Maple Forest is the newest addition to the trend of games that let you play as a heroic fox, and while it's not released yet it's had a very positive reception already. After being shared to Kickstarter on September 30, Maple Forest reached its funding goal of $36,000 in seven hours and has continued to raise an additional $26,000 in the meantime. I can see why: The game looks utterly adorable and everyone loves a fox protagonist after the success of Tunic. Plus, with a plushie of the cutesy protagonist up for grabs, no one in their right mind would miss out on that opportunity.
The action RPG drops you on an island, Maple Island to be specific, that has begun to sink for unknown reasons. As you can probably tell, it's your responsibility to uncover why. Why as a fox we don't know, but I imagine it's one of several quirks Maple Forest is planning on offering us. The elder of the island shares that the spirit atop the mountain is the only one who can help, but you'll need to navigate the treacherous trek through a shrine that has been sealed for years. It's the perfect formula for an action RPG, albeit a bit basic in terms of storyline.
But what makes Maple Forest impressive, especially in an already-oversaturated market of action RPGs, is the fact it has been entirely created by a single person. As shared on the Kickstarter page, the team consists of a single developer, James Bergeron, who has created every aspect, including the music, from nothing. In the Kickstarter description, Bergeron states that this means «every single pixel, note, and bit of Maple Forest is 100% me» which is a prime display of the amount of passion and effort that has gone into creating the game.
Even though the project was entirely funded in seven hours, numerous stretch goals are still available to reach. These directly impact the content of the game, such as upgrades to the Fox's house and unlocking the old hero's bestiary. One of the most significant stretch goals is the ability to
Read more on pcgamer.com