The Last Case of Benedict Fox: Evidence of Lovecraftian horror-colored metroidvania

Another surprise from the Xbox Bethesda conference in June, The Last Case of Benedict Fox never lost its way over the summer, given the precise and timely distribution of excerpts from the game that got us to this point. Gamescom 2022 with clearer ideas of what to expect from the game. However, once we get the Xbox pad, its first run reverse corner particularly intense and difficult, probably more than the title suggests in its original description.

Let’s go in order: Trial of Benedict Fox’s Last Trial above all, it features an action adventure with an interesting narrative and a highly developed combat component. In the beginning, it can be mixed with an heir to Limbo or other more guided and linear adventures, perhaps where you have to limit yourself to solving environmental puzzles while escaping an undead enemy. We are actually facing one here. metroidvania though enriched with blends from other genres, for all intents and purposes.

There is the classic element of “territory” exploration, where our freedom of movement is slowed down or completely blocked by the need to acquire skills or special keys to open doors and gates, but there’s also a layer of narrative that sees the protagonist Benedict Fox. To solve the final case, he must solve two different worlds, one superimposed on the other: to find out who killed his father in the big family mansion. That’s why during the game we will constantly find ourselves moving from the “real” scenario, built around a style strongly inspired by the twenties, including amazing jazz tracks to accompany the sound, to a dark, organic world called limbo. The Lovecraftian horror component explodes, bringing a sad and paranormal imagery to life.

Continuing to explore, we will be able to traverse portals that will allow us to deepen the memories of Benedict, the father, and some of the family personalities, and that will become increasingly clear in connection with their identities and death. head of the family. Drawing from the demonic entity that lives in Fox’s soul and grants him paranormal abilities, he will tend to underline it through constant dialogues and observations that the protagonist discovers and meets.

an act of metroidvania

componentactionFrom the very few we’ve managed to try, it seems to revolve around three possibilities: a melee attack with the hero’s small dagger, the possibility of firing with the pistol stuck in the belt, and a long cooldown to avoid any kind of spam. a very short run back and away from a distance that takes a lot of practice to be handled properly in terms of timing and area traveled.

In our testing, we managed to encounter some simple enemies that can only protect themselves from close combat, some opponents that can attack us even from afar, and a few enemies that tend to protect each other, one more agile and the other more armored. , can also be seen in one of the gameplay trailers released in recent weeks. There was also an anglerfish-style boss at the end of the demo, which was already shown, but we couldn’t face him as the demo was interrupted a minute before the meeting.

Unfortunately, we couldn’t get into the details. progression system but by chatting with the developer and browsing a few menus in the game it was pretty easy for us to understand how The Last Case of Benedict Fox would try to keep the player’s progress at bay over the course of the game. narrative arc. In fact, on the one hand, there are the tools that will obviously enrich with cures, unlocks, smoke bombs and who knows what else, on the other hand, there is a forging system that will help Fox gain new skills. permanent, such as the possibility of having a magnet effect near ledges and walls, or breaking floors to descend into the lower floors of limbo.

As far as we can see, reconnaissance division We did not encounter environmental puzzles that could kill us in connection with a badly successful jump, or obstacles positioned by the roughness of the terrain or typically a usual dose of evil. metroidvania, but it is possible for these elements to become dominant during the game.

An inspiring artistic component

absolutely perfect art industry Overtly technical, Benedict Fox’s Last Case has metroidvania’s classic ‘stage’ structure, ‘only’ noticeable for its extreme fluidity and excellent management of lights and camera movements, very responsive while always adhering to the side view of the ‘profile’. rather, the Ori style is based on free movement throughout the entire scene. Obviously, except for the transition from purgatory to mansion and the current fast travel occasion.

Returning to the style choices, especially Lovecraftian cut One that blends well with the color palette chosen to color the limbo, yet maintains its stylistic consistency even in the exploration sections inside the family villa. As we continue our journey deep into the memories of Fox’s father, we’re definitely curious about the scenario variety and how the guys in Plot Twist can keep the enemies high, and if you can trust our word, we highly recommend it to you. Make a note of this title because it’s currently available for PC and Xbox Series X | Closer to its launch (obviously at launch on Game Pass) for the S, scheduled for spring 2023, we’re convinced we’ll be hearing about it a lot. It turned out to be a wonderful surprise.