izigame.me

Everyone Knows: Sandfoxes hide in Boxes.
The Siege and the Sandfox has seamlessly added stealth to the Metroidvania genre. Truly following the stealth motto of "the best way to win a fight is to avoid it all together". Watching the blissfully unaware guards stroll past your hiding spot as you return to an area you've already been to with a new power up is what the last Metroidvania game I played was missing.
The atmosphere of the game is superb. The various areas of Traitor's Fall feel fleshed out and distinct, all while keeping with the Arabian Nights aesthetic. The sound design and music add so much to the experience. Even just walking through an empty hall feels good. The light crackling of the torches, your soft footsteps, the tiny drops of leaking water, the scurrying of rats, it all draws you in to the experience. Not to mention the soothing narration of Amelia Tyler, of Baldur's Gate III fame.
Any lover of the Metroidvania genre will find the familiar features they love, but the stealth mechanics is where the game truly shines. There's a weight to the subtle movements al'Fenak as he traverses various obstacles and performs feats of parkour. There's a smoothness to the movement that turns the various puzzles and obstacles of the terrain into satisfying peaks to climb instead of the accidental drudgery so common in the Metroidvania genre.
Only 4 hours in and I'm itching for more. The looming challenge of the "remain undetected" achievement already whispers to me. Highly recommended, 10/10 atmosphere, 9/10 gameplay, well done Cardboard Sword.