The shadows stir in the corners of this place. When it comes to favourite genres of games, for me it doesn't get more immersive and satisfying than a well crafted Metroidvania. In this video I'll be diving into my thoughts on one of my most anticipated titles of 2023, The Last Case of Benedict Fox, a beautiful Metroidvania from talented developer Plot Twist and awesome indie publisher Rogue Games. It's available now on Xbox and PC via Steam and you can also check it out through Xbox Game Pass on both Xbox and PC. And I'd just like to take the opportunity to say a massive thanks to Rogue Games for kindly supplying the review key for the purpose of this video. So with that said, let's jump into the review. The last case of Benedict Fox is a Lovecraftian inspired metroidvania, set in a beautifully crafted macabre world full of secret organizations, forbidden rituals and cold-blooded murders. You play as Benedict Fox, son of estranged and recently deceased father James and as the title of the game suggests, your mission is to unravel the sinister mystery of what happened. Benedict however is not alone on this mission, he's accompanied by his Demon Within, a demon companion who allows Benedict a unique insight into the mysterious world around him and the ability to infiltrate the minds of the fallen. Without a doubt one of my favorite elements of the game was this dark and yet charismatic voice which guides you from within. The voice acting of this character in particular is superbly delivered and adds a very unique and interesting dynamic to the overall storytelling of the game. Your demon companion is not only there as a vehicle to tell the story though, it also acts as a connection to the dark magic and the occult elements of the game, which you can upgrade to strengthen Benedict's abilities in combat and also Metroidvania style special abilities which allow you to open up more areas of the expansive map the further you progress. The game plays out within two domains, the first of which is the mansion which acts as a base of operations in the mortal realm, and the other is known as Limbo, an alternate realm inside of the mind of the deceased which can be accessed with the help of your demon companion's supernatural abilities as a way to gain insight into past events and hidden secrets from within the mind. I absolutely love this super clever concept and the way the game tells its story in general, bringing together the detective mechanics and the supernatural elements to deliver a creative and incredibly immersive experience. Like all the best Metroidvania games, Benedict Fox does an excellent job of installing that feeling of constant intrigue to explore and sense of discovery. Uncovering the game's vast map feels satisfying and rewarding, and the game's environments are both varied and truly stunning to experience. The art direction in this game really is top class stuff, bringing together that noir 1920s feel with the blend of Lovecraft, the supernatural and the occult. The 2.5D environments have so much layered depth, detail and absolutely pop with vibrancy. The lighting also deserves a very special mention too, as it is exceptionally well used in the game to create a truly immersive atmosphere. Simply put, the game is visually breathtaking to experience from start to finish. In terms of gameplay, if you're familiar with other Metroidvania games such as Ori, Hollow Knight and Ender Lilies, you will likely feel right at home with this game. At its core, Benedict Fox combines the staple Metroidvania aspects of combat, platforming and exploration, but the game also cleverly incorporates some additional aspects to keep things fresh, like its interesting puzzles, of which there are quite a large variety throughout the game. I found these puzzles to be a very welcome addition and were a lot of fun to solve, but if puzzles aren't your thing however you can opt to turn them to auto solve but I'd encourage you to give them a chance as I felt they added a lot to the experience and were very nicely designed. Platforming, combat and exploration are definitely where you'll be spending most of your time in this game though, and all three aspects are very well executed. Benedict Fox's combat does have a bit of a different feel to some others in the genre, so may take a few minutes to adjust to, but it was certainly very enjoyable and I had a ton of fun with it. The core combat mechanics are based around the melee attack and the flare gun. The melee cleverly feeds the gun, filling the meter, and when filled, allows you to take one powerful shot with an emphasis on making it count. The flare gun is a nice powerful attack, and I thought the balance between earning the shot through melee attacks was a very nice way to balance combat. You also have your other abilities ched through your demon companion. The game has several other places where you can upgrade to but I won't go into too much detail in order to keep this as spoiler free as possible. All in all though gameplay was a lot of fun with tons of variety that always keeps you engaged in it's incredibly rich and intriguing mystery. The Last Case of Benedict Fox took me a little over 20 hours to beat, going for a pretty comprehensive playthrough to uncover as much as possible. This game does a phenomenal job of keeping your interest locked in with its mix of clever environmental storytelling and its satisfying metroidvania design. And the metroidvania genre is a particularly great fit for this games imaginative detective mystery. Just before we jump into the final verdict, I did just want to mention the performance of the game as I know there were a few people commenting on the fact that they had issues. For me personally I was playing on steam and did have a very smooth experience, but I did encounter two small bugs throughout my 23 hour playthrough, one of which was where the floor seemed to lose its bearing and I was left standing in the air, and the other was a very small one where my character landed a jump and the animation got stuck in the land position for a very brief second and then continued as normal. In terms of performance, I was playing on a fairly modest PC by today's standards, and playing at 1440p I was able to consistently hit above 90 frames per second and it was a very smooth experience. I know that some have expressed their distaste for the controls system, but I personally found the controls absolutely fine. But I do know however that the dev is on the case and listening to the feedback and they have recently put out a patch to remedy this control system complaint. As I say though in general other than the two very small bugs throughout my full playtime the game ran absolutely beautifully and was pure eye candy every step of the way. The Last Case of Benedict Fox was a game that from the moment I saw it on the Xbox showcase last year, I knew it was right up my street and had the potential to be something special. It really is amazing to see the growth of the Metroidvania genre in recent years, with games like this one taking a beloved genre and pushing the boundaries of creativity, resulting in some truly unique and innovative experiences. As a Metroidvania, Benedict Fox nails that feeling of satisfaction from opening up its vast and expansive map progressively throughout the game and the desire to explore its beautiful yet dark world. If you like the idea of a 2.5D metroidvania adventure, which incorporates some fascinating influences such as Lovecraft and the Occult, a truly stunning visual design and a super interesting narrative, then I highly recommend you check out The Last Case of Benedict Fox as this is a game you won't want to miss. you