Benedict Fox is a Lovecraft-inspired metroidvania with combat and puzzles but the main focus seems to be more about the visuals and interesting world. Originally I was put off by the poor reviews of this game and almost didn't try it even though it was on Xbox Game Pass. I'm glad I did though, since there is a lot to love about this game, but sadly the overall experience is definitely flawed.
The graphics are something people praised but they didn't really draw me in from looking at the Steam store page. It was only after I actually started playing that I saw how impressive the environments look. The game is entirely 2D but features 3D graphics like in Bloodstained: RotN, only this game does it much, much better. I was consistently stunned at how detailed and expansive the environments are in this game.
The weird thing here is that I didn't feel like the amazing visuals really did much to aid the gameplay at all. Often I'd find myself running through a room that was barren of gameplay elements but had totally beautiful scenery in the background, it almost felt like a waste or rather that the detail here could be appreciated more in a different kind of game. Sure, it helped with the world building but a lot of the time it just felt like a bonus feature. It's not necessarily a bad thing but I guess it's like getting a world-reknowned artist to paint butter on your toast.
As for the gameplay itself, the combat is not terrible. It's fun enough but I'd say it presents itself as being a lot more complex than it actually is. There are quite a few mechanics but at the end of the day I was mostly just mashing the attack button. The puzzles are pretty good, particularly at the start as you are learning the game. Later on they become a bit more of a chore as you aren't really solving anything so much as just following instructions. The standard metroidvania gameplay loop of exploring the map is good once the ball gets rolling.
The main problem I had with this game is the obscurity of mechanics and direction. Many times I would find myself totally lost at how to solve a puzzle or where to go next, only to look at a guide and realise there was some tiny detail or intuition that I'd missed. This game also has the same issue a lot of metroidvanias do where it's unclear at times if progression is gated by player skill/knowledge or an actual ability that the player hasn't yet obtained. There are some map markers to show when you need a certain ability to progress but this isn't a complete solution nor a perfectly clear one, it also takes away from immersion. This summarises a lot of design choices in this game; they've clearly tried to add QOL features but generally the implementation seems flawed in that they try to be the jack of all trades but end up with a result that isn't complete in any area.
Overall it's a mixed bag, the world and atmosphere is great and it looks amazing, the gameplay is serviceable but playing this without a guide might take me a thousand years. I think if this game had another 6-12 months to cook then it could be great but as is, it's more of a half-baked experience. I would still recommend people try it though if they have Game Pass and like metroidvanias.
The graphics are something people praised but they didn't really draw me in from looking at the Steam store page. It was only after I actually started playing that I saw how impressive the environments look. The game is entirely 2D but features 3D graphics like in Bloodstained: RotN, only this game does it much, much better. I was consistently stunned at how detailed and expansive the environments are in this game.
The weird thing here is that I didn't feel like the amazing visuals really did much to aid the gameplay at all. Often I'd find myself running through a room that was barren of gameplay elements but had totally beautiful scenery in the background, it almost felt like a waste or rather that the detail here could be appreciated more in a different kind of game. Sure, it helped with the world building but a lot of the time it just felt like a bonus feature. It's not necessarily a bad thing but I guess it's like getting a world-reknowned artist to paint butter on your toast.
As for the gameplay itself, the combat is not terrible. It's fun enough but I'd say it presents itself as being a lot more complex than it actually is. There are quite a few mechanics but at the end of the day I was mostly just mashing the attack button. The puzzles are pretty good, particularly at the start as you are learning the game. Later on they become a bit more of a chore as you aren't really solving anything so much as just following instructions. The standard metroidvania gameplay loop of exploring the map is good once the ball gets rolling.
The main problem I had with this game is the obscurity of mechanics and direction. Many times I would find myself totally lost at how to solve a puzzle or where to go next, only to look at a guide and realise there was some tiny detail or intuition that I'd missed. This game also has the same issue a lot of metroidvanias do where it's unclear at times if progression is gated by player skill/knowledge or an actual ability that the player hasn't yet obtained. There are some map markers to show when you need a certain ability to progress but this isn't a complete solution nor a perfectly clear one, it also takes away from immersion. This summarises a lot of design choices in this game; they've clearly tried to add QOL features but generally the implementation seems flawed in that they try to be the jack of all trades but end up with a result that isn't complete in any area.
Overall it's a mixed bag, the world and atmosphere is great and it looks amazing, the gameplay is serviceable but playing this without a guide might take me a thousand years. I think if this game had another 6-12 months to cook then it could be great but as is, it's more of a half-baked experience. I would still recommend people try it though if they have Game Pass and like metroidvanias.