Mini Review: Forestrike (Switch) -Fu Fighter That Lets You Plan The Perfect Takedown

Note. As of this writing, there has been a postponement to Forestrike’s anticipated Switch release date. We did not face any performance issues during our experience with the game, but if you’re searching for it on the eShop, it ought to appear “within a few days.” We will inform you when it becomes available, but in the interim…

Forestrike is yet another roguelite to contribute to the Switch collection, although it distinguishes itself by emphasizing slower, meticulous gameplay. By assuming the role of martial artist Yu, you embark on a perilous journey across various regions, confronting a myriad of adversaries along the way. Rather than attacking your opponents impulsively, you possess a skill — ‘Foresight’ — that allows you to devise your strategy without significant repercussions.

Essentially, each confrontation offers you two choices: Foresee and Fight, assigned to ‘L’ and ‘R’ respectively. The former enables you to rehearse the battle multiple times until you achieve a flawless victory. Once you’ve figured out how to advance without errors (and potential defeat), you can engage in the actual fight. It’s a captivating idea in theory, yet it does diminish some degree of peril from the overall experience.

I must mention, however, that Forestrike is challenging. Typically, there are four or five foes in any given altercation, each possessing unique strengths and weaknesses. One might rush at you immediately, while another hurls spears or various objects your way. Mastering how to counter their assaults is often vital to success. For instance, you can adopt a defensive posture, causing one enemy to run right past you, thus colliding with an unsuspecting individual behind you.

Once battles commence, you generally need to link together a series of moves in a single attempt to secure a flawless victory, while failing to do so results in your opponents delivering instant damage. Executing the appropriate combination of attacks, dodges, throws, and more creates a graceful choreography that’s immensely gratifying to observe. Naturally, once you initiate the fight for real, you either triumph and advance to the next level (while earning some nice loot) or fail and revert to the beginning of your run.

As you advance, you’ll acquire new, permanent techniques through various martial masters who accompany you on your quest. The initial master introduces the previously mentioned pass-through technique, while the following one bestows the ability to block through sheer power, causing adversaries to crash into you and fall, and so forth. Additional minor enhancements, perks, and techniques are obtained between battles, as the game presents you with three optional cards from which to select. Very roguelike, indeed. Naturally, as you gain abilities, your strategies will evolve, enhancing your confidence. Eventually, you may even manage to complete fights without relying on Foresight at all.

All in all, while Forestrike features robust gameplay and a delightful, abstract pixel-art aesthetic, its central mechanic diminishes a sense of risk. This is undeniably a challenging game at its core, but the capacity to rehearse your runs without repercussions slightly blunts its intensity.