It took me a long time to become even half decent at Forestrike. Action martial arts game, from Was developer Skeleton Crewhas a unique feature: it allows you to see what will happen in most battles and then work out your strategy accordingly. This turns combat into a puzzle game of sorts, but it still requires quick reflexes and precise decision-making to succeed. And it has successfully turned me into a solid fighter – at least in the realm of pixelated video games.
You play as a martial arts student named Yu who, despite being relatively green, is tasked with ridding his homeland of an evil empire. To do this, you basically travel around the area beating up bad guys. Forestrike has a roguelite structure, which means that every time you play, the levels and scenarios will change a little, and you'll also lose a lot. But that failure is also part and parcel of the premise: this is a game about constant learning. Along the way, you'll be accompanied by various martial artists who will teach you new techniques to help you on your quest.
Central to all of this is an ability known as precognition. Essentially, it allows you to preview the battle before engaging in the actual battle. It's like a training run; you can see how events will develop and work out your strategy in advance. Fights in Forestrike fast, usually lasting only a few seconds, but like a great martial arts film, they involve a carefully planned series of movements. Foresight allows you to determine exactly how you want to act before you actually find yourself in danger.
This doesn't mean that Forestrike it's easy. In the beginning, I was regularly kicked in the ass. Even if you know exactly when to dodge, or pick up a weapon, or deliver a slow but powerful strike, it will still be difficult to do it when necessary, no matter how much you practice. The game also constantly throws various challenges at you; sometimes you can only use foresight a limited number of times per fight, and sometimes not at all.
Foresight is not a crutch to make the game less challenging, but rather a tool for honing your skills. It's like taking a few shots to warm up before a real basketball game. These issues help keep the game fresh, even though many of the battles can be very similar. The same goes for its structure, which allows you to regularly unlock new skills for each run and eventually meet new martial artists, each of whom will teach you new techniques, giving you even more options.
Eventually, things started to work out. And when you eventually manage to flawlessly navigate through a large group of enemies, it seems incredibleit's like you're really in a classic action movie and you're pulling the strings. But those few seconds of perfection require a ton of practice.
Forestrike is available now on Steam and will be coming “soon” to Nintendo Switch.
