There is beauty in simplicity. Many have fond memories of booting up a school computer’s web browser and playing Flash games as a child. These games may not have contained cutting-edge visuals or the deepest mechanics, but they provided easily accessible short bursts of joy. FoxHaunt is a game that brings me back to those times.
Visually, it presents little more than the bare minimum required to understand what’s happening on-screen. Narratively, it provides a single incentive to complete the game. Gameplay-wise, the mechanics can be learned within minutes of playing. Despite all that, FoxHaunt is an undeniably charming distraction.
The Forgotten Fox
Players take on the role of the Forgotten Fox. As one might guess, the goal of the game is to become a lot less forgotten. The path to achieve this is by defeating various other foxes in turn-based battles, eventually taking on the Celestial Fox.
FoxHaunt can easily be completed in a single sitting. It took me a little more than an hour to beat the game’s final boss. That’s not to say the short time I spent with it wasn’t worthwhile, however. As long as expectations of it are kept in check, it’s a great way to spend a free hour.
While it takes the form of an RPG, memory and choices make up the core gameplay loop. However, once a choice has been made, its consequences are visible upon repeat playthroughs, so players won’t have to remember too much. Similar to this year’s Magical Princess, the player’s choices will have the largest impact on how the Forgotten Fox’s build progresses.
It may be difficult to first predict what the decisions result in, but it will eventually be easy to find a desirable path. When the player at least makes most of the right choices throughout a single playthrough, the game can easily be completed.
If at First You Don’t Succeed, Try, Try Again
Players will likely lose their first combat encounter. That’s because the game doesn’t outright tell the player which planet to visit first. As such, the first fox encountered will probably be significantly stronger than the player character.
While that may sound a little stressful at first, it isn’t in practice. FoxHaunt is a game to chip away at bit by bit. It won’t take long for players to find a fox of equivalent strength, and from that point, FoxHaunt begins to open up.
Every little optimization the player makes to each subsequent run can lead to significant progress through the game. Considering how short the overall experience is, there is very little frustration in starting over from the beginning. If the game were any longer, it would be considerably more difficult not to make the experience irritating.
Think of FoxHaunt as a time loop game. In many time loop stories, the protagonist must fail again and again to discover the correct steps to escape the loop. This is a game that emulates that experience, and it does it far better than Loop8, for example.
The Simple Comat of FoxHaunt
The turn-based battles of FoxHaunt require little thought or strategizing. Victory is largely decided outside of battle by the player’s decisions. With that considered, combat encounters act more as a skill check rather than a test of the player’s abilities.
It’s likely most players will quickly catch on to how the game’s stats and combat mechanics work. Attacks are divided into physical and spiritual damage. To succeed in combat, players will want to prioritize one of these attributes above the other.
Prioritizing a single type of damage makes most combat encounters a breeze. It’s a combat system that can easily be exploited, but that’s likely the point. There’s a satisfaction in figuring out how to dominate opponents every single time.
Unfortunately, there is no room for distinct playstyles here. Regardless of physical or spiritual damage, the game is going to feel the same. Once the game has been beaten, there is little reason to revisit it. However, as long as one isn’t expecting anywhere near the depth of Shin Megami Tensei‘s turn-based combat, the system serves its purpose.
FoxHaunt is a Cute, Inexpensive Way to Pass the Time
FoxHaunt certainly isn’t going to blow anyone away with its incredibly simplistic nature, but it accomplishes what it sets out to do well. It’s cleverly designed and doesn’t overstay its welcome. This is an impressive first effort from game developer enciorcal.
At the game’s low asking price, it’s hard to complain. For those who want a relaxing way to kill an hour, there are many worse options than FoxHaunt. It’s not going to blow anyone away with its gameplay, art, or narrative, but it’s competent enough in its delivery to make an impression.
I can’t see myself playing it again, but I don’t regret my time with FoxHaunt. It’s an easy-going experience that has made me desire more games in a similar vein.
FoxHaunt is currently available on PC via Steam.
Disclaimer: enciorcal provided Final Weapon with a copy of FoxHaunt for review purposes.
