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Fox Legend is an old-school platforming experience that rarely breaks new ground. However, I enjoyed the sharp colours and the loud but repetitive audio. Moreover, the sense of danger and despair is never too far away. Accordingly, it would help if you worked hard to avoid every danger you face.
This retro platform adventure was developed by Fabrizio Abreu and published by Fa Games. It is a single-player side-scrolling title. Though this style isn’t new, I enjoyed the trip down memory lane. Additionally, the short, sharp levels were rewarding even though the early stages were a little too easy. This matters not as it was a great introduction to the harder drip-fed elements.
Fox Legend tells no story.
Fox Legend didn’t require a hearty plot to get you hooked. Instead, it lets its action do the talking. You are expected to avoid obstacles as you race towards the finish line. Moreover, there are 20 levels to experience and plenty of precise and fiddly mechanics to master. As such, the latter stages will test the best platforming gamers.
I’d have liked to experience a heartwarming story. The developer could have incorporated an antagonist to keep things interesting. Alternatively, maybe a couple of big bosses to overcome to capture your attention. Instead, you focused on each chasm, circular blade, and deadly spike. This was a little unfortunate as it prevented the action from evolving. Furthermore, there is a lack of empathy whenever the protagonist dies.
Simple gameplay.
As you explore each arena, you must avoid angry animals and a long list of traps. There are moving platforms and other tricky layers to navigate as well. Whether it is the classic fading platform or falling spikes, Fox Legend has them all.
You must move from left to right with 3 hearts at your disposal. If you are hit by a creature or you come in contact with a trap, you will lose a life. However, this is rarely troublesome as you can avoid most enemies with ease. What wasn’t so easy, however, was traversing the monstrous gaps. As you leap each chasm, you will make mistakes. Once you fall to your doom, you must start the stage again. This was infuriating as there were no checkpoints. Consequently, mistakes are costly.
Fox Legend blends 3D backdrops with 2D action.
I adored the perspective twist. At first, you’ll think that this is simply a 2D side-scroller. Yet, if you look closer, you’ll notice the wonderful depth of the well-designed backdrop. The 3D environments create depth without complicating the straightforward action. Additionally, the simple but effective character design makes this an easy game to look at. My only complaint was the lack of variety. There are 3 different biomes and that is all. Subsequently, it becomes repetitive quickly.
The audio is guilty of this problem as well. The soundtrack has a fun edge, but I became tired of it extremely quickly. There are limited songs and this made dying much more painful. If you combine this deja vu musical nightmare with the rudimentary sound effects, you get a tough-to-swallow audio experience.
Effective controls.
Platforming games are dreadful if the controls are hard to master. Luckily, Fox Legend delivers a pleasant and accurate control approach. There are few inputs to master and this makes the harder mechanics a little easier to overcome. What’s more, death and failure can only be blamed on a lack of skill or patience.
Unfortunately, replay value is lacking. This could have been improved had a speedrun mode been included. Alternatively, maybe boss battles or hidden collectables could have increased the challenge while making you return for more.
Fox Legend is a fine indie experience.
Though Fox Legend is short and relatively understated, I liked the aesthetics and the effective controls. On top of that, it is an affordable game, so though it didn’t take me too long to complete it, I still think it’s good value for money. The level design is fun and I liked the mixture of 3D and 2D imagery. However, a lack of replay value and the repetitive audio hold it back. Accordingly, despite the shortcomings, I recommend buying it here! Can you survive each trapped-filled arena? Master your skills, avoid the obstacles, and get to the exit portal.
