Forma.8

 Switch
Forma.8 Image
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 6 Critics What's this?

User Score
7.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 14 Ratings

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  • Summary: forma.8 is MixedBag’s own take on the classic metroidvania formula, a project started over two years ago as a little gameplay concept centered on an experimental control system for touch devices that evolved in an adventure of epic scale.? It’s the kind of game that, as a two-person indieforma.8 is MixedBag’s own take on the classic metroidvania formula, a project started over two years ago as a little gameplay concept centered on an experimental control system for touch devices that evolved in an adventure of epic scale.? It’s the kind of game that, as a two-person indie developer, anyone tells you ‘hey, don’t start with something big like this!’... err... In a distant future, the small exploration probe forma.8 is stranded alone on the surface of an alien planet. He got parted away from his companions by an accidental event and has a life or death mission to accomplish: he needs to find and recover a powerful energy source deep under the surface before it’s too late. Ancient civilisations, great perils and dystopian visions awaits him, and not everything is as it seems...… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 6
  3. Negative: 0 out of 6
  1. Nintendo Life
    Aug 24, 2017
    90
    Forma.8 takes the foreboding and desolate landscape and gear-gating of obvious inspiration Metroid and adds its own unique spin to it. From the floaty and endearing orb you play as to the design and structure that makes players feel like they are finding new things organically, it takes a genre formula and makes it its own. If you’re looking for an adventure that is filled with inventive discovery, a sense of lonesomeness and a gorgeous world to behold, forma.8 is not to be missed.
  2. NintendoWorldReport
    Aug 24, 2017
    75
    All in all, forma.8 is a game that presents a lot of very fresh concepts that absolutely deserve to be explored further. My issues with its combat system didn’t become a real problem until late in the game, and even then it was generally relegated to short encounters that I’d have to retry a couple times. On the other hand exploration, while at times confusing, was never short on awe inspiring moments. Emerging from a challenging series of encounters in tight hallways and finding yourself in a huge room with five options of which door to go through next is what makes this type of game so fun, and forma.8 sure has a lot of those moments.
  3. Destructoid
    Aug 24, 2017
    75
    Forma.8 is hardly a flawless game, but it’s a damn fine addition to the Nintendo Switch’s library. The last third is almost perfectly executed and the finale genuinely surprised and left me craving more. It took a while to get there, but its closing moments left one hell of an impression.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. NF 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]
    All this publication's reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 5
  3. Negative: 1 out of 5
  1. riverkev95
    Aug 24, 2017
    10
    Un juego muy entretenido en cuanto a mecánicas y diseño de niveles.
    Una muy buena compra para el switch por su genial ambiente de acción    Un juego muy entretenido en cuanto a mecánicas y diseño de niveles.
    Una muy buena compra para el switch por su genial ambiente de acción plataformero 2D.    … Expand
  2. mmadnessgames
    Sep 5, 2017
    9
    Excellent "metroidvania" game. Great puzzles. Varied enemies. Superb level design. Beautiful minimalist art style. Appropriately mysteriousExcellent "metroidvania" game. Great puzzles. Varied enemies. Superb level design. Beautiful minimalist art style. Appropriately mysterious sound / music. It looks something like a mix between Eric Chahi''s classic game "Another World" and Pixar's "Wall-E".

    There is a sense of discovery and mystery throughout. The puzzles appear organically. There is no explanation of what you're supposed to do or how to use objects. There is no HUB. No symbols or words appear on the screen. Just you (a floating robotic orb) and the environment... While this may be frustrating for some people, personally I think it's a breath of fresh air.

    The world around you is alien and atmospheric. The game is immersive. Solving puzzles and defeating enemies is satisfying... The only thing I don't like about it is having to find "fake walls" that you float through for collectibles.

    The game isn't that long. I got about a third of the way through the game on day one. But, having said that, it doesn't outstay it's welcome like most modern games. Your character's slow movement speed makes it seem longer than it is. Occasionally - when traversing large areas - I wished I could move a bit faster, but the slow speed suits the atmosphere... and the game is seriously beautiful. So, I didn't mind too much.

    There is very little wrong with this game.
    If you like exploring maps and solving puzzles, download it.
    If you like "metroidvania" games, download it.
    Otherwise: download it anyway.

    Forma.8 is an excellent game and one of the best value titles available on Nintendo Switch.

    Highly recommended.    … Expand
  4. 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 gotForma.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
  5. 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    "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
  6. AllySky
    Oct 13, 2018
    1
    To me this game feels like I am trying to fight off an army of expert soldiers with a giant hammer, it's not so much as being underpowered butTo me this game feels like I am trying to fight off an army of expert soldiers with a giant hammer, it's not so much as being underpowered but being unable to respond effectively with the wonky and sloppy controls. With enemies that attack at speeds that requires you to react just as fast, the momentum of your character is already on a trajectory of "you done ****ed up". and it's repetitively annoying. The game looks nice at times but I couldn't recommend it.… Expand

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