F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch Review: Let The Fists Do The Talking

It’s becoming increasingly difficult for a Metroidvania to stand out. Especially on the Switch, where it feels like every time I open up the eShop it looks to be near bursting with how oversaturated the genre has become. Despite this, there is still no denying that the Switch has been home to some absolute highlights of the genre during its lifecycle. F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow Torch is thankfully another worthwhile addition, with its weighty combat and gorgeous world doing enough to make F.I.S.T. stand out from the crowd.

A Compelling Backdrop

Truth be told, in terms of pure gameplay mechanics, F.I.S.T. is fairly standard fare for anyone who has played a Metroidvania before. What truly elevates the experience from the first, though, is the world and setting. Set against the backdrop of Torch City, a sprawling dieselpunk world that is subject to the rule of the Robotic Legion following its victory in a lengthy war some years prior, F.I.S.T.’s world oozes style and character.

It’s an intoxicating southeast Asian-infused dieselpunk labyrinth, packed with detail at every corner. Whether you’re above ground on the neon-soaked main streets of the city or navigating the Robotic Legion’s huge, imposing bases, F.I.S.T. is simply a joy to just exist in. It’s not just the setting that excels, but also the writing. As Rayton, the playable protagonist embarks on his crusade to take down the Robotic Legion and rescue his friend, the plot twists and turns in compelling ways right until the bitter end. Characterization is also a huge strong point, with the colorful cast of bi-pedal animals and fellow resistance members that Rayton encounters all being written with a surprising amount of depth and charm that really makes you root for them and their cause. If there is one area where the world-building lacks somewhat it’s in the Robotic Legion, which, for the most part, is a fairly vanilla and trope-filled enemy faction. Without getting into spoilers, they do become more developed towards the back end of the story, but they’re easily the most uninspiring part of the world that F.I.S.T. takes place in.

Also worth noting – this is a really solid port and developers TiGames should be applauded for ensuring the fantastic art direction has made its way to Nintendo’s hybrid intact. Even when playing handheld, images look crisp, lighting looks nice, and the framerate rarely skips a beat save for during the most hectic of combat sequences. Sure, it’s not going to give the PlayStation or PC versions any cause for concern, but Switch players can at least rest easy knowing that they aren’t receiving a heavily compromised version of the developer’s vision.

Way Of The Fist

In terms of gameplay, F.I.S.T isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel when it comes to the template it uses. If you’ve played a Metroidvania before, expect the usual mix of exploration, combat, and backtracking for secrets with new powers and abilities. Exploration is incredibly satisfying from the moment you’re let loose within Torch City, largely due to the weighty and satisfying way in which Rayton controls and the excellent level design that never failed to impress me.

One thing I tend to find with Metroidvanias is that the worlds and level design never feel natural, due to them needing to be engaging to navigate as a 2d side-scroller. I’m not sure what sorcery is at play here, but F.I.S.T. is one of the very few examples of this genre where I haven’t encountered that immersion-breaking gamification of world design. Everything feels naturally placed for the most part, with levels and biomes all having a very logical flow and it really helps to contribute to the already fantastic sense of place that F.I.S.T. possesses.

When you aren’t off exploring, you’ll more than likely be engaging with the meaty combat system, which admittedly doesn’t make the best of first impressions, but soon blossoms into something wholly satisfying. As you dart around the vast world with Rayton, you’ll accumulate various currencies and tokens which can in turn be used to upgrade Rayton’s combat efficiency. Initially, these additional moves fail to impress and largely boil down to slightly longer combo strings. Dig a bit deeper, however, and you’ll soon have a plethora of fancy finishers and combos available that turn Rayton into a one-man army capable of huge amounts of destruction.

I really appreciated the focus on combos, finishers, and parries (once you finally unlock the latter) as it turns F.I.S.T.’s combat into a more methodical affair than I’ve encountered in similar titles. Later stages get really tough, and F.I.S.T. demands that players become proficient with all the tools available if they want to roll credits.

An Unforgiving Experience

On difficulty, it’s absolutely worth noting just how difficult F.I.S.T. can be, especially towards the end of the campaign. Whilst there is an easy mode, players who want to see the experience as intended should absolutely buckle up and prepare for plenty of frustrations and cursing. It’s not necessarily that things get too hard; it’s more the manner in which that difficulty rears its head. Repeated boss fights that were already a pain the first time around are plentiful, and I let out many audible groans when I realized I was going to be asked to face the same thorn in my side that I had dispatched not that long ago. Ask me to face off against an annoying boss once, and sure I can deal with it and maybe even enjoy the satisfaction of besting it. But, ask me to fight that same irritating encounter numerous times and you start to drive me away.

It comes off as needless padding, and with F.I.S.T. already clocking in at roughly fifteen hours in length, it isn’t a title that needed to be arbitrarily padded out with difficult encounters. The best Metroidvanias are those that encourage repeat playthroughs as you seek to beat your best times and mop up collectibles you may have missed. It’s a huge shame then, that as much as I enjoyed my time with F.I.S.T., it’s not an experience I see myself returning to any time soon.

Conclusion

Despite some unnecessary padding and a combat system that takes a little too long to get into full swing, F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow Torch is a compelling and thrilling journey from beginning to end. A stunning world, engaging narrative, and rewarding exploration all combine to create one of the most immersive experiences to grace the genre in quite some time.

Final Verdict: 4/5

Available On: Switch (reviewed), PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, PC; Publisher: Antiidelay; Developer: TiGames; Players: 1; Released: July 12, 2022; ESRB: E for Everyone; MSRP: $29.99

Full Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher