The Siege and the Sandfox Review
The Siege and the Sandfox is the best Prince of Persia homage.
The Siege and the Sandfox. Carboard Sword / Plaion
Cardboard Sword’s The Siege and the Sandfox is a 2D metroidvania stealth game that brilliantly combines the two genres. The game’s parkour movement, lush graphics, clever level design, and narrated story create a memorable experience only slightly sullied by bugs. The fictional Persian-like setting, the character’s movements, and the story remind me of Prince of Persia, but by no means does this game feel like a rehash of that classic or its evolving sequels. I get the impression that it’s a loving homage by the developers, who created what they wished Prince of Persia would have been like with modern metroidvania sensibilities.
Players are the Sandfox, the latest in a line of thieves and legendary folk heroes who have worked behind the scenes to right injustices in the land. During a siege by a formidable foreign power, the Sandfox goes to talk to the king, only to discover that the queen has betrayed the kingdom by murdering him. Her loyal guards throw the Sandfox into the pit, to the bottom of the dungeons under the palace. In this underworld populated by corrupt prison guards, fungus gatherers, cultists, rebels, and the poor, the Sandfox must find evidence of the conspiracy to win over allies and plot revenge.
The Siege and the Sandfox. Carboard Sword / Plaion
The most striking thing about the game is how good the movement feels. The Sandfox can run on walls, walljump, hang on ledges, leap from poles, climb, and more. Chaining the movements was smooth and natural, and I only failed occasionally due to my own error, usually by dropping down when I meant to jump instead. These movement abilities are unlocked as the game progresses, as is typical for a Metroidvania, and that progression was paced well. The traversal applies the modern Prince of Persia style to 2D in a way that feels more grounded than in actual modern 2D Prince games by making the Sandfox and their movement a little heavier, but not as heavy as the rotoscoped movements of the classic Prince.
Combat is not an option. A single hit from an enemy means game over, and the Sandfox’s tools for dealing with enemies outside of stealth or running are limited. A blackjack lets you knock enemies out, an ability only advisable to use if you haven’t been spotted. Once you earn a ground pound ability, you can drop onto enemies from above to knock them out. That’s it.
I like how combat isn’t a viable strategy; it often feels like a crutch in other stealth games. To strike a balance, the stealth puzzles in Sandfox are always fair and generally small in scale, so if you fail, you can respawn nearby, and the next checkpoint never feels out of reach. I purposely call them puzzles because that’s how stealth often feels in the game. The game’s large map is composed of stealth and traversal puzzles chained together or combined, with a very organic difficulty curve.
The Siege and the Sandfox. Carboard Sword / Plaion
Succeeding at stealth requires careful consideration of the environment and your movement. Light and dark affect your visibility to guards; you can put out torches, but sometimes guards will investigate a light they notice has been extinguished. Moving recklessly will create noise, which will immediately alert enemies. Run, and your footfalls will reverberate loudly in the halls. Sandfox has some of the best visual indicator designs for this that I’ve seen. When you’re making noise, a ring expands around you to illustrate how far the sound reaches. Crouch, and a ring appears with indicators representing the proximity of enemies within earshot. The visuals are clear, easy to understand, and precise. This information makes running through the environment more fun, thanks to the lack of guesswork.
The Siege and the Sandfox. Carboard Sword / Plaion
The game’s graphics are richly detailed pixel art with great lighting effects. The lighting serves both a practical and aesthetic purpose, since you must consider the light around you to avoid being seen. Character animations are smooth, and the various NPCs feel visually distinct. The large map has many diverse biomes that all feel unique, with scenes that don’t feel like they’re made up of tiled sprites.
The sound design complements the visuals to create a deeply immersive experience, which is particularly important in the context of a stealth game. The realistic sound design meshes well with the retro visual style. Amelia Tyler (Baldur’s Gate III) narrates the entire game, including doing voices for each character and giving players insight into what the Sandfox is thinking or feeling. In the style of Bastion, it’s as if you’re being told a tale, and it very effectively creates an almost fairy tale-like ambiance. It’s a great addition I wouldn’t have expected in a metroidvania.
The Siege and the Sandfox. Carboard Sword / Plaion
I did encounter some bugs. Some were odd AI behaviors, and I got stuck on a door a handful of times and had to restart from the last checkpoint. They were only minor annoyances that I’m willing to overlook because of how excellent the game is, though they’re important to mention.
I finished the game in around 13 hours, though it will be shorter for those focusing on objectives rather than exploration. The Siege and the Sandfox is one of the most unique metroivanias I’ve played in the genre’s modern boom. Its rewarding stealth gameplay, narrative focus, and graphics made it an experience I highly recommend, especially to classic Prince of Persia fans.
The Siege and the Sandfox is available now on Steam, Epic, GOG, and Humble.
Overall Score: 9/10
Played on: Steam Deck
