Developer: Antab Studio
Publisher: Merge Games
ReleaseDate: 12th August 2021
Platforms: PS5 /PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch & Steam
Reviewed on: PlayStation 4
▫️ Code provided by the publisher ▫️
Foreclosed is a strange game. It has a lot of ideas that are executed with varying degrees of success. At its core, the game is a story-driven, third-person shooter with a cyberpunk backdrop. In this world, people are fitted with augmented implants at birth. This leads to questions over the autonomy of the people.
Protagonist Evan Kapnos starts the game on the verge of having his implants revoked. But what seems like a regular occurrence in this world quickly escalates into a story of corporate espionage. Plot points and even the odd gameplay section play out in the style of comic book strips. It is a really unique method of storytelling and ends up being one of the games strongest aspects.
Unfortunately, gunplay is the weakest part of Foreclosed. Gunfights are often frustrating, with the enemy AI often able to wipe you out from all angles while you are left fiddling with wonky aiming that doesn’t seem to improve, even when altering the sensitivity in the settings. There is no dedicated cover to hide behind, but a good trick is to position yourself at the side of a doorway or obstacle whenever possible and switch your stance between left and right to get an angle where you can pick off enemies without leaving yourself vulnerable.
VITALS
Platinum difficulty: 3/10
Platinum timescale: 4-5 hours
Price at launch: £17,99
Various augments are able to be unlocked throughout the games three-hour runtime which does help, but they overheat far too quickly for it to make the kind of impact you would like. No difficulty settings mean the platinum trophy is attainable should you manage to adjust to the sub-par aiming, just be mindful that you need to find all the hidden signals in one run.
-Jock 🌪️