FOREGONE: DETAILED REVIEW
Many, having seen trailers and pictures of Foregone , rushed to call the game a clone of Dead Cells . Yes, outwardly, thanks to the same wonderful, colorful pixel art, the projects are similar. But at its core, Big Blue Bubble’s work is much closer to the classic Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and its successor, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night .
A story about a supergirl with an unexpected ending
In the story we play as the strongest warrior in the city of Kalagan. Some time ago, he survived a devastating war, and now the city is again under threat, whose name is the destructive force of The Harrow (in Russian translation – Rye).
What kind of power is this and how dangerous it is, we do not really know at first. Gradually, from the records found, we learn that the matter is in some experiments. We must find out the nature of The Harrow, and in addition, find and destroy the fruits of these experiments – man-made monsters that have escaped to freedom.
Well, they should, so they should: the story goes in the background for a long time, and we only make our way from one monster-boss to another. But, naturally, everything turns out to be not so simple in the end. And the ending in many ways turns what is happening upside down. The authors did not deceive when they wrote that Rye resurrects not only the dead, but also memories that are better left forgotten. We learn shocking facts about the heroine herself, about who she is, and even get the right to choose how the game will end.
Not a roguelike
And now about why Foregone is not a clone of Dead Cells . This is not a roguelike, but a classic platform action / RPG, only with soul-like mechanics. After death, we must not start over, and levels are not generated randomly.
After death, the character loses the acquired gold and skill points (or souls, if you like) and returns to the base, which is here called the outpost. And then we decide whether to run to the place of death in order to return everything that was lost, or agree to the offer of a special character and return at once, without running anywhere, exactly half.
The choice between a bird in hand and a pie in the sky, on the one hand, makes the situation easier. And on the other hand, it introduces additional excitement: to agree with the loss of half of what you have acquired, or still take the risk?
Not metroidvania
Yes, Foregone is also not metroidvania, at least in the classical sense. Yes, the heroine gradually gains new abilities after killing key bosses – for example, the ability to dash in the air to overcome long chasms, or climb higher by jumping off walls.
But they are needed not to return to already visited locations and gain access to new regions, but to move on. Because only further, by and large, levels appear where these new abilities need to be applied. Yes, you can come back to look for the secrets you missed, but this is not necessary.
Just good action / RPG
And if the absence of classic metroidvania mechanics can really cause regret, then I am only glad that Foregone did not turn out to be another “roguelike” – by God, I am tired of their dominance. Here we are fighting, pumping, collecting and trying on new loot. And, of course, we jump, overcome various traps. But there are no tricky platform exercises either, which I am no less happy about – I am also tired of outrageous platformers with RPG elements.
Foregone- this is pure (well, almost) action / RPG, delight for lovers and loot. On the base, the collected “souls” can be spent on pumping skills that give various passive bonuses. Moreover, in addition to the usual pluses to damage / health / critical strike chance, there are more interesting things, such as the chance to “hang” the effects of explosives or infection on the enemy, and on yourself – stone skin or vampirism.
In addition, you need to pump active abilities used in battle. It can be fast healing, dash, damage to all enemies in sight, temporary boost and acceleration, shield. Using everything at once will not work – the maximum is allowed to carry two abilities with you.
There is also a blacksmith at the base, from whom we sell unnecessary equipment and upgrade the necessary equipment for gold. Many things improve the performance of active abilities or passive skills – or both. Therefore, it is important here to correctly combine equipment with how and what you are pumping and what skills you use.
This is both a plus and a problem. Because some skills and abilities, competently supported by equipment, work so destructively that the heroine goes through ordinary enemies and bosses like a knife through butter, receiving almost no resistance.
Aesthetically beautiful
On the other hand, these killer combinations still need to be found, and it is the search for the optimal build that is the essence (and joy) of many action / RPGs. In addition, the possible lack of complexity is compensated by how beautifully and dynamically our heroine fights.
She soars into the air, cuts one enemy with a sword, shoots another with a shotgun, makes a dash, blows three more on the platform, then falls to the ground, there she makes a couple of sword swings, a sharp dodge in a slide, a blow from the back, another tackle, a blow – and here are five more corpses in a couple of seconds. Even if you do not receive a call, then you will definitely get aesthetic pleasure.
Yes, Foregone is not about hardcore and pain, but just about passing like a knife through butter, about pumping and aesthetics of combat dance, the art of killing. Which, by the way, fits well into the concept and the story of the heroine itself. After all, we have a super-soldier according to the plot, which can only be challenged by superbosses, and not a trembling creature, in rags and with a wooden stick. Personally, I missed just such games where you can have fun, and not torment and overcome. Therefore, this concept suits me perfectly – which is what I wish for you.
Pros:a good story with an unexpected ending; It is pleasant to play both from the point of view of a competent combination of battles with pumping, and from the point of view of the aesthetics of battles; many options for equipment and abilities that need to be matched to each other; interesting bosses; the game looks fantastic and sounds great.
Cons: maybe someone will not have enough difficulty in battles and the platform part; some abilities are clearly more useful than others.
