F.I.S.T. Forged in Shadow Torch
Developer: TiGames
Publishers: Microids, BiliBili
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 (Reviewed), PC, Switch
Release Date: Available Now
Price: $39.99 USD – Available Here
Overview
When it comes to a Metroidvania style game, it can be difficult to set yourself apart from the pack. What helps however is a unique setting and designs and TiGames’ F.I.S.T. Forged in Shadow Torch has that in spades. Set in a futuristic dystopia where animal people battle suffer under the rule of an oppressive automaton force, there is a lot of potential to be found in F.I.S.T. but has this game managed to capitalize on this setting and deliver a worthwhile experience?
Story
The land of Torch City and its furtizens have suffered under the rule of the Legion forces ever since they were defeated in a war six years prior to the game’s events. Despite their best efforts at the time, the resistance forces have fallen and Rayton, one such veteran fighter that survived, has done his best to keep a low profile in the city. That all changes however when this rabbit’s best friend is arrested under suspicion of being a rebel and dragged into the prison tower that few return from. With a giant metal fist remodeled from his previous war mech it is time to fight back against the Legion and rescue his friend, but far more is happening between the various factions in the city that may change everything for these furtizens.
While the overarching storyline of F.I.S.T. may not be the most original, it does feature an amazing amount of world-building and some great characters to interact with along the way. Players will encounter numerous furtizen allies that are willing to help Rayton in some way and each of them have bits of dialogue and extra information about the world to reveal as players progress through the game. Even while exploring new areas players will be treated to small scenes of characters talking about an upcoming boss or info about the current location. It is also nice to note that there are also various collectible newspapers throughout the game that provide additional backstory and details about the world that really help make F.I.S.T.’s atmoshperic world come to life.
Gameplay
In F.I.S.T. players will be treated to a Metroidvania world much like many would expect with a large world to travel through, limited only by what upgrades players have obtained throughout the story. Players will always have an objective marker to travel to but it is entirely possible, once players obtain a few upgrades, to unlock extra doors or smash hidden walls that reveal new pathways and unlockables that help improve what Rayton is capable of. These upgrades come in the form of expected things such as double-jumps, extra dash, a couple of new primary weapons, and more.
In combat players will make use of a tightly tuned combat system to take down the Legion forces using light and heavy combo attacks with their initial fist as well as grabbing and throwing foes into one another for some spectacular damage. As players defeat enemies they will obtain money that can be used to purchase various skill upgrades that unlock additional combo strings and powerful attacks to really bring some extensive combos to the combat. The variety comes from the eventual weapons that players will also obtain with a giant drill weapon being a bit slower but able to string together multiple powerful hits, suck enemies into a spinning blade or blow them away to create distance, and even a pair of electrical whips that offer fast combo strikes but deal less damage overall. Players will be able to make great use of each of these weapons, all of which can unlock new moves similar to the fist, and while it is easy to find yourself growing fond of a certain weapon over others, keeping things mixed up is the best way to go.
This is because the Legion forces that players face off against will be quite difficult to battle against as they come in a number of different types and have various fighting styles that keep players on their feet. That being said, it is nice to note that through upgrades and learning how to best string combos together, the responsive fighting feels rather incredible when taking down these foes, especially when players need to take down multiple types at a time. Unfortunately it is worth noting that often the game’s way of handling harder encounters simply devolves into throwing waves of enemies at the player in increasingly higher numbers making some fights drag longer than they should in some areas and can lead to some cheap deaths due to how rapidly the Legion enemies attack after one another.
Boss battles are far more refined in nature and allow players to take on these powerful foes using the best of their abilities. While most bosses can be taken down through combat there are also a number of gimmicks that players can also use to their advantage, a few of which can be uncovered before the boss fight leading to most encounters being as fun as they are challenging. Alongside combat there is also the inclusion of some rather poor stealth-like sequences that limit what players can do and while these sections are rather short overall they do take away most of what makes F.I.S.T. fun.
It is worth noting that when F.I.S.T. originally launched it did not offer any difficulty options and it can be quite clear that the game is rather punishing at times while fighting against enemies and navigating through puzzles. This is especially the case for some boss fights that feature second stages or unique twists that pit an already weakened player against a fresh health bar. Thankfully for those who don’t want to punish themselves or simply need a bit of help through certain areas, TiGames has since patched the game to offer an Easy difficulty alongside the default Normal mode. Players can choose to swap difficulties at any time while playing the game and can use the easier difficulty to either clear an area they were completely stuck at before or simply play through the game and enjoy it a bit more as it still can be a bit challenging even on easy.
Visuals & Audio
The amount of detail put into nearly every aspect of the world in F.I.S.T. is quite shocking as nearly every area that players explore has a great amount of polish on everything players see at the front while the backgrounds in most areas are highly detailed to give the world more of a lived-in and detailed feeling. The character designs are similarly well-designed with the furry furtizens having high quality textures and the robotic enemies players face down having some solid variety between them, especially in regard to the designs of most bosses. It is nice to note that the combat also flows smoothly with no sign of slowdown or issues even while beating down multiple foes and using flashier finishing moves on weakened enemies.
The voice work in F.I.S.T. is handled incredibly well with the cast sounding like they fit the world perfectly, including the enemies that speak up often enough while players explore. As for the game’s soundtrack players will find themselves in for a real treat as the title offers a great blend of electric rock to help heighten the action while also featuring plenty of more somber tracks to keep players focused during some of the more difficult puzzle/platforming sections.
Overall
With tight combat that can be as challenging and rewarding as players want it to be thanks to the freshly patched addition of an easier difficulty mode F.I.S.T. Forged in Shadow Torch tells a fairly expected story set in an amazing atmospheric world with plenty of interesting characters and lore to uncover all while exploring a solidly designed map with impressive Metroidvania style progression mechanics. As such F.I.S.T. Forged in Shadow Torch proves to be not only memorable thanks to its gorgeous designs but with its depth of gameplay as well, making it a great entry for those looking for a top notch Metroidvania.
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