I have no idea why this game flew over my radar, but I am glad I dig it up from my dusty video game piles. FIST: Forged In Shadow Torch is a well-made metroidvania focusing on action. Combat feels tense, and the combo is really satisfying to pull off. The art style may not be my taste, but I cannot deny the effort the developers put in to make the level gorgeous to behold, especially the stylized china town that is Joffre Street. Even though the levels aren't inter-connected like the others in the same genre, the game still delivers the core features of a metroidvania. But most importantly, this is a furry game, hell yeah.


1. Tools of Combat
Being an action-oriented metroidvania, the game offers players a decent of tools to create their own combo. The main draws here are the three primary weapons players gain through progression: Fist is the big mechanical arm strapped on our protagonist's back. It is the default weapon and also the most versatile one out of the three. The move sets of Fist are great for both starting combo and bridging the other two weapons. You can easily knock down or launch enemies for more combo options. You can even throw weaker enemies to create some breathing room; Drill focuses more on linear damage. Its multi-hit nature can easily stun-lock enemies for quite a while but the move sets lock you in place. Therefore, it is best to use this weapon as combo finishers; last but not least, Whip is a pair of grappling hooks. While the normal attack cannot flinch enemies like the other two, the speed and range can easily make up the gap. Being a grappling hook also allows you to grapple toward your enemies, forcing the downed ones to stand up. What makes the combat the most interesting is that you can freely swap between the three weapons. Attacks are cancelable and they can seamlessly connect with each other. It is always satisfying to pull off the more complicated combo in combat. These power take time to gain, however.

2. Gating-abilities
Dual-purposed abilities are my favorite in the recent metroidvania. I am glad FIST: Forged In Shadow Torch get this idea right. The three weapons are the best example: Fist can punch button on doors and break ceiling vents; Drill allows you to glide, moves faster underwater, and opens fan lock on doors; Whip lets you grapple on to drone to reach higher places and close electric fences. Even though most of other gating abilities in this game are common trope, it is more important to see how they interact with the levels. Platforming challenges in each area aim to help you familiarize the tools you just get, and these challenges are satisfying to complete. The developers certainly takes time and effort to refine the mobility players have. With a few abilities gained out of order, you can even sequence-break some secret areas without proper tools, which is something I always cherish about in metroidvania.

3. Other Compliments
→Story is quite decent.
→Love how well the characters are animated.
→Many hidden items in each area.
→Weapon paints have a lot of nice reference and easter eggs.


Minor Complaints
→Enemies variety are lacking.
→I wish the levels are more inter-connected.
→You can only throw enemies left and right. At the very least you could and should be able to throw mid-air enemies downward.
→I hate that any interaction with NPCs always close the menu, forcing me to interact with them again.

中文小簡評
→遊戲體驗很棒的類銀河系惡魔城。
→最重要的一點，不獸控制啦！
→雖然這種類寫實畫風不對我胃口，但不得不說一些場景設計真的很好看。
→戰鬥主打連擊，三把武器各有優缺點，能夠在連擊中自由切換，打出你心儀的Combo。
→三把武器同時也是關鍵技能，能解鎖更多機關及完成特定跳台挑戰。
→其他關鍵技能雖然了無新意，但最重要的還是製作團隊如何在關卡設計中反映玩家取得技能後的機動性，這點我覺得做的很棒。
→故事還不錯。
→關卡藏有許多隱藏區域及道具。
→武器烤漆有一堆致敬彩蛋。
→敵人種類重複性高。
→各個關卡並沒有相互連接。
→只能把敵人往左往右丟，無法上拋或下砸。
→很討厭每次跟NPC講完話後互動選單會直接關掉。

Exciting game to play, great detailed graphics/artwork and cityscape. Easy to control character, with well spaced save game locations. Unique and well thought out soundtrack. Good character dialogue. Training challenges are too difficult though (for me, an average gamer).