Trifox Switch Review – When a Unifox is Not Enough

Trifox is a colourful and cartoonish action-adventure featuring a phenomenal fox with many talents. You can choose from a trio of classes, hence the title, or mix-and-match abilities to create your own tailor-made hero. Inspired by the golden age of 3D platformers, Trifox is one to keep an eye on.

So is this ambitious indie title worth your time and money? Or should this fox settle down and master one skill that will benefit them for the rest of their life? Let’s find out!

After Trifox’s home is attacked and his TV remote is stolen, he sets out in pursuit of the mysterious looters in this often time silly adventure. Once the introductions and tutorials are completed, we are brought to a nice little hub where Trifox can purchase upgrades, chill, and plan for what is ahead.

The story is a fun one, and the main villains are solid ones that keep you on your toes throughout. There is not a whole lot depth to the story, but some times that is exactly what you need in a 3D action platformer. Trifox is likeable, and the main villains and their evil cohorts are appropriately annoying and despicable.

What we are left with is basically a fox that had everything going well, and it was all stripped from him. This is a wild revenge tour, but it differs from others in its genre by giving Trifox a trio of different settings and abilities to assist him along the way. This is definitely fun and unique, so let me tell you why.

The gameplay in Trifox is similar to other 3D platformers like Banjo Kazooie, in which the action and platforming take place on a 3D plane and upgrades and abilities are purchased via the coins and the items you pick up during the stages. Trifox is split up into three main worlds where there are a handful of stages each, concluding with a big boss battle. Even normal stages have mini-bosses that pack a bunch and provide their own unique challenge, and this makes for a wild experience all the way through.

Also similar to other titles in the genre, Trifox‘s biggest problem is depth. Since some of the jumps require you to go from small platform to small platform, landing precisely can be difficult, especially considering the depth perception issues that normally come with these types of games. Thankfully, Trifox does not punish you too much for falling, as you only lose a little health, but if you are having lots of trouble in sections like this, you may find yourself getting frustrated and wanting to quit.

On a more positive note, the action is super-fun! Trifox is able to select one of three types of classes (Warrior, Mage, or Engineer), and each of them have their own unique abilities and perks. In the hub, too, each class can be upgraded with new abilities that can be equipped to various buttons freely, giving you a lot of customization in how you want to play. The three classes are also great and provide enough variety to mix things up on separate playthroughs. This is such a cool idea to add to a game to increase its playability, and I’m sure 3D platforming fans will love this mechanic a lot.

The boss fights are fun, but they can feel chaotic, especially with the addition of a bunch of little baddies adding to the situation. However, there is always a rhythm to the madness, and depending on which class you choose, timing your attacks and special abilities well while keep the enemies and boss at bay is key. Thankfully, the checkpoint system for the entire game is excellent, and this is especially helpful during boss fights that have multiple stages.

In regards to graphics, Trifox looks pretty good. The environments are well designed, but it is the variety of enemies that keep things fresh. Your main character and their design across all three classes looks amazing, but I will say that the lack of description for unlocks is a little annoying. Since those upgrades cost a decent amount of coins, purchasing one and not fully understanding what you are getting is frustrating. The UI is lovely and keeps the screen relatively clean, as not to confuse anyone or cause any distraction, so that is nice.

When it comes to the sound department, though, things are rather bland. There is no voice acting, but the grunts and shouts from the enemies and bosses are rather entertaining. The music is pretty generic, but it works well with the theme of the game and serves its purpose. Some sound effects could have been a bit more involved and authentic sounding, but I guess that is just nitpicking.

Overall, Trifox is a solid 3D action platformer, especially for the beyond reasonable price. You basically get a 4-6 hour campaign that can be mixed up quite a bit thanks to the three different classes that can be chosen from and changed at any time. This customizable experience is one-of-a-kind in the genre, and although it is not as refined as others in the 3D action platformer realm, Trifox stands on its own as a fun and challenging title.

It does have its unfortunate moments, like not completely informing you on certain things, particular upgrades and what they can offer before you purchase them, and the lack of depth in the story does kind of pull you away from wanting to play again, despite the three classes to try out.

However, at the end of the day, Trifox does so many things well and entertains fantastically for an indie 3D action platformer. There are a ton of highly respected titles in this genre, and I think what Glowfish Interactive put together here is a great option for fans looking for a smaller experience than normal. This is an easy recommend for 3D platforming enthusiasts, and I think it is also quite accessible thanks to its wonderful checkpoint system, which makes this fox a whole lot more than meets the eyes.

Trifox Switch Review provided by Nintendo Link
Publisher: Big Sugar
Developer: Glowfish Interactive
Release Date: October 13th, 2022
Price: $19.99, £17.99, €19,99
Game Size: 4.8 GB