F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch Reviews
An excellent Metroidvania adventure with intense combat, rewarding exploration and a visually immersive dieselpunk world.
F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow is a very competent, very good-looking foray into the Metroidvania genre with solid platforming and exciting, demanding arcade combat. Torch City is a wonderfully-grim place to get lost in and it's rendered gorgeously, despite some awkward signposting at times. Most of all, it nails the sense of exploration and steady progress that's a hallmark of the genre and it does all of that with a kick-arse rabbit in a mech suit for a protagonist. If this is the level of quality that studios backed by the China Hero Project are going to deliver then the program has more than made a case for itself.
An engaging 2.5D platforming adventure with rich visuals and furry creatures, F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch has all of the right ingredients you'd expect from any good metroidvania, as well as a few tricks of its own. It's certainly one of the most enjoyable games featuring a rabbit with a huge metal fist I've ever played.
All in all, F.I.S.T: Forged in Shadow Torch is an excellent offering that is surprisingly getting very little marketing at launch. With a great aesthetic, an engaging enough narrative, together with challenging combat and rewarding Metroidvania exploration, this is one resistance movement everyone should be signing on for.
While it may not redefine the Metroidvania style of games by any stretch of the imagination, F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow Torch is a stellar example of the genre done right. Featuring mildly interesting characters, a world teeming with life, and a well-designed map that is very player-friendly, it genuinely feels like it does damn near everything right. As long as you don't mind an occasional table flip encounter here and there, this is a hare-raising adventure for the ages.
F.I.S.T. Forged in Shadow Torch first manages to captivate the player for hours thanks to its singular world. Unfortunately, even if we feel that he has been inspired by the best and proposes a global construction that inspires respect, he suffers from certain errors of youth impossible not to sanction.
Review in French | Read full review
A rabbit that clumps in a coherent, demanding and motivating Dieselpunk-Metroidvania robot, what more could you want?
Review in German | Read full review
Although we may sound quite negative when discussing the game, FIST: Forged In Shadow Torch really is worth playing; it just has so much potential that it doesn't quite reach. It rides on the cusp of greatness so often, while not quite making it over the hurdle. We can't wait to play a sequel because if it was iterated on, FIST could be something really special. Sadly, due to the technical issues associated with this Switch version such as the unbearably long load times, it's let down even further. Overall, a promising foundation that we hope leads to better things in the future.
F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch is a deftly crafted Metroidvania that while it doesn't do anything especially new or ground-breaking, nonetheless reframes the genre through a distinctly Chinese and attractive dieselpunk setting that fans of the genre and action adventures in general will assuredly enjoy.
F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch is an exceptional game. With innovative visuals that ooze charm and imagination, you will immediately fall in love with Torch City. The extensive combat system allows you to experiment with the mechanics to create some incredible combinations.
F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch is a stellar Metroidvania adventure set in a beautifully realised world, replete with challenging combat encounters, rewarding exploration, and some spicy platforming action. Rayton Rabbit might be of diminutive stature, but he's punching well above his weight here in what is one of the best games of 2021 so far.
F.I.S.T. Forged in Shadow Torch throws a lot of different things at the wall and tries to make them all stick. In the end, it's a bit of a messy mix of platforming, combat, robots, and animals that Dr. Robotnik would be proud of, but it's still great fun to play even if it doesn't make a lot of sense.
If the artistic direction of F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch with its anthropomorphic orientation in a diesel punk universe is remarkable, it is not its only strength. The title is indeed very solid, both in its platform aspect and in the very fluid and dynamic combat phases.
Review in French | Read full review
F.I.S.T .: Forged In Shadow Torch combines a beautiful world full of anthropomorphic animals, stunning locations, great music, deep combos and fun exploration, but at the same time shows probmelms with uneven difficulty levels and unbalanced combat system.
Review in Russian | Read full review
F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow Torch is one of the worst names for a game ever. Still the exploration is second-to-none. I wish the combat was more fluid or the enemy encounters tweaked a bit better. I feel like most people will quickly fall off once the difficulty ramps up. It is not hard due to challenge, but more because of functionality and that sucks. It tarnishes an otherwise incredible experience that could have easily been the next huge series in the genre. Still if you can muster through the challenge this is an experience worth taking.
F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow Torch is an excellent story-driven, combat-heavy Metroidvania. But the Nintendo Switch version is the worst version available. If the Switch is your only option to play the game on, it’s a great game at its core. But if you have access to either PlayStation, or a PC, their visual and performance quality greatly outweigh the Switch’s portability option.
F.I.S.T. Forged in Shadow Torch features complex combat, a huge and incredibly detailed map to explore, loads of secrets to find, a lengthy campaign, and gorgeous visuals. While I may have had a few minor gripes and do wish there was less required backtracking, I had loads of fun chasing down The Legion and its Iron Dogs and unraveling the mystery of the spark. F.I.S.T. is a must play for fans of the metroidvania genre.
F.I.S.T: Forged in Shadow Torch's exciting, brutal combat, and rewarding exploration set it apart from many of its genre-mates, and make it utterly worth your time.
F.I.S.T remains an excellent action adventure on the Nintendo Switch and an unmissable experience for fans of the genre.
A metroidvania full of explorable areas, with a good combat system, but unable to stand out or say its very own.
Review in Italian | Read full review