forma.8

 Switch
User Score
7.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 20 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 20
  3. Negative: 3 out of 20

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  1. Klev_
    Sep 28, 2017
    5
    "I don't know. I simply don't know how the critics can be such positive about this game."
    This what I was thinking at first. But after a while I understood.
    To begin, this is absolutely _not_ a bad game. There is a lot of qualities that other reviewers pointed out. But for me, as a huge fan of 2D Metroid games who buy this because it is sold as a "metroidvania" and after reading all    "I don't know. I simply don't know how the critics can be such positive about this game."
    This what I was thinking at first. But after a while I understood.

    To begin, this is absolutely _not_ a bad game. There is a lot of qualities that other reviewers pointed out. But for me, as a huge fan of 2D Metroid games who buy this because it is sold as a "metroidvania" and after reading all the reviews here, there is some drastic problems I must emphasize.

    There is the two solids points of my frustration:
    This game it's not so difficult if you remove the delay of the inputs. Sometimes you have to retry things because of one collision and this is awful for me. Maybe it's fine for some people but personally I hate this. Why ? Because the maneuverability of the cute little robot of this game is hell compared to Samus perfect controls. At first I find the delays cute realistic and appropriate with the artistic design, but as time passed… it begin to be frustrating for me.

    Thus, this game gives me an impression of boringness just because of the slowness of this robot. Some of the others reviewers see there a quality because it fits the artistic design. This is not my case.

    This game have some positive aspects, such as a capacity to create exploration enjoyment in me like Metroid games. But the two points I've said before kill this euphoria for me.

    Anyway. I leave this review for advertising people like me. In this game you can find some beautiful things. But be warned. This is not the Samus you're looking for.
    This game is not that bad and deserve good critics too. I respect other people thoughts, and the developer(s) made a huge amount of work for this piece of art. But I want people like me to be warned and see that there is some possibility of being non satisfied by this game despite his qualities.    … Expand
  2. nusco
    Apr 22, 2018
    7
    Forma.8 surprised me in many ways. I expected laid-back exploration, I got plenty of action. I expected a short weekend diversion, I got enough game to get tired of. I expected an unassuming budget game, I got one of the most memorable metroidvanias I ever played.

    The name is appropriate, as what really sticks with you after playing Forma.8 is the elegant, minimalistic atmosphere. This    Forma.8 surprised me in many ways. I expected laid-back exploration, I got plenty of action. I expected a short weekend diversion, I got enough game to get tired of. I expected an unassuming budget game, I got one of the most memorable metroidvanias I ever played.

    The name is appropriate, as what really sticks with you after playing Forma.8 is the elegant, minimalistic atmosphere. This game never hurries–it unrolls slowly across vast landscapes and twisty corridors. The environments are beautiful, rendered in expertly crafted palettes of colors, different for every environment. The music manages to slow down the tempo even more. There is plenty of combat, but Forma.8 works like an optical illusion: what counts is not the combat, but the pauses in between. Few games ever gave me this sense of mystery and loneliness.

    The feeling of mystery continues with the puzzles and explorations. Forma.8 never tells you what to do or where to go. You find artifacts, and it's up to you to understand what to make of them. The game just tells you which key to push, and then you experiment. Everything is whispered and hinted at, never spoken directly.

    This lack of communication is the game's beauty and also, sometimes, its shortcoming. I suffered though a few misunderstanding that made my playing time unnecessarily long. (People say that this is a short game, but it was quite long to me.) I visited the same locations tens of times, and went through a few very frustrating action sequences, sometimes resentful of the game for not giving me a clue–anything–that I was doing the right thing.

    After finishing the game once, I almost managed to complete 100% of it. I only lacked two items, which were necessary to get a perfect ending. When I gave up and turned to YouTube, I found that one of the puzzles I'd missed was extremely clever, and I could only blame myself for not thinking out of the box and grasping the solution. The other puzzle (the "black hole" in front of the fragile barrier)–the solution turned out to be something I'd tried, but the game hadn't bothered to give me enough feedback to let me know that I was on the right track. Damn you, Forma.8. I loved this game, but I didn't always like it.    … Expand
  3. Daisuk
    Oct 19, 2020
    6
    The atmosphere in this game is sublime - but sadly, it just moves way too slowly, the save points are way too often too far between, and the map is pretty much useless. There's a good game here, but QoL issues lets it down, sadly.

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 6 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 6
  3. Negative: 0 out of 6
  1. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Oct 30, 2017
    70
    If you're looking for a slow enigma of a game, forma.8 is worth it [Issue #30 – November/December 2017, p. 25]
  2. Cubed3
    Sep 12, 2017
    70
    It is very difficult to complain about such an affordable and aesthetically-rich package. For its price point, Forma.8 is a surprisingly long and thoughtful Metroidvania-style experience. While the overall balance is a little off, largely due to the lack of precision handling and awkward combat, this is more than made up for through the game's rich atmosphere, depth of progression, and the attention to detail paid to elements of gameplay and aesthetic contrast. The Nintendo Switch also seems an ideal home for this indie adventure, with no discernible issues with this version, granting it another opportunity to shine. While it hardly reinvents the genre, it's certainly worth adding to the library, considering the price, particularly for fans of Metroidvanias. In addition, with the tablet and mobile version suffering from touch screen controls, this version undoubtedly reigns supreme as the penultimate portable version, too.
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  3. Switch Player
    Sep 4, 2017
    74
    forma.8 is Mixed Bag Games’ take on the Metroidvania genre. It combines puzzling and combat with the awe-inspiring exploration of an atmospheric alien world. Not diminished by any of its slips, it’s a compelling adventure of a little charming probe.
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