Star Fox review: a thrifty reintroduction for Fox McCloud and his merry band

Star Fox for Nintendo Switch 2 has a rather odd provenance. It’s actually the fourth major reboot of the original Star Fox, following in the footsteps of Star Fox 64 (aka Lylat Wars), Star Fox 64 3D for Nintendo 3DS, and Star Fox Zero for the Nintendo Wii U.

It’s easy to see why Nintendo keeps rebooting this particular game. Between its strong and likeable cast, its sharp rail-shooter gameplay, and its multi-pathed plot, there’s a lot that appeals. On the other hand, it’s also easy to see why Star Fox fans may be frustrated with this particular release.

After years of introducing then reintroducing Fox McCloud, isn’t it finally time for him to stride forward and step into a brand new adventure? Though the foundations re-laid in this particular game pave the way for a brighter future, it does tread water for those familiar with any of its predecessors.

Star Fox’s main campaign is a twisting obstacle course

Star Fox begins with Fox McCloud and his fellows in the Star Fox team – Falco, Peppy, and Slippy – fighting for peace in the Lylat System, as the threat of the villainous Andross grows. As mercenaries, team Star Fox fights for their own glory but with a sense of right and wrong, this is tempered by a real desire to do good and make a difference.

This particular iteration of Star Fox leans far more into story, with new and well-designed cutscenes allowing individual characters their moment in the spotlight. The more detailed character models are very sleek, and Fox is particularly cute in this realistic style.

Nintendo’s games rarely lean so far into realism, and it’s nice to see the experiment here. Every little detail, from Falco’s ruffled feathers to Slippy’s slimy skin, make Star Fox feel more tangible, and much cooler – like you’re watching a dynamic puppet show of sorts.

Transitioning to space-bound battles, Star Fox maintains a real tightness in its gameplay design. The original games were praised for their movement systems, and Star Fox doesn’t betray that legacy.

As you rove across the stars, you’ll wield a variety of tight, sharp moves to deploy your guns, avoid damage, and take down all sorts of tricksy enemies. The Star Fox ship is well-weighted in these battles, allowing your Joy-Cons to feel more like the controls of a talented pilot.

There’s a rush and tumble as you flit between enemy spacecraft, firing at will, while also taking down impending threats and saving your crew mates from a terrible fate.

On harder modes, there’s a real need to get creative with your choices, because failing even one Quick-Time Event can lead to the grounding of your crew, with subsequent cutscenes reflecting your failure.

A multi-pathed story adds layers

Having the story winding through battles is a clever choice that bolsters the main campaign of Star Fox. If a comrade falls in battle, that’s a canon part of the plot. You’ll get a nifty cutscene that reveals exactly what happened, characters will change around you, and then you’ll barrel-roll towards the next obstacle, heavier by the weight of your decisions.

It also adds a needed replayability to Star Fox.

As a franchise newcomer, I was fairly surprised to note the main campaign of Star Fox isn’t all that meaty as standalone. A single playthrough can last between 1-2 hours, as a cinematic-style adventure that feels worthy of feature film adaptation (and given Fox’s appearance in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, that’s possible).

In your travels, you’ll visit an array of planets, all of which have some new style of shooter gameplay, or some new enemy to confront. You’ll make choices and complete objectives during your run, with these shaping exactly what happens next.

In another run, different choices will lead to a new branch in the storyline, and the opportunity to visit new planets.

To see everything Star Fox has to offer, you’ll need to replay the game multiple times, to see how your choices change the outcome, and to see whether you can keep your entire team together in each run.

Multiplayer modes expand the action

Beyond the replayability of the main campaign, what keeps Star Fox fresh is add-on challenge and multiplayer modes that provide additional gameplay options.

Challenge Mode remixes battles from the main campaign with a checklist of unique achievements to nab, from hitting a certain number of enemies, to pulling off trick moves, grabbing certain power-ups, and saving your comrades when they ask for help.

It adds layers, and also challenges you to test your skills in a more comfortable environment, refining your shooting and barrel-rolling as the campaign unravels.

Multiplayer mode is also a blast, with an array of maps to explore alongside your friends in co-op or competitive action. There’s three main modes to pick from, with each offering some new challenge – like collecting orbs, capturing the ‘flag,’ or holding your base for a certain amount of time.

The modes could benefit from more variety, but they’re great for a few hours of fun with friends.

The lasting impression of Star Fox

Blasting through all of these modes and the campaign mode multiple times, what was most striking to me about Star Fox is that it leaves you wanting.

It’s a good thing, and it’s a bad thing.

The good is that Star Fox is very moreish. Its cast of characters are made compelling in shiny cutscenes that reveal more about their personality and individual charm. I loved the dynamic between Fox and Falco in particular, and it seems intentionally designed to be like that of Maverick and Iceman in Top Gun. Slippy is also an absolute sweetheart and a delight, and I enjoyed his appearances every time.

But with the campaign done and dusted, I was left wanting more. I wanted to be more a part of the Star Fox crew. I wanted to see more of their adventures, and their impact on the wider galaxy.

While I understand this is a reintroduction to the Star Fox universe, it does feel like it could’ve been more. Treading in the footsteps of the original Star Fox means the game is limited by that game’s vision, and what could be accomplished in the Super Nintendo era.

It maintains a focus on replayability, rather than an expanded story, or more character-driven moments.

Personal tastes will, of course differ. There will be those who appreciate the nostalgia here, and the chance to play and replay favourite stages in shiny HD, with beautiful graphics all around.

But without that nostalgia, and without a love for replaying stages, I was left surprised by this game’s swiftness. It requires a passion and willingness to repeat stages, with a view for achievement-hunting and barrel-rolling endlessly through missions, which won’t be everyone’s cup of tea.

As a re-introduction to the franchise, it serves its purpose well. Fox and the gang are made entirely interesting by new layers to this story, and I personally think their new designs are great for the modern era. But when the credits rolled, what most excited me about Star Fox was its potential as a building block to the next step.

Star Fox, the original game, has had its time in the sun.

This modern reboot should finally pave the way for more, as Fox McCloud and the team prepare for bigger and more ambitious adventures into the stars. Here’s hoping that next journey doesn’t take another console generation to arrive, or we might just get to the fifth series reboot before the next strides are taken.

A Nintendo Switch 2 code for Star Fox was provided by the publisher for the purposes of this review.

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