Análisis de The Last Case of Benedict Fox

2023-05-25 12:00:00

Análisis de The Last Case of Benedict Fox para Xbox Series X.

H.P. Lovecraft He is one of the most famous authors of the horror genre. This American writer has created horror and science fiction novels and stories that have served as inspiration in the world of cinema and video games. Sea beings or cosmic entities such as the unpronounceable Cthulhu and dream stories are some of the themes that have already earned the adjective of “lovecraftiano”. The Last Case of Benedict Fox is one of those games deserving of this label.

The independent title of Polish study Plot Twist It has been attracting attention since its announcement for its setting and its touch of mystery thriller. An adventure in which we will accompany the detective Benedict Fox through a dark world of creatures from other dimensions, tentacles and alchemy. If you are prepared to face the inexplicable we can start with the analysis.

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Family secrets

At the end of the First World Wara sect known as the first circle he dedicated himself to carrying out grotesque experiments to investigate, explore and control the vacuum. But there are unknown forces that cannot be dominated. To avoid the collapse and destruction of reality itself, the Ordo Wrath Deian order created to keep the dark plans of the First Circle at bay.

After this prologue, we will put ourselves in the shoes of the famous detective Benedict Fox in his last case. The tragic news that our father has died will take us back to our old home. A huge mansion wrapped in mysteries, crimes, rituals and all kinds of secrets that will shed light to discover the dark truth that Benedict’s family hides.

I descend to limbo

The history of The Last Case of Benedict Fox is fragmented. Which means that all corners will have to be explored well in order to progress in the plot. This is where the game takes advantage of the mechanics of metroidvania.

Thanks to an inner demon accompanying him, Benedict can delve into the minds of the deceased and travel to limbo. This sinister world hides the most terrifying nightmares of the subconscious and will be the place that will have to be explored in depth to find clues or objects that will help us overcome certain puzzles and advance the case. To defend ourselves, we will have a dagger for melee attacks and with a flare gun for ranged attacks. Both can be improved if we find the right character to carry out this task.

the power of ink

By finishing off the enemies we will get ink. This material will serve to improve our companion-parasite-interdimensional demon. thanks to some tattoos that will make us a certain character that we will unlock advancing in the plot, we can give him new powers or moves that will help us, mainly, to reach new areas of the maps.

If they kill us and we have not secured it in some teleportation portals that will appear in some places of the level, the ink will disappear. Therefore, the enemy that has finished us will become stronger and we will have to defeat him again to get it back.

Puzzles that make you lose your sanity

Another very important element in The Last Case of Benedict Fox are the puzzles. As we mentioned before, to advance in the plot of the game and reach new areas of the maps it will be necessary to solve certain puzzles. These riddles are mainly based on the use of the Arcane Transcriber. This compass-shaped object encodes figures that, thanks to our father’s diary, we will be able to translate to insert them into puzzles or to help us decipher combinations.

I’m not going to lie to you, the design of the puzzles seemed very creative to me. But the need to depend on additional elements to solve some of them waves null clues that the game gives us make them very tedious and confusing.

A dream world full of lights and shadows

One of the most striking things about the work of Plot Twist is his visual section. The three zones in which the game takes place are full of details and play very well with lighting. The stage design is beautiful and careful, with many elements that have reminded me of the footage of Guillermo del Toro. In addition, the limbo of each character is very well differentiated and outlined according to his past experiences.

As for the characters, their style resembles that of the movies of Tim Burton. Slim figures with languid faces that make a very good combination with the aura of darkness and melancholy that accompanies the title.

Unfortunately, there are moments where all this is somewhat clouded by some problem in the animations. Problems that also exist in the subtitles. The game is perfectly dubbed in English and translated into Spanish correctly. But there are occasions where the subtitles they are not well synchronized. However, these failures are quite specific and could be fixed with an update.

Regarding the soundtrack, it consists of jazz themes and 1920s style songs. If you like it, you can buy it through the Steam page of the game.

Definitely

The Last Case of Benedict Fox is a good game, but it could have been so much better. The level exploration system brings out its essence of metroidvania, encouraging us to do bactracking when we get new abilities for Benedict that will help us find important objects. The problem is that this freedom is hindered by rather confusing puzzles (especially at the beginning of the adventure) that will make us feel very lost hanging around the same area of ​​the map without knowing what to do. But if you have the patience and ingenuity to solve them, you will enjoy a good plot with crimes and mysteries from another dimension.

The Last Case of Benedict Fox

24,99 €

Pros

• Interesting history
• good exploration
• Very careful and attractive visual section
• Original puzzle design but…

Cons

• they are quite confusing and slow down the pace of the game
• combat is very simple
• Some skills are wasted
• Minor glitches in animations and subtitles