The Last Case of Benedict Fox: Definitive Edition review – In Limbo no more

Last May, we gave you our first impressions of the Lovecraftian Metroidvania The Last Case of Benedict Fox on Xbox Series X. This is a detective thriller with a ton of platforming and puzzles that challenges the player to think outside the box while trying to solve multiple murder mysteries. In Adam’s review, he talked about “a story that kept [him] going” and how accessible the game feels to players of all skill levels. Recently, the game made its way over to the PlayStation 5 in its Definitive Edition, and I spent a good amount of time diving in, doing a nearly completionist run. It’s safe to say, this game is a winner in my books!

The first thing that caught my attention was how stunning the game looks. The level of detail and the aesthetic are incredible. Each area you explore is so distinct and unique, and I had a ton of fun searching every nook and cranny. Especially fun were the areas of darkness where your only aid is a small flashlight, but when the batteries run out, you better be close to the exit.

There’s only one area that I felt was a little underutilized was the giant rotating gear, which had so much potential to make exploration of that part of the map even more interesting, but turned out to be kind of lackluster. Still, I always felt the incentive to fully explore each area to find items that contributed to the lore as well as the many intriguing puzzles, like the Wheel Locks and the Device puzzles. I’d often find myself going on tangents that took me away from my main objective for a solid hour.

As someone who usually struggles with platformers, particularly Metroidvanias, Benedict Fox was addicting. Sure, some of the boss fights and a couple of the puzzles were maddening, but before I knew it, it was 3am on a Wednesday night. I was absolutely hooked from the beginning to the end. It was a little bittersweet when I finally reached the end, but I was so satisfied with the entire experience.

Several gameplay-important items were moved out onto the main path instead of being in super hidden places. This isn’t to say that they’ve basically made it a hand-out, however. You still have to keep up with skill unlocks, solve puzzles, and explore. Combat and traversal were also overhauled to improve the player experience. Combat flows much better and is more responsive. With that, character animations and overall movement have been polished as well.

New combat arenas were added that feature fun challenges for players. In the arenas, players fight demons and other foes, allowing them to practice with new skills. There are also new quests and puzzles and new story content that takes a deeper look into Benedict’s past and his life with his demon companion.

The developers also took the time to address feedback and concerns about bugs and any other issues that may have been encountered in the original release. Other than some mysterious framerate drops later in the game, I experienced no issues with performance, bugs, or anything else. The only thing I got stuck on was my own ineptitude when trying to solve a puzzle (just pay attention to detail).

All of these updates have also been pushed out to PC and Xbox completely free.

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