Developer: Devolver Digital
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Rrp: £9.99
Available on Steam and their own site
Foul Play is a cartoon style side scrolling brawler which is fun to play on your own as with a second player. Oozing with charm this title is filled whimsical humor, from the set being built around you as you play to the audience participation, and let us not forget the quips of the side character (or the second players character) Scampwick.
The unique mechanic of this game is, rather than having a traditional health bar, you have a audience mood meter which is affected by your performance on stage.
You can increase the audiences mood by performing combinations of attacks, completing challenges and trying not to be hit. If the audience becomes unhappy you’ll hear “boo’s” from the crowd and eventually you’ll be forced off stage.
But should you manage to build up a large enough combo the audience will chant your characters name… Unless your playing co-op in which case it might be your partners name.
The combat is easy to understand and is enjoyable. There’s enough of a mix of tactical thinking and timing to make it satisfying. New combinations unlock as you progress, making the learning process quite easy. Also the actual text for those moves is pretty damn funny.
There’s also a large amount of enemy variety from mummies to werewolves and the bosses are pretty tough to handle. Each new play, of which there are five, introduces a new enemy type that will have its own set of moves and strengths.
As was mentioned previously there are special side challenges that can be completed to greatly increase the audiences appreciation. If you complete all three side challenges in a act you will be rewarded with a charm which will have positive effects, such as adding extra combo bonuses for aerial attacks. Of course only two charms may be worn at any time.
I highly recommend getting this game, it’s a great little title, and although it can be completed in half a day it bears playing again. As I said at the beginning of this review the game oozes charm and that extends to the soundtrack
The five plays have a different musical score that definitely fits the setting. This is a game soundtrack I will be buying for myself as I enjoyed it greatly.
