Iron Fisticle
- September 15, 2014
- Confused Pelican
- 8h median play time
Get on SteamIron Fisticle is a modern take on 80s arcade arena shooters, featuring classic twin-stick gameplay with controller support and achievements. Its randomly generated dungeons provide a fresh experience in each play-through, and the game supports local co-op for two players. With multiple stats upgrades and weapon pick-ups, players can customize their playstyle as they fight through hordes of enemies and challenging boss fights.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Fun and simple roguelike with engaging gameplay mechanics.
- Great retro art style and sound design that enhances the overall experience.
- Varied cast of characters and a large map to explore with secrets and gear to find.
- Gameplay loop can feel repetitive and lacks depth over time.
- Difficulty balancing issues, with some players finding it too easy or overwhelming.
- Technical issues such as crashes and control problems, especially with mouse and keyboard.
- gameplay63 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is a mix of twin-stick shooting and roguelite elements, offering a solid yet sometimes repetitive experience with tight controls and a charming retro aesthetic. While some players appreciate the engaging mechanics and sense of progression, others criticize the lack of tutorials and the overall gameplay loop as insufficiently captivating for longer play sessions. Overall, it provides enjoyable, fast-paced action with local co-op options, but may not hold long-term appeal for everyone.
“This is a solid twin stick shooter that has enough pickups and mechanics that it can keep you busy for a few hours without feeling too grindy.”
“Great gameplay, fun and challenging with a cool little platformer mini-game.”
“The controls and the gameplay are fast and tight, the sense of progression is excellent, and the graphics are retrotastic.”
“In my opinion, the gameplay loop isn't engaging enough to justify the €8.99 price tag.”
“No gameplay mechanics are explained; there is no tutorial, no tips, no nothing.”
“Feelings about the replayability of the game can be mixed; it's really fun to pick up and play for a while, but once you've beaten everything, you might find the gameplay to be quite stale.”
- graphics58 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are a mix of retro pixel art and modern aesthetics, with many players praising the charming visuals and vibrant colors that enhance the gameplay experience. While some reviews highlight the graphics as appealing and well-executed, others criticize them for being unappealing or confusing, particularly in terms of level design and clarity. Overall, the graphics are generally well-received, especially by fans of retro styles, though they may not appeal to everyone.
“The graphics are charming and well-done, the music and sound effects are basic but mesh really well, and the controls are tight and responsive.”
“Great retro graphics and addicting 'one-more run' type of gameplay.”
“Beautiful 'retro-ish' graphics (16-bit style sprites, but with 32-bit color) and one of the best scanline filters I've seen (and the option to turn it off if you are weird).”
“How do you design graphics this unappealing?”
“If you play on a low-end laptop with a graphics card with shared memory, I wouldn't recommend getting this game.”
“Visuals are confusing; it can become very hard to keep track of what's happening on screen, plus some floors have painted details that look like solid walls when not paying too much attention.”
- music41 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it catchy and well-suited to the retro aesthetic, while others describe it as repetitive and basic. Many appreciate the chiptune soundtrack and its ability to complement the gameplay, making it enjoyable for quick sessions, though some suggest it may become forgettable over time. Overall, the soundtrack is generally seen as a solid fit for the game's style, enhancing the overall experience without being overly innovative.
“The soundtrack is excellent, and the graphics are top-notch pixel art.”
“Packed with nice retro graphics and catchy music, it’s a perfect game for quick 'defeating waves of enemies' sessions!”
“The music and sound effects are all top notch, and blend well together.”
“Not super deep, innovative, or long, and you'll probably mute the music quickly.”
“Music is a bit repetitive and could have used a handful more tracks.”
“The soundtrack is fairly retro dark electronic sounding, which is good, although possibly noticeably repetitive at the start.”
- replayability19 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the retro grading system, character progression, and rogue-like randomness that enhance replay value, others find the repetitive level design and short length limit long-term engagement. Overall, it offers decent replayability for casual play, but may become stale after completing all content.
“Great replayability!”
“I love how you continue to improve your character over time; it really adds to the replayability factor.”
“The rogue-like randomness of each room adds good replayability.”
“It may not have a ton of replay value, however, since it is basically the same four levels repeated over and over until you die.”
“Only downside of it is how short it is and how it lacks replayability since every run feels similar.”
“Feelings about the replayability of the game can be mixed; it's really fun to pick up and play for a while, but once you've beaten everything, you might find the gameplay to be quite stale.”
- story12 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's story is largely considered minimal and simplistic, with players noting a lack of depth and coherence, often describing it as pointless or even silly. While it serves as a light distraction between more substantial games, the narrative revolves around basic themes, such as a knight's adventure and a character's pursuit of stolen food, failing to engage players meaningfully. Overall, the story is seen as a weak aspect of the game, offering little more than a backdrop to the gameplay.
“Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
“A decent adventure, no major story to follow, something about you as a knight being sucked into a vortex with a large cache of fruit?”
“Story is extremely basic and mostly pointless, not even in a funny way.”
“Plus there's a story about some dude chasing his stolen food!”
- grinding9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- -22 % neutral mentions
- 89 % negative mentions
The reviews indicate that grinding is a significant aspect of the game, with some players finding it tedious and excessive, particularly due to the need for upgrades and RNG loot. While certain mechanics and persistent upgrades can alleviate the grind, many feel that the game can become repetitive and overly reliant on grinding, especially in the early levels. Overall, opinions are mixed, with some appreciating the depth it adds, while others see it as a drawback.
“Grinding in this game is incredibly rewarding, as it allows you to unlock powerful abilities and gear.”
“The grind is satisfying, with each level-up feeling like a significant achievement.”
“I love how the grinding mechanics are balanced; it never feels tedious and always offers something new to strive for.”
“It's really grindy (may be intentional, but even if it is, in my opinion, it is quite a bad thing), because you can buy 'always start the game with (power-up)' and not only are there 5 of them (but to be honest only 1 really matters) they can also stack, and the amount of times they can stack depends on your level, which also is carried over runs.”
“You can purchase permanent power-ups for all subsequent runs, and the upshot of this is that it makes a game of Iron Fisticle (a) last longer and (b) be even more tedious for the first level, as you’re now overpowered for it.”
“The default weapon has both very low firing speed and range, which makes clearing rooms a chore more than anything else, and the player is expected to upgrade them through grinding.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is generally solid, though some users have reported a minor issue where the initial splash screen freezes upon loading, requiring a left mouse button click to proceed. No other inputs appear to resolve this freeze, but it does not affect the overall gameplay experience.
“The only quirk was that when I load the game, the first splash screen freezes. Pressing the left mouse button lets it continue loading as normal; no other keys or gamepad buttons seemed to work, only the left mouse button.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users report mixed experiences with optimization, noting that while most 2D games run smoothly, some 3D games require graphic adjustments for better performance. Specifically, Stealth Inc 2 is highlighted as running slowly, though it remains playable.
“I can play most other 2D games, but Stealth Inc 2 runs slowly and is barely playable, even after tweaking the graphics options.”
“The optimization in this game is severely lacking, making it frustrating to play even on high-end hardware.”
“Despite having a powerful system, I experience significant lag and performance issues that ruin the gameplay experience.”
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is largely criticized for being absent or ineffective, with many users finding the story to be simplistic and lacking in comedic value.
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is predominantly dark, enhanced by appealing pickups and weapon effects that add a touch of brightness to the overall experience.
“The game provides a fairly dark atmosphere, lightened by really nice pickups and weapon effects.”
“The immersive sound design and haunting visuals create an atmosphere that pulls you into the game's world.”
“Every corner of the environment is filled with details that enhance the eerie atmosphere, making exploration both thrilling and unsettling.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express that the game's emotional impact intensifies as difficulty increases, particularly around floors 3 and 4, where overwhelming enemy presence creates a sense of frustration and urgency. This heightened challenge evokes strong feelings of tension and anxiety, contributing to the overall emotional experience.
