Precision Platforming Meets the Acceptance of Death
BEFORE I GO describes itself as an allegorical journey where the player controls a being that represents the innocence of a child on towards the acceptance of death. The world itself is surreal, while the gameplay consists of heavy platforming with metroidvania style progression and combat.
You control an alien looking being that has awoken in this strange world at the call of a mysterious sprite which beckons for you to follow them. As you do, you encounter other denizens of the world, as well as purify the corruption that has taken hold of greater beings in the world.
A Narrative Lost in Limbo
BEFORE I GO fits into an odd space regarding how to rate it. The platforming is precise and responsive, which is the most important aspect of a metroidvania platformer. But there are also several lackluster components. Chief among them would be the story and the boss fights.
There isn’t much in-game that expands on the story. There are several characters throughout the world that will comment on the corruption that is taking over the world, as well as remark on the journey your character has embarked on. Unfortunately, the dialogue is awkward and there isn’t enough exposition to expand on the tale that is trying to be told. The environment is unique, but there isn’t much in the way of ambient storytelling and there aren’t any notes or other bits of lore to expand on things.
Boss Encounters and Combat Mechanics
There are several boss fights, and each one does have a unique name that feels like it’s supposed to be relevant, but they are mostly just monstrous blobs that block progression. There’s no emotion when fighting them, and the gameplay aspects are also lacking. The first couple of fights can be done without much movement, spamming the attack button and jumping on occasion. Later boss fights can be brute forced through just because of the amount of health you can unlock throughout the game.
But these criticisms only focus on a relatively small amount of the gameplay. The lackluster story is disappointing but the most famous platformer in the world, Mario, didn’t really scream narrative masterpiece with its first entries. We’ve been spoiled with games like Hollow Knight and Ori, which manage to combine masterful storytelling with incredible gameplay.
Fulfilling Platforming
BEFORE I GO isn’t perfect in terms of gameplay. Some of the laser dodging sections spaced throughout the game feel a bit tedious, just to name one example. But the controls feel good. Progression is consistent, there are plenty of pickups and upgrades to grab as you explore the world, and the abilities that expand on movement are satisfying to acquire.
The world is expansive. The map is visually cohesive, with all the areas fitting into the same aesthetic, but there is enough variety to help separate the areas and give them their own identity.
Further, there are two main types of checkpoints throughout the map to unlock. One is just a standard checkpoint that allows you to purchase temporary buffs to make progressing easier, and another that can give you permanent unlocks and functions as the game’s fast travel.
There are also temporary checkpoints that can be activated using a dark crystal currency that can be collected throughout the world. These temporary checkpoints stay active until you reach the next permanent checkpoint, and are typically placed in the middle of longer platforming segments.
The checkpointing isn’t the most generous, with some sections stretching on for just a bit longer than you’d expect, but it never reaches the point of being absurdly difficult. And for the most part, BEFORE I GO does a good job balancing difficulty with gameplay. It never reaches the difficulty spikes of games like Hollow Knight, but it provides a solid challenge that most gamers can enjoy.
Straightforward Combat and Cooldown-Free Attacks
Combat is fairly straightforward, with several combat based abilities unlocked as you progress. One of the first is a stasis ability that slows enemies and projectiles, which is needed to deal with a select few enemies that block progression, but remains optional in most other scenarios. This is the case for most of the combat abilities, they can be important for bypassing certain enemies, but they don’t need to be used.
The basic attack is unique compared to most metroidvanias, in that there is no internal cooldown between attacks. It fires as fast as you can mash the button, which gives it a surprising amount of strength in the majority of combat encounters.
Exploration and Map Navigation
Which brings me back to my previous statement of BEFORE I GO fitting into an odd space regarding its rating. If story is incredibly important to you, then BEFORE I GO is going to be a weak addition to your gaming library. I can appreciate what the developer was trying to do, but the emotional beats and dialogue miss more than they hit. The gameplay however is solid, and while the boss fights are disappointing, that’s not enough to discount the game’s strengths.
Most players can expect the first playthrough of the game to take around 4-7 hours, depending on how good they are at picking out the correct path. The in-game map is invaluable when it comes to narrowing down remaining options, although there are several optional areas that feature collectibles instead of anything related to the story progression. If you aren’t the best at picking out the right pathway, then the limited number of fast travel points start to become more frustrating. But as the game progresses the traversal abilities make backtracking much easier.
A Gameplay-First Metroidvania Experience
Ultimately, BEFORE I GO is an enjoyable metroidvania, where gameplay is king. The story could use some additional flushing out and the dialogue comes across as awkward at times, but the game stands strong despite its flaws. It’s certainly worth checking out if you want to get sucked into a world for a few hours.
Important Links
BEFORE I GO Arrives On PC And Console – A Thoughtful Metroidvania – https://www.thexboxhub.com/before-i-go-arrives-on-pc-and-console-a-thoughtful-metroidvania/
Buy from the Xbox Store – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/before-i-go/9p9t961h59d1
