You canplay the demo of The Last Case of Benedict Foxvia Steam Next Fest until February 13.
When Microsoft were showing off all their major exclusives on the way, there was one I just couldn’t believe I was seeing:The Last Case of Benedict Fox, a 2.5D survival horror detectiveMetroidvaniagiven the same prominence as a big budget JRPG or the latest looter-shooter expansion toDestiny 2. More than just its genre blending, Benedict Fox is perhaps one of the most gorgeous looking games I’ve seen all year. As I said not long ago,it takes a lot for a 2D game to grab me, and I’m pleased to report that Benedict Fox manages that… to a point.
As of this writing, the game is available to try via Steam Next Fest for a limited time, impressively extensive demo. It’s big enough to have a dedicated save function included, letting you dip back in to try and chip away at the mysterious death of Benedict’s estranged father. The titular detective is a Cthulhu devotee, but not in a hood-wearing, fish-worshiping manner - instead, he’s bound to an ethereal entity that aids him in his detective work as an unseen partner.
This eldritch being is also how you can return from the dead, and pull off feats like double-jumps and entering the decaying minds of the dead. You know, everyday Watson-y stuff to compliment Fox’s inner Sherlock as he pieces together the remains of a family he never knew.
While the demo didn’t give too much away as far as the story, the world itself grasps you by the collar, never letting go. It’s astonishing how well Benedict Fox presents every facet, both spoken and implied. From the moment the title screen boots, you’re in for a fabulous feast of audiovisual mastery.
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The aesthetic manages to capture the energy of classicAlone in the Darktempered by the vivid hues and angular, lithe designs of Into the Spider-Verse. Every bespoke animation here is testament to the talent behind the project, feeling intimately handcrafted without the hubris so many realistic fidelity games give off. Nothing here has the vibe of trying to impress you - Benedict Fox is purely interested in telling its tale to the fullest, cackling with malicious glee.
The platforming is standard, if slower paced, Metroidvania fare. Nothing bad, but nothing outstanding either. You’ll instantly recognize the familiar elements, saying to yourself, “Ah, I need something to shatter this ceiling” or “I need to unlock the dash move to get across here”, but thankfully these aren’t a constant interference like in some games.
In fact, clever planning often wins the day, as is equally the case with Benedict Fox’s combat. You have a serrated knife and eldritch parrying shield that each require careful timing against enemies great and small. Benedict is a brutal pugilist, but he’s no Batman, and needs a bit of wind-up time.
As I defeated the creatures, I collected ‘ink’ which can be deposited at the various save points around the map - save points double as instant fast travel beacons that can be accessed at any point. Nail enough hits on your enemies, and you earn a charge of your pistol, which deals devastating damage while slowing down time as you aim. Your health is sparse, but a single-use health potion can restore it - one block of health instantly, or risk being hit by standing still to fully refill your health. It’s a solid system, if a bit pedestrian by comparison to the presentation, that at least nails the game feel wonderfully.
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Alongside this, you have interactive objects with hidden clues that must be found by spinning them about, as well as larger puzzles to solve. What was presented at the beginning didn’t defy the brainteasers of 90s adventure games, but there’s a clear wit at the heart of the matter. I didn’tneedto tune the radio in the library so it could pick up a station, but my reward for doing so was a bit of delightful music contrasting against the gloom of a stormy night in an abandoned mansion. Some secrets are for world-building, while others give you an edge in progressing through the macabre world, and finding each makes you feel all the cleverer.
In truth, there’s only one part of the demo that gave me pause. I wasn’t bothered that obvious side quests were gated off or that there were a few asset pop-in glitches - those are common for a demo like this. No, what truly ground the experience to a halt was the first boss fight, which is presented like some sudden test of reflex, when it’s actually about gaming the boss’ patterns to your favor. Once I understood it, I was able to beat it in two tries, but before that, trying to play along with how it presented itself, resulted in a lot of unnecessary deaths. For a game that’s usually so good at communicating to the player, Benedict Fox’s first boss gets its signals mixed up quite thoroughly.
This became a very evident sticking point because up until this point, nothing you encounter in Benedict Fox is this challenging nor paradoxical in approach as opposed to what it looks like you should do. I fear if the team at Plot Twist don’t do some serious reworking, a fair number of players will bounce hard off of an otherwise superb experience. It’s impressive how well the game won me over in my short time with it, and just as unnerving how hard it slams the door in your face with what should be the easiest boss in the game.
With months before its April 27th release, there’s plenty of time for this to be sorted out. Elsewise, there’s a lot to love with Benedict Fox. Whether you’re picking it up on Steam, Xbox, or Game Pass, 2023’s got a brand-new horror IP worth watching alongside all the remakes on the horizon.
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