instead of Spring and Winter, so maybe it is limited like that.
 
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barit

barit

Avenger
Oct 28, 2017
1,163
The 1% german speaking 90s HipHop fans will dig that OT title that's for sure
 
Mega Man Zero

Mega Man Zero

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,827
This is pretty fun so far. The platforming is pretty good, and even though the combat feels limited, I don't think it's a negative. The rules to it make it interesting.
 
angelgrievous

angelgrievous

Middle fingers up
Member
Nov 8, 2017
9,161
Ohio
Hmm, this looks and sounds right up my alley. Might have to jump in on this one. I'm gonna go look at the trophy list, not that it would change anything, just curious.
 
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OP
Tizoc

Tizoc

Member
Oct 25, 2017
23,792
Oman
Wow
The game is USD 25 in my PSN region. Dunno how they got that currency conversion done over there but I'm fine with my PC copy that I backed months ago :V

Gonna try and start it soon and post impressions.
 
Weiss

Weiss

User requested ban
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
64,265
Well I got it, and I accidentally put 20 dollars on my account so I ended up picking up Agatha Knife as well.

Will post impressions.

Okay I definitely have some issues with the combat. You can only fire the crossbow on the ground, you can't attack and double jump in the same go, and you need to hold a direction to use your sword on the ground. It's all a little much for a quick hack n' slash platformer.
 
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crazillo

crazillo

Member
Apr 5, 2018
8,315
Loving the little touches of German in this thread, possibly allowed for once! Füchse an die Macht!

Will absolutely get this, such a throwback title, it looks great, and I'm optimistic about the gameplay, too.
 
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Tizoc

Tizoc

Member
Oct 25, 2017
23,792
Oman
Weiss said:
Well I got it, and I accidentally put 20 dollars on my account so I ended up picking up Agatha Knife as well.

Will post impressions.

Okay I definitely have some issues with the combat. You can only fire the crossbow on the ground, you can't attack and double jump in the same go, and you need to hold a direction to use your sword on the ground. It's all a little much for a quick hack n' slash platformer.
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Feel free to send them feedback via Twitter or its Steam page, I'm sure they'll welcome any suggestions to improving the gameplay.
 
angelgrievous

angelgrievous

Middle fingers up
Member
Nov 8, 2017
9,161
Ohio
Finished the first level and started the second. Some thoughts:

  • Levels are a bit long winded. It's not bad per se but at a time when I thought I had reached the end, it kept going...
  • You'll see a lot of the same enemies in each level.
  • While not bad, the music isn't amazing. (just started stage 2)
  • The money plays a pretty big role in the game. You'll need it for checkpoints and upgrades...
  • You can attack while double jumping, you just have to unlock it.
  • It looks great.
  • I really like the season changing mechanic. It does add a small puzzle element to the game.
  • The combat does take some getting used to, but it works.
  • I'm playing on normal and not having any bit of challenge. I'm only just starting the second stage though.
  • There are hidden collectibles in each stage, you'll be going back to each stage multiple times I'm sure.
Overall I'm enjoying the game. I'll likely finish up the second stage tonight and play some more on Saturday morning.
 
ScOULaris

ScOULaris

Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,969
angelgrievous said:
Finished the first level and started the second. Some thoughts:

  • Levels are a bit long winded. It's not bad per se but at a time when I thought I had reached the end, it kept going...
  • You'll see a lot of the same enemies in each level.
  • While not bad, the music isn't amazing. (just started stage 2)
  • The money plays a pretty big role in the game. You'll need it for checkpoints and upgrades...
  • You can attack while double jumping, you just have to unlock it.
  • It looks great.
  • I really like the season changing mechanic. It does add a small puzzle element to the game.
  • The combat does take some getting used to, but it works.
  • I'm playing on normal and not having any bit of challenge. I'm only just starting the second stage though.
  • There are hidden collectibles in each stage, you'll be going back to each stage multiple times I'm sure.
Overall I'm enjoying the game. I'll likely finish up the second stage tonight and play some more on Saturday morning.
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Thanks for the detailed impressions. I'm still on the fence. I worry that the game is completely devoid of challenge, which would get boring quickly for me. This concern stems from the gameplay videos that were released prior to launch.
 
Mega Man Zero

Mega Man Zero

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,827
Double jump attack
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You lose the coins if you exit to the world map. This means you have to complete a level to grind for coins, and "Grind Stones". Great name.
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Back and OK are actually mislabeled here. A is OK and B is back.
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I think the sound effects are really bad. It not the good kind of retro. It reminds me of Castlevania Harmony of Dissonance and its distorted muffled sounds.

There's something wrong with the framerate in both docked and portable modes on Switch. It's like it'll skip a frame every now and then.
 
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angelgrievous

angelgrievous

Middle fingers up
Member
Nov 8, 2017
9,161
Ohio
ScOULaris said:
Thanks for the detailed impressions. I'm still on the fence. I worry that the game is completely devoid of challenge, which would get boring quickly for me. This concern stems from the gameplay videos that were released prior to launch.
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Beat the first boss. Gave me some trouble. Took me a few times to get it's patterns down. I think the difficulty is a bit uneven, I wonder what hard adds, enemies likely just take more hits. I've got the upgrade to move back through the first stages and open them up some more. I'm not sure if it's going to be necessary for all levels, but It seems like that's what I have to do now. It would be nice if these were optional but it doesn't seem that way.

I don't mind replaying the stages too much, it'd just be nicer if they weren't as long.
 
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Tizoc

Tizoc

Member
Oct 25, 2017
23,792
Oman
Yeah stages being long is a bummer IMO. If the stages had a map option that'd be nice so you could at least figure out where to go back to during a replay since as is I'm just going off memory and hoping whatever path I am on will lead to a seed.
 
Mega Man Zero

Mega Man Zero

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,827
This game is a jack of all trades and master of none. It's trying to do too many things and not doing any of them to their full potential. They should have just kept it simple. It's not a terrible game, but it could have been great.

If they had made a MMX style game, with all the upgrades in the levels, instead of stones and ore, had smaller levels, and didn't gate your progress with seed collecting, it would have been much better. They couldn't even decide if they wanted a shooting or melee game, though, so they threw everything in.

Some more things that piss me off about this game are the constantly respawning enemies and the Season Switch mechanic and different arrows both requiring MP. The enemies are just the most annoying thing and never give you a moment when you can freely do the exploring and platform jumping. If this was the GNG-like game the title suggests, it would work, but it's not, because they had throw in a bunch of exploration and RPG crap. The different arrow shots being on MP just make me not want to use them, because switching seasons is much more important. Maybe the season change should just be on some kind of timer and the arrow shots should have their own meters. The challenge should be doing what you need to do in the alternate season in time, not "I don't have enough MP to change seasons right now, so I'm going to die".
 
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Weiss

Weiss

User requested ban
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
64,265
I gotta say this game has been a disappointment pretty much the entire time I've played it. Levels are too long, enemies are annoying and have terrible placements almost guaranteeing getting hit, and your attacks are useless. There's no reason for there to be two jump attacks, one of which is useless, necessitating you double jump to get the good one.

I'll give it some more time but it weren't for the gorgeous artwork and soundtrack this whole game would be a wash.
 
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