The Siege and the Sandfox Review – A Ghost in the Labyrinth

The Siege and the Sandfox Review

Metroidvanias thrive when thoughtful design turns exploration into a rewarding, layered journey. The genre’s structure naturally lends itself to rewarding exploration, where every discovered item opens up new paths. Each title brings its own flavor, layering distinct mechanics over familiar foundations. The Siege and the Sandfox follows this tradition, adding stealth and parkour elements to craft a unique experience. These additions help set it apart but can the game truly unify its ideas into a fluid, engaging experience?

You play as The Sandfox, a renowned protector of the city and servant to the crown. After witnessing the Queen commit regicide, she stabs you with a glass dagger, leaving you for dead at the bottom of Traitor’s Fall. Blamed for the death of the king, you must now escape the labyrinth below and return to the city to tell the tale of the Queen’s betrayal. Each step of your journey is narrated, which adds a storybook aura to the game. While the narrative is conventional, its delivery is unique, which aids investment in the overarching arcing plot and the many smaller tales you encounter in order to reach your objective.

I’ll Find a Way

Exploration is at the heart of The Siege and the Sandfox. With only a marker on your map, you must navigate the stunning architecture in order to advance. As there is no real guidance, the world itself becomes a puzzle. You will encounter numerous areas that stop your momentum, requiring you to seek out different avenues and pathways to complete your mission. This leads to a truly enthralling adventure where you organically discover regions and retrace your steps to progress.

Upon your journey, you’ll discover new items that aid your traversal. From wall running to climbing across cabling, you will gain an array of tools to help you climb and navigate through the maze-like environment. The level design supports this ethos with sections that require you to slide through gaps, scurry up pillars and much more to proceed onto the next area.

Stealth is essential; rather than confronting guards head-on, you’re encouraged to wait patiently for patrols to pass before slipping by unnoticed. To aid your escape, you can hide in boxes, extinguish lights to create distractions, or eliminate threats with a swift stab from the shadows. Light plays a crucial role, encouraging a deliberate, methodical approach. You can peek through doors to scout ahead and stick to the shadows to remain unseen. Your character’s appearance subtly changes in darkness, offering a smart, unobtrusive visual cue that conveys visibility without cluttering the UI.

Watch Your Step

With parkour and stealth being key components, your movement must be purposeful. Taking inspiration from classics of the genre, the weight of jumps is solid, allowing you to traverse the environment with confidence. As there are switches on the wall and weight-pressured points on the floor, you have to be calculated with your positioning. Whether you’re sliding down walls before leaping to safety or scaling a building, the game implements each element well to deliver a thrilling experience.

Cardboard Sword has crafted a visually striking world that invites exploration and rewards curiosity. Each biome feels distinct, not just in layout but in atmosphere, with unique enemies and clear visual themes that reinforce their identity. Paired with fluid animation and a compelling score, the game’s presentation elevates the entire experience.

Despite its many strengths, a number of bugs hold the game back and disrupt the experience. Guards sometimes enter an alert state when they suspect you, but they occasionally get stuck, forcing you to reveal yourself to reset their behavior. Other issues arise too, like broken character interactions that require exiting and re-entering the area to resolve. While none of these are game-breaking bugs, they’re frequent enough to frustrate and diminish the immersion.

The Siege and the Sandfox takes a refreshing approach to the Metroidvania formula. With its focus on parkour and stealth, each trip to the array of distinct biomes is a thrill. The core mechanics drive the level design, creating strong segments that challenge your skills. Unfortunately, small but frequent bugs do affect the experience and halt the game from reaching its true potential. Even so, its inventive design and atmosphere make it a memorable entry in the genre.

***A Steam code provided by the publisher***