It may not have a drill, but this sure is a boring robot

A Metroidvania-style game doesn't need to be action-packed to be good; a chill, ponderous exploration game could do just fine. Unfortunately, Forma.8 doesn't pull it off.

For one thing, the controls are awkward and frustrating -- your little flying robot is surprisingly heavy, and has a lot of momentum to correct when you want to slow down or make a sharp turn. It's more than just a design quirk to get accustomed to; it feels like it gets in the way of going where you want to go, especially when trying to target or evade enemies.

But the bigger problem with Forma.8 is that it's incredibly dull. An effective game in this vein would drop frequent hints about its backstory, in the designs of its environments or puzzles or enemies; here, the hints are way too infrequent, and so subtle that I'm not sure they're hints at all. The world feels bland and nothing in it seems meaningful. (And the combat is too simplistic to be compelling on its own.)

The framework of the game would be perfect for ambient storytelling, but it doesn't seem to care to tell a story. Forma.8 is too chill; I got bored and walked away.

Better than: Cubots: The Origins
Not as good as: Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet, Unmechanical
Reminds me a bit of: Luminesca, but even that unfinished proto-game was more interesting and less frustrating.

Progress: 19.6%