Sifu took the world by storm in 2023. A martial arts title where failed fights could be redone with some knowledge of what to expect, it’s a rewarding exercise in persistence and ascendance. When “game over” isn’t the end, it becomes more of a “welcome back”. But what if you could play out a fight before it even happens? That’s the name of the game in Forestrike, a roguelite from Skeleton Crew Studio published by Devolver Digital. Centered around a unique gameplay mechanic, it’s not your average action game where you turn your brain off and button-mash. Can this titular ability truly turn the tides of your battles?

Having “The Foresight” at your disposal, you hearken from a long-abandoned schooling of martial arts in Forestrike. Your skill allows you to play out a fight from start to finish in your mind before the actual battle begins. This allowance of strategy lets you experiment with your fighting style and learn from your mistakes before the real deal takes place. With a wide breadth of enemy styles and moves you can utilize, you’ll want to use this resource just about every time to visualize your victory and ensure it when it truly matters.

This may make Forestrike sound like a turn-based strategy title, and in a sense, it is. However, planning is half the battle, as you’ll have to have the timing right to execute your skills to perfection. You aren’t just facing enemies that will charge at you willy-nilly; you’re going to have to dodge, block, make use of weapons to pick up/throw, and lean into your offense as much as you will defend yourself. Using enemies against each other is also highly advised, and you can weigh these decisions with The Foresight to plan and lock in to the timing of your movements accurately.

Once you feel like you’ve mastered one line of enemies, a boss will throw a wrench into your planning in an instant. Once you surpass them, though, you’ll be welcomed into a new fighting style that expands your arsenal and makes you rethink how to approach your new foes. It’s easy to lose a run, as you’re only given a few hits to balance the scales of your Foresight. Thankfully, with the roguelite nature, you can unlock new techniques and buffs that can give you an edge in specific circumstances during fights.

At $9.99, Forestrike is well-priced for the thinking-man’s action game. While it errs on the side of a puzzle-solver or a turn-based affair, it shines when you put your plan into place and everything falls into place just how you drew it up. Even though the rogue elements take something of a backseat, it’s fun to figure out where you’re doing something wrong and have an “aha!” moment as you switch up your strategy. Don’t expect a sweeping story to carry your playthrough, but expect to put your brain to work in a strategic, reflexive test of your gaming skills.

A PC review copy of Forestrike was provided by Devolver Digital for this review.

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Forestrike

$9.99

8

Score

8.0/10

Pros

• Intriguing Central Mechanic
• Success Really Feels Rewarding
• Great Price Point

Cons

• Difficulty Spikes
• Some Upgrades Not Strong Enough