Star Fox

This game was announced and released in quick succession, and marks the first Star Fox game since Star Fox Zero came out over ten years ago - check out my review for that on the Wii U page! To many people's chagrin, this iteration of Star Fox is yet another retelling of the Star Fox 64 "Lylat Wars" - that's four separate versions in total now... Regardless, I enjoy the gameplay enough to buy it again and this time it seems to have a bit more to offer in the form of online multiplayer and a challenge mode. The game begins with a couple of opening cutscenes and a training mission, before placing you in the command room of the Great Fox. From there, you have your choice of game modes including a campaign mode, and the afforementioned multiplayer and challenge modes. To begin let's talk about the main campaign, which is at it's peak in my opinion. The levels are the same, with some slight differences, and feel the best they ever have. As you proceed through the classic shoot 'em up gameplay you'll notice that Slippy, Falco, and Peppy all have their same personalities but with more character and expression than ever. Each level is also capped with a cinematic cutscene that further exposes the Star Fox crew. The command room of the Great Fox acts as your hub, providing you with details of alternate paths, medal criteria, and holoviewer logs through which you can learn more about the universe. This is definitely the best representation of the story so far, and I had a great time replaying through each and every classic level. As an addition to the base campaign, there are a number of different challenges available for each level. These challenges range in difficulty but provide some fun goals for more dedicated players. Another cool addition is a decently robust online multiplayer battle mode, which pits two teams of four against each other on one of a variety of maps with differing objectives. The multiplayer combat seems quite deep, as I was getting fried by the first opponents I matched against - I can see this having serious long-term replayability. While I touched on the cutscenes (which are excellent), I'd like to give a special mention to the soundtrack, which takes many of the iconic Star Fox tunes and turns them into epic orchestrated arrangements. Overall, this rendition of Star Fox is perhaps the best one yet, and I'm excited to see where Velan Studios take Fox and crew next!

Play it for the:

• Iconic tale of the Lylat Wars
• Legitimately competitive multiplayer
• Fully imagined characters and cutscenes

Reviewed on 2026-7-9

Each character's personality really shines in this rendition.