forma.8 Review
forma.8
Publisher: MixedBag Srl
Developer: MixedBag Srl
Genre:
PEGI: E
Comments:
The Metroidvania genre is pretty popular these days. A lot of developers want to create a great game in the style of Metroid and Castlevania. Some developers succeed at this while others only create pale imitations. forma.8 for Nintendo Switch is a Metroidvania game for the eshop. Is it a good one or should you avoid it altogether?
forma.8 begins with a mysterious cutscene that sets up the game. This scene doesn’t really explain anything about what is going on. Its interesting but a little too vague. I wish there had been a better setup for this game. Don’t get me wrong: the cutscene looks nice, but its just not enough to setup this game. Even so, you’ll want to play forma.8 if you like Metroidvania’s because this is a good one.
If you’re looking for a Metroidania style game on the Nintendo Switch, then you definitly should check out forma.8.
Right from the start, forma.8 reminds me of classic Metroid: your character is popped into an enviorment and given no direction as where you are supposed to go. You have to find your own way around in forma.8 such as you did the original Metroid games. There is, however, some things in forma.8 that the orignal Metroids did not have.
There is a map in this game that you can pull up that will help you get around somewhat. There is a little blip that comes up on areas of the map that tell you to go a certain way but how do you get there? The map is pretty barebones and so its help is very limited. forma.8 also saves a different times during gameplay and so if you die, you won’t have to go all the way back to the beginning of the game like you did with the original Metroid games.
forma.8 is definitly a fusion of old and new gameplay. The focus on exploration is a throwback to older games, while the game also gives you some modern tools to help out.
forma.8 is a challenging game though. The enemies are no pushovers and boss fights can be especially tricky. forma.8 is at times very slow and at other times a bit frantic. The game can definitely be fun, but I think forma.8’s lack of direction and toughness may turn some people away.
If there is one thing that absolutely shines here its the way forma.8 controls on Nintendo Switch. The joy-cons are perfect for this game. The analog and button controls work well. And the game absolutely looks great in handheld mode!
forma.8 has really good graphics. On the TV, you get the grand scope of the game’s environments, but its really on the Switch’s off-tv screen that the game shines.
On the TV, its a bit hard to see your main character since it is so small there. The Switch’s screen gives you a closer up view of your character and a good look the game’s environments too. I would highly recommend playing forma.8 in handheld mode. The game is just a lot more enjoyable when held in your hands.
As for the game’s soundtrack, forma.8’s music can be very subdued at one moment and then pulse pounding when needed (boss battles!). I definitely like its music. Its sound effects, on the other hand, are a bit too subdued.
Sometimes there is no sound effect at all, such as when you hit fire or lasers. Sure, sound effects are a minor thing but they really do add to the experiance especially in a game like this. Overall, though, forma.8 is a very good game and well worth downloading.
forma.8 can be a really challenging game, especially because you can get really lost within the caves of this game. That said, the game’s graphics, excellent controls, and soundtrack make it a game well worth checking out.
If you like Metroidvania’s then you are probably use to having to hunt around for what to do next. forma.8 is a good addition to the Metroidvania catolog and it looks fantastic in handheld mode. You can check out forma.8 now and you really should.
Thanks to Mixed Bag Games for providing a review copy of this game. forma.8 is now available on the Nintendo Switch eshop.
Positives
- Excellent graphics
- Good soundtrack
- Great controls
- Perfect for Handheld mode
Negatives
- Vague Story
- Lack of Direction
- Sound effects could be better
Trailer
Article By Daniel Fugate
Daniel Fugate has wanted to be a writer since he was seven years old. He has a bachelor's degree in English and he's a huge Animal Crossing fan. The Wii U and 3DS are currently his favorite video game systems!
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