Foregone Review

{Foregone} is an action-platformer with a strong {Dead Cells} influence, combining metroidvania and RPG elements to create what is mostly an enjoyable experience - though I did have a few issues.

Foregone's story is basic and generally lacklustre, and gives off a feeling like it's only really there because it has to be. You play as a super-soldier called the Arbiter, attempting to rescue the post-war city of Calagan from the Harrow, a force of corruption that dwells deep in the wilderness.

The gameplay that accompanies this story is hit-and-miss, pun intended. There's action and there's platforming, and the former of these tries too hard to be Dead Cells and suffers for it, because it just isn't as tight or fluid. You have a melee and a ranged attack, alongside two abilities gained throughout the campaign. Weapon variety is overall pretty good, with different combos and effects for each type, but the abilities are a little less exciting, and I didn't feel the need to change any around whilst playing. As healing is pretty much required and takes up one ability slot, you are left with one offensive ability, and there aren't enough differences to really recommend one over the other. These abilities, alongside passives, are upgraded using experience points in what are quite compelling mutually-exclusive skill trees, which can result in a number of different builds. This is one of Foregone's stronger suits, creating a defined sense of the Arbiter becoming stronger as the game progresses.

The actual moment-to-moment gameplay can be frustrating, as the platforming elements detract from the action. Some enemies will be awkwardly placed on narrow ledges, requiring a jump and likely taking damage, with no room to attack and dodge. Ranged attacks can be used to reach these areas, but the automatic lock-on is tenuous. One thing I do enjoy however is gaining ranged ammunition from melee attacks, adding a level of strategy to save arrows for these moments.

A robust loot system supplements this gameplay, offering several equipment rarities and stats. There were genuine moments of excitement when encountering new tiers, as some are super powerful. Upgrading these items is simple, using gold from killing enemies or scrapping equipment. When you die however, like {Dark Souls}, you drop all your held gold and experience points and must return to your place of death to regain them. It's a system that encourages frequent returns to the Outpost (the hub-area) though I did find it somewhat unnecessary and pseudo-difficult.

Speaking of difficulty, the game offers three options: Normal, Hardcore, and Hardcore Ironman. Of course, I chose Normal and found it did what it said on the tin. Some enemies can deal a lot of damage per hit but are easy to dodge (when on a large platform), and the healing skill trivialises a lot of foes and bosses. Now, these bosses are far too easy. I beat most on my first try, as they followed rigid patterns and only had one phase. This was disappointing, as their designs were enjoyable and unique, so it's a waste to have them just feel like slightly-harder enemies.

The environments the enemies populate I found interesting, despite their similarities. Locations from the woods to the graveyard are good set-pieces; however, they ultimately follow an entirely linear progression and all feature the same enemies, with an average of one new foe per area. Some areas are certainly beautiful however, especially with the gorgeous pixel art style of the game.

Again, this art style is reminiscent of Dead Cells, but it works excellently here too. The style helps locations feel different enough, and at some points provides a three-dimensional effect, which is stunning to behold. It's the highlight of the game for me, and does a fantastic job of situating you in a crumbling, war-torn world.

Unfortunately, there is one place that's not so great, and that's the Outpost, where you will spend a lot of time. It's quite boring, as there's not much there, and characters only serve their purpose as vendors or quest givers, which is a wasted opportunity. I was hoping to be able to rescue city-dwellers from the hands of the Harrow, to later find them holding up in the Outpost. The beacon missions are interesting though, with types like Hazards, Combat, and Gauntlet offering different challenges, rewarding you with a visit to the Warsmith NPC who can re-roll your equipment stats (though I found little need to).

Overall, {Foregone} is an enjoyable experience, but one I wished would be better. It's worth a playthrough for its glistening art, despite its often-lacklustre story and its less-than-fluid gameplay.