F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch Review (Gallant)
A quality metroidvania, but not without some noticeable blemishes.
Pros:
- vast, diverse and beautiful setting you can easily find yourself be immersed in
- a more fighting-game, combo-oriented fighting style than in other metroidvanias I've played
- the story is OK+ - I wish the setting was developed further however
- an easy to use map that does its job properly (not a given in recent metroidvanias for whatever reason)
- varied, fun bossfights (special shoutout to last three boss fights)
- no bugs of any kind - the game runs smoothly and without any issues on my PC without any dips in framerate or whatever
- perfect price for its content and length
- no overused, somewhat outdated nowadays mechanics like dropping your coins on death or whatever
Cons:
- the focus on comboing hits diminishes the moment you obtain the whip which more or less breaks the game and makes the game sans a few bossfights a breeze
- underwater levels - I've seen other reviews complain about them as well and I think the general issue is the fact that your moveset is much more limited underwater, there aren't many enemies and the platforming with limited, sluggish movement can get pretty difficult at times. Once you die you respawn way back and have to begin again. The underwater levels are also very vast for some reason
- Ancient Complex - kudos for trying out something else for this location but I haven't enjoyed it at all
All in all it's a solid metroidvania, whose staggering amount of content reminds me of another quality Chinese metroidvania, Afterimage. Perfect for its price, no need to wait for a sale in my opinion. Patiently waiting for a sequel