The Last Case of Benedict Fox review – Mystery meets Metroidvania

It can be difficult to solve a mystery because it often requires a lot of planning and thinking only for players who may not understand it. To fix this, many games will provide useful guide rails, but also prevent the player from coming to their own conclusions honestly using common sense and patience.

but, Another case of Benedict Fox He asks you to be patient, puts an obstacle in front of you and then makes fun of you to find the answer. It’s not the most massively complex Metroidvania There are, however, some really fun puzzles that will ensure players feel like detectives. When the lock opens after several attempts to find the solution, the feeling of relief and understanding is a rush.

This game is similar to other popular Metroidvania games that have come out in recent years in many ways as well, such as requiring an incredible amount of patience to learn and then master the unique combat system. Another case of Benedict Fox It’s not at all forgiving in its exploration or combat, but that mostly gives way to dark and bleak world themes.

Explore what’s inside

In terms of the story, players are not given much information when starting the game, they just appear in a large mansion that hides more secrets than you can even begin to understand. The lead detective, Benedict and his companion, soon uncover a mounting mystery that takes them into the minds of several dead, estranged family members.

As players travel through the underworld inside the minds of recently deceased relatives, they will encounter many questions to which they will find answers. Luckily, Another case of Benedict Fox It kind of leads you naturally through the various levels within these corpses, with puzzle solutions coming up a natural path as long as you make sure to explore each area of ​​the level.

This is a unique feeling that was unfamiliar to me in the Metroidvania games I’ve played up to this point. While I missed the first titles, I played Ori and the Blind Forest In college and the first five minutes of Hollow Knight, so I am familiar with how levels mapping works. It often involves a lot of exploration, and only unlocks areas on your map when you see them for yourself.

because Another case of Benedict Fox Offering unique mystery and puzzles on top of the standard exploration mechanics, exploration feels more exciting than it does in Uri, where I would eventually run into an obstacle that would prevent me from progressing in the story. world Benedict Fox So vague and confusing that those barriers aren’t frustrating because I’m working toward some kind of truth.

This is only compressed by the evidence she collects in the main world and the underworld within the dead around the mansion. Even seemingly innocent items have interesting descriptions that you’ll be eager to understand. If you get confused, you can simply load into a new area to see a panel showing all the clues you’ve collected and their connection to other locations, so you know where to go.

Fight for your life, Benedict

Fighting in a 2D-sidescroller is very different from being able to dodge your enemies in 3D space, and you’ll quickly realize that if you’re not familiar. When dodging monsters in the game, you can only go up and down, or use the right joystick on the controller to dodge a small distance left or right. This took some getting used to and the unforgiving nature of some monster groups is noticeable.

For example, there was one level where I had to rescue a mysterious woman who seemed to be trapped in a variety of mirrors. Benedict has to cycle between different areas of the mirror world, appearing in a mirror closer to his destination. That would have been fine in itself, but having to avoid flying monsters that can search your character with heat made it seem almost impossible.

The game doesn’t leave you fighting with the same main character Benedict throughout, though the woman you rescue from those mirrors is able to draw special abilities onto the character. This augments his current strength as well as grants him new abilities that he can use in combat and access new areas of the world. This is a standard mechanic, but it’s cool that they take shape in tattoos that seem to drain Benedict.

However, it’s far from perfect, and the block doesn’t feel as useful as advertised early in the game. I often find myself jumping to avoid a projectile or other hazards rather than using my block. This might just be a player’s preference, but there were times when I felt like he couldn’t stand up against groups of monsters.

The shotgun is a great tool, allowing players to charge up momentum with regular attacks before dealing a devastating ranged attack. It’s hard to describe the feeling when you pull out your gun and aim it thinking it’s going to be your boon, only to have your heart sink in when the chamber clicks because it’s unloaded. It can be a great tool, just remember that you have very limited ammo unless you’re making frequent melee attacks on enemies.

A puzzle worth solving

This Try Hard Guides PC review version of this game has been provided. Find more detailed looks at popular and upcoming titles in the game reviews section of our website!