F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow Torch

Genre: Metroidvania

Players: 1

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Review:

F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow Torch (from here on just referred to as FIST) is a Metroidvania released in 2021 on PC and PlayStation 4, ported to Nintendo Switch in 2022, then ported to Xbox Series X / S in 2023. This game is set in a dystopian world peopled by anthropomorphic animals in a futuristic city that has been taken over by authoritarian machines, which are also anthropomorphic animals.

To be honest, I’m not entirely sure the dystopian setting and dour tone of this game matches the aesthetic choice of having all of the game’s characters being animals. When the game’s main character Rayton, a rabbit, speaks with a gruff grizzled voice and alludes in a weary tone to some war he fought in years ago, are we supposed to think the dissonance of these words coming from a rabbit is meant to be funny? Cool? Sad? Whatever was intended, the result is mainly distracting more than anything.

The voice acting in FIST is decent, but the game does spend a lot of time weighing players down with plot while not really doing much to endear us to this world or its characters. When Rayton speaks with Master Wu searching for a drill that will supposedly enable him to rescue his imprisoned friend, and Wu sends Rayton to take out a robotic enemy as a test of strength, I never once felt like I was being pulled deeper into the game, I was just annoyed that this chitchat was taking so long when I was obviously just being sent on a fetch quest.

On that note, FIST tends to be one of the more linear and hand-holding Metroidvania-style games I’ve played. There isn’t a complete lack of freedom, but the game definitely seems to want to hit you over the head with where it wants you to go at any given time.

Apart from that, FIST is a decent Metroidvania, though not an especially great or impactful one. Much of the focus here is on the game’s titular fist, a weapon Rayton wields that not only enables him to pummel enemies with melee combos, but which can also be upgraded to give him new abilities for traversal, such as an uppercut that acts as an additional jump. The closest analogue I can think of to this is Guacamelee, though I don’t think FIST’s combat is anywhere near as fluid, and FIST lacks Guacamelee’s charm, humor, colorful stylized visuals, soundtrack…

On the topic of the presentation, this is one of the areas where FIST fares a bit better, featuring full 3D visuals with detailed backgrounds and some excellent lighting. Unfortunately, the Nintendo Switch version is hit with a few graphical issues, including some aliasing and some ugly blurring on any characters with fur… which includes both the hero and just about every friendly NPC you encounter. This is all backed by an atmospheric soundtrack that gets the job done, but isn’t memorable.

Look, let me be clear, none of my complaints about FIST are major ones, and overall this is a perfectly competent Metroidvania, and I would even go as far as to say that graphically it’s better than most, albeit not without some graphical flaws. However, in all other respects this isn’t a particularly noteworthy entry in the genre. If you’re looking for something to fill the time until the next Metroid, Ori game, or Hollow Knight, I think you’ll find FIST to be a decent entry in the genre. But don’t expect it to make a particularly strong impression on you.

tl;dr – F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow Torch is a Metroidvania set in a dystopian world peopled by anthropomorphic animals where you play as a gruff, grizzled rabbit fighting using a large mechanical arm. It’s a decent entry in the genre with some good graphics (though less so on Nintendo Switch), though it isn’t especially noteworthy or memorable.

Grade: C+

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