F.I.S.T. Forged In Shadow Torch

An excellent Metroidvania adventure with intense combat, rewarding exploration and a visually immersive dieselpunk world.

84%Game Brain Score

story, graphics

optimization, grinding

89% User Score Based on 545 reviews

Critic Score 81%Based on 30 reviews

Platforms

Buy Nowfrom $3.33

Buy NowGet on Xbox Games Store Buy NowGet on Epic Games Store

About

F.I.S.T. Forged In Shadow Torch is a single player platformer game. It was developed by TiGames and was released on October 3, 2021. It received positive reviews from both critics and players.

Six years ago, the Machine Legion invaded and colonized the Torch City, which was originally inhabited by animals. Rayton, the former soldier in the resistance war, has been living in seclusion since then. After his friend is forcibly arrested, Rayton reclaims his mechanical fist and steps to his journey fighting back. And he never expects that he has been involved in a bigger scheme between the m…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

F.I.S.T. Forged In Shadow Torch screenshot

Skip User Reviews

89%

Audience ScoreBased on 545 reviews

story59 positive mentions

optimization10 negative mentions

Great fight mechanics with a fluid combat system that allows for challenging and rewarding combos.
Beautiful graphics and art design that create an immersive dieselpunk world.
Engaging exploration with a large interconnected map filled with secrets and collectibles.

Some technical issues, including crashes and performance drops, especially with ray tracing enabled.
The story is generic and lacks depth, with underdeveloped characters and a rushed ending.
Backtracking can be tedious due to a limited fast travel system and some areas feeling empty.

story
183 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
60%
8%
The story of the game is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its engaging characters and emotional moments, while others find it generic and lacking depth. Many reviews highlight a simple narrative involving a rabbit protagonist fighting against oppressive robots, with some interesting lore and themes, but also note issues with pacing and predictability. Overall, while the story may not be groundbreaking, it serves its purpose within the gameplay, with some players feeling it enhances the experience, while others consider it a weak point.
- “I cared about the other characters in the game, I felt the pain of the main character, I felt as if the developers cared about the story.”
- “The story is a compelling tale of corruption, betrayal, and heroism in a dieselpunk world inspired by early 20th-century China.”
- “The story was surprisingly emotional at times, partly due to the music, which is incredibly well done.”
- “The story is pretty bad, and the high-quality animations and voice acting make the bad writing harder to ignore.”
- “The characters and story are, unfortunately, pretty flat and cliché.”
- “The story is lightweight and the dialogue is... off.”
graphics
163 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
68%
30%
2%
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising the stunning visuals, intricate art style, and smooth animations that enhance the overall experience. The 2.5D design and dieselpunk aesthetic create a visually immersive world, although some players noted occasional graphical glitches and performance issues. Overall, the game's graphics are considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to its appeal as a metroidvania title.
- “The graphics are incredible, super sharp and a really nice gritty aesthetic.”
- “A gorgeous art style, immersive 2.5D world, and inventive controls and combat make for a really fun playthrough.”
- “The graphics and animations are gorgeous.”
- “It honestly just felt generic, despite the cyberpunk-animal aesthetic.”
- “I could run the game at 60 with graphics set to medium, and ran into a lot of issues outside of framerate, mainly that textures would pop in a lot along with some lighting which was a little annoying but not experience-ruining; however, there were several instances where I'd enter a room and it would just be completely empty except for a gray background until the room fully loaded in a couple seconds later.”
- “It comes off as a cheap metroidvania title that focused more on the graphics and presentation instead of a truly engaging combat system.”
gameplay
126 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
50%
4%
The gameplay is generally praised for its fast-paced combat, smooth mechanics, and engaging exploration typical of metroidvania titles, with many players highlighting the fun and varied combat mechanics. However, some reviews note inconsistencies and flaws, such as clunky controls and a lack of cohesion in gameplay elements, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these issues, the game is considered visually impressive and offers a rewarding experience for fans of the genre.
- “Fast-paced combat, great looking graphics, and smooth gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is smooth as butter, bosses are epic, the map and level design are well defined and fun to explore, and the music is memorable.”
- “Awesome gameplay, great graphics, and triple-A quality attention to detail.”
- “The most important factor that may turn people off is the developer's attempt to make the game more diverse by adding sections of gameplay that break out of the core game mechanics.”
- “I managed to somehow finish this after like 10 minutes, but I can't imagine how anybody could pass that as playable from a gameplay perspective - very frustrating, and the only thing I got from this 'training' is to never switch weapons because that's a 50/50 whether the rabbit will do it or not.”
- “Unfortunately, once you start paying attention to the gameplay, it becomes clear that there's a disconnect.”
music
54 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
31%
6%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its ability to enhance the emotional depth and atmosphere, while others find it repetitive or forgettable. Many agree that the soundtrack fits well with the game's tone and setting, featuring a variety of genres like jazz and orchestral elements, though some tracks are criticized for being too short. Overall, while the music is generally considered good and complements the gameplay, it may not leave a lasting impression for all players.
- “Story was surprisingly emotional at times, partly due to the music, which is incredibly well done.”
- “The music perfectly complemented the action, and it almost took a life of its own with all the orchestration and jazz licks that you are able to sample as you play through the game.”
- “The graphics are amazing and the music ties in very well with zones and helps quite well with the immersion.”
- “The music in the first area is so repetitive, it almost drove me crazy.”
- “The music is often a miss too, with the very first location track being the worst offender and the best example of the issue – it’s not a bad track, but it’s short, repetitive and it soon becomes annoying.”
- “Given how long you might be in an area, or paused, I think the soundtrack should have room to breathe and set the tone but the tracks are so damn short.”
optimization
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
39%
38%
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues such as stuttering, frame drops, and long loading times, particularly when transitioning between areas. While some users noted that the graphics are impressive and the gameplay enjoyable, the optimization problems, especially with RTX features, detract from the overall experience. Despite ongoing efforts to improve performance, these issues have led to frustration, particularly during intense gameplay moments.
- “That's how you should do very nice visuals and optimization.”
- “Excellent metroidvania optimized for speedrunning.”
- “While tigames indicates the game is still being optimized on PC, it runs very well and only has a few minor hiccups from time to time with assets failing to load quickly enough.”
- “But there are so many bad decisions by the devs; I feel it deserves a not recommend unless maybe on sale for 90% off. The game is poorly optimized when it seems it should not be so demanding.”
- “The poor optimization is the only thing keeping me from giving it a glowing review.”
- “Has some performance issues that really need to be addressed though; it stutters when loading a new area (even on an NVMe SSD), and since you're constantly moving to new areas, it can stutter a lot.”
grinding
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
5%
95%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, particularly due to the extensive backtracking and navigation challenges. Boss battles often feel drawn out, with players expressing frustration over the inability to skip introductions after defeats. While some enjoy the metroidvania elements, many agree that the grinding can detract from the overall experience, making it feel like a chore rather than an engaging challenge.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Boss battles are tedious with several stages and if you lose, you are forced to watch the introduction again and again with no ability to skip...again because fuck you, that's why.”
- “40 hours in and still grinding my way through.”
- “Talking about backtracking, 100% the game does get very tedious since some of the areas are very long and linear and getting certain items that you missed feel like a chore at times.”
atmosphere
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
77%
8%
15%
The atmosphere in "Forged in Shadow Torch" is widely praised for its detailed environments and unique steampunk/dieselpunk aesthetic, which effectively immerses players in its intriguing world. The combination of impressive graphics, a fitting soundtrack, and dynamic cutscenes enhances the overall experience, making it a standout example of the metroidvania genre. While the story may be less compelling, the atmospheric elements significantly contribute to the game's appeal.
- “Environments are highly detailed, atmospheric, and full of depth.”
- “Amazing graphics and scenery, really knowing how to create the atmosphere they wanted.”
- “Overall this is an excellent and enjoyable game with a unique atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere is quite different, a bit of a Blade Runner vibe here.”
- “A story you've heard before, but with the atmosphere and setting in mind, you can really get immersed into.”
stability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
90%
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with users reporting frequent stutters, crashes, and graphical glitches, particularly when using RTX settings. While some players experienced no significant issues, others noted severe performance drops and audio problems, suggesting that the game feels buggy and unfinished. Overall, many believe that with future patches, the stability could improve significantly.
- “I had no lag, no glitches, nothing getting in the way.”
- “The game runs smoothly without any interruptions.”
- “I experienced consistent performance throughout my playtime.”
- “With RTX on, transitions between screens cause massive stutters very often, sometimes almost freezing, around 3 FPS for a second or two (played on RTX 2080 Super).”
- “It has the potential of being a good game, but unfortunately it feels too buggy and unfinished.”
- “Several crashes, graphical glitches, entire areas turning into slideshows for 30 seconds at a time (settings didn't matter), and a really poorly thought out control system mar what is otherwise a pretty good time for the most part.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is mixed; while the music enhances some moments, the overall narrative feels awkward and lacks impactful emotional depth, partly due to poor voice acting and clunky dialogue. Players express a desire for a more expansive exploration of the environment, as the limited movement can evoke feelings of anxiety. Despite these shortcomings, some still find it a heartfelt recommendation for action game enthusiasts.
- “Story was surprisingly emotional at times, partly due to the music, which is incredibly well done.”
- “The backgrounds look so good in certain locations that the style of only being able to move left or right across the screen sometimes made me feel anxious and claustrophobic; I want to see more of the city!”
- “But for now, this is a heartfelt recommendation for any action game fan.”
character development
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
17%
33%
Character development in the game receives mixed reviews; while some praise the creative and visually appealing character designs and dynamic cutscenes, others criticize the characters as flat and lacking depth, resulting in a rushed narrative that fails to evoke emotional engagement. Overall, the aesthetic and worldbuilding are highlighted, but the character development leaves much to be desired.
- “The visuals such as character design, animation assets, and environmental design are all beautiful!”
- “Story, character design, gameplay, level design, and everything was amazing!”
- “I found the characters and the character designs to be creative and fun.”
- “Character design is a bit flat and not very engaging.”
- “It's rushed, all over the place, and lacking the character development to make you actually feel something about them.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by unexpected character dynamics, such as the protagonist's indifference to a potential love interest in favor of camaraderie, and the machines delivering jokes. Additionally, while some dialogue is described as hilariously bad, it adds to the overall enjoyment, complementing the fun combat and visual appeal.
- “I also found it quite funny that they introduce the cat woman like she's going to be some kind of relevant love interest, but Rayton visibly doesn't care because he'd rather fight an entire army for one of his male friends, lol.”
- “If anything, I kind of find them funny since every so often the machines make jokes.”
- “It's buggy and the dialogue is hilariously bad in spots, but the combat is just so much fun and it's so damn pretty.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The game offers good replayability due to its shorter playtime, allowing for multiple playthroughs; however, its linear story may limit the overall experience for some players.
- “Infinitely replayable.”
- “Replayability seems good, as it can be on the shorter side.”
- “Once you finish the main story, there's little incentive to play again. The side quests feel repetitive and lack depth.”
- “The game offers a linear experience with no real choices that affect the outcome, making multiple playthroughs feel pointless.”
- “While the graphics are stunning, the lack of varied gameplay mechanics means that replaying the game feels more like a chore than a fun experience.”

Skip Critic Reviews

81%Critics’ scoreBased on 30 critic reviews

Skip Game Offers

Buy F.I.S.T. Forged In Shadow Torch

18h Median play time

16h Average play time

12-20h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 7 analyzed playthroughs

Skip Videos

Videos

Skip Games Like F.I.S.T. Forged In Shadow Torch

82%3.3kreviews

Valdis Story: Abyssal City

2013

Role Playing

85%7.8kreviews

Momodora: Reverie Under The Moonlight

2016

Role Playing

56%18reviews

Plus Ultra: Legado

2025

Open World Platformer

65%97reviews

Imp of the Sun

2021

Open World Platformer

85%2.4kreviews

Apotheon

2015

Arcade Hack and Slash

More games like F.I.S.T. Forged In Shadow Torch

Skip Game News

Zoopunk is a New Action Game by the Studio Behind F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow Torch

November 20 on gamingbolt.com

Skip FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

F.I.S.T. Forged In Shadow Torch is a platformer game.

F.I.S.T. Forged In Shadow Torch is available on Xbox Series X|S, PC, Windows, Cloud and others.

On average players spend around 16 hours playing F.I.S.T. Forged In Shadow Torch.

F.I.S.T. Forged In Shadow Torch was released on October 3, 2021.

F.I.S.T. Forged In Shadow Torch was developed by TiGames.

F.I.S.T. Forged In Shadow Torch has received positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked F.I.S.T. Forged In Shadow Torch for its story but disliked it for its optimization.

F.I.S.T. Forged In Shadow Torch is a single player game.

Similar games include Valdis Story: Abyssal City, Momodora: Reverie Under The Moonlight, Plus Ultra: Legado, Imp of the Sun, Apotheon and others.

F.I.S.T. Forged In Shadow Torch

Platforms

About