Foregone Review – ACTION PLATFORMER MADNESS

With the 2D Action Platformer genre overflowing with a literal tonne of incredible titles, it has become increasingly difficult for new games to set themselves apart. However, Developer Big Blue Bubble has attempted to do just that with their game Foregone. So, is Foregone worth your time? Lets find out!

So, What Is Foregone About?

Foregone is set in the world of Calagan. After a war ravaged this world, the corrupting force known as the Harrow, has emerged to revive dastardly enemies that seek to destroy Calagan once and for all. You are placed in the boots of the super soldier, known only as Arbiter, and you are tasked with taking down and destroying all these revived foes as well as finding out how to defeat the Harrow itself.

The narrative does not seem to be a major focus in the game. Most of the story is explained through Arbiter in dialogue at random intervals throughout the game. This does mean that many of the plot-points in the story can be missed quite easily. A major downside to this is that some of the bosses fought throughout the game are not really explained. This does make it feel on occasion as though you’re taking on a boss just for the sake of it without any justification.  

Foregone’s Combat Features

The main selling point of Foregone is the gameplay, with the combat definitely being one of the best features. It is fluid and easy to learn, and features a variety of different weapons. Each weapon can change the patterns and speed of Arbiter’s attacks. This is a large benefit as it allows players to modify their approach to various encounters. With the ability to do both ranged and melee attacks, it can become quite easy to run through the enemy, especially because these attacks can be chained seamlessly. From the quick attacks of the Gunchucks and Daggers to the slow, heavy strikes of the Falchion, each weapon really does have a distinct impact on the combat.

 The big let-down in this platformer is the dodge mechanic. Dodging through an opponent to strike from behind will work on occasion. Other times, however, dodging into an enemy will get you stuck in front of an attack. It is especially painful when facing enemies that can deplete your health bar very quickly. Though it is a little stiff, the dodge mechanic still has its uses. It works much better when attempting to manoeuvre around projectiles and dodge away from incoming attacks. Dodging whilst mid-air is also very useful for reaching those otherwise unreachable platforms.

Fighting Back Against the Harrow

New enemies are frequently introduced in Foregone, meaning that you are constantly learning to deal with new, and sometimes frustrating, attack patterns. Rather than creating difficulty through tough enemies, Foregone focuses on bringing its difficulty through having multiple different combinations of enemies. You will find yourself constantly jumping and evading attacks, just waiting to get a strike in. Once this opportunity arrives, however, you can really rain down destruction on your foes!

The boss battles here are interesting, but ultimately disappointing. The game does feature a variety of bosses which have significantly different move sets. However, most of these move-sets are comprised of 3-4 main attack types. Learning how to evade these attacks does create an enjoyable challenge. However, once learned, defeating each boss becomes quite easy. Most of these bosses only really took a few of tries to beat. This is especially disappointing because their presentation really make them out to be very challenging opponents.

Art Style

Like many other action platformers, Foregone features colourful pixel art which is easy on the eye. A mixture of vibrant and dark colour schemes really help to make the animations and various environments look fantastic. Each location features a very unique aesthetic and colour pallet, with very detailed backdrops and much simpler designs in the foreground. Having a minimalist approach to the objects in the foreground really puts the focus on Arbiter and the enemies. This also really puts the animation at the forefront! It is very smooth making the gameplay look and feel immaculate.

Decision

Foregone is definitely worth picking up. It is an enjoyable title, despite not being a largely innovative game! Foregone’s gorgeous aesthetic and entertaining combat alone are enough to keep you hooked for hours on end!

Review by Samuel Incze

Foregone was reviewed using a download code provided by Big Blue Bubble. The Beta Network uses affiliate partnerships, however this does not influence reviews or any other content published. The Beta Network may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links that are on the website.

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