Spartan Fist
- May 15, 2018
- Glass Bottom Games
Spartan Fist is all sizzle and no steak. It looks the part, and your initial fisticuffs are invigorating. However, that fun is fleeting thanks to the gameplay's repetitive nature and sloppy execution.
Get on Steam"Spartan Fist" is a first-person puncher roguelite where you play as Emma Jones, a detective seeking a mythical relic. With each run, the arena changes, offering new items and enemies to discover. Use a variety of fist types and upgrades to punch your way to the top in this vibrant, gory game. *Please note that this summary is based on the information provided and I do not have direct knowledge of the game.
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 4
Windows
Xbox One
Linux
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- The game features a vibrant voxel art style and a catchy soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- Combat can be satisfying, with impactful punches and a variety of 'fists' that allow for different play styles and strategies.
- The game offers a fun roguelike experience with replayability, as players can unlock upgrades and experiment with different combat mechanics.
- The combat feels repetitive and lacks smooth combo mechanics, leading to a less engaging experience over time.
- There are significant technical issues, including crashes, poor hit detection, and a problematic auto-lock system that detracts from gameplay.
- The game can feel grindy, with a lack of depth in combat and limited enemy variety, making it difficult to maintain interest.
- graphics10 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The game's voxel-style graphics are praised for their attention to detail and vibrant colors, creating a cute and engaging aesthetic that complements the humor and gameplay. However, some users note that the performance could be improved, as the game experiences slowdowns despite its simplistic design. Overall, the art style is well-received, enhancing the overall experience.
“The art style is fantastic.”
“Finally, it is kind of slow performance-wise for a game with such a simplistic, voxel-stylized 3D aesthetic; more optimization is strongly recommended.”
“The voxel art style is very well done and has a lot of attention to detail.”
“The colors are vibrant, the cute aesthetic makes the people-exploding levels of violence hilarious rather than disturbing, and despite only seeing two levels so far (the open arena and train levels), I've already greatly enjoyed the variation in environments.”
- music8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the catchy soundtrack and solid presentation, others find it repetitive and suggest that it could benefit from a wider variety of tracks. Overall, the aesthetic is praised, but the limited soundtracks can lead to player fatigue over time.
“Spartan Fist has a wonderful presentation with destructible environments and a catchy soundtrack.”
“The music is solid and even when listening to an area for a lengthy period does not get irritating.”
“First of all, the music is great.”
“Could use a bit more soundtracks.”
“Gets pretty old pretty fast; punching a bunch of voxel enemies in arena after arena with the same song on loop every couple of seconds!”
“The soundtrack gets so repetitive I ended up muting the game.”
- grinding5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a significant hurdle, often feeling that it detracts from the overall enjoyment and pacing. While the game offers replayability through farming for upgrades, many reviewers express a desire for a less grind-heavy experience, noting that the grind can feel excessive and frustrating, particularly with issues like the lock-on system. Overall, the balance between challenge and grind seems to be a point of contention among users.
“It would be a short game if it wasn't so grindy to unlock some things.”
“Personally, I would have had more fun if it was less grindy to unlock stuff.”
“A good concept brought to a grinding halt by the broken lock-on system; I don't know if it's supposed to activate randomly, but many times I've hit enemies only to suddenly turn thirty degrees to somebody who's not even in striking distance.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game offers decent replayability, primarily through engaging boss fights and the farming of resources for upgrades. However, some players feel that the $15 price point is a bit steep given the nature of the replay content. Overall, it may appeal to those who enjoy repetitive, action-oriented gameplay.
“The boss fights are also pretty interesting and challenging, especially for someone who's as reckless as I can be. However, despite the replayability, which mainly involves farming guts to invest into various upgrades, I still think that the game might be a bit costly.”
“If you enjoy a bit of replayable punchy punchy, I would recommend it.”
“Around $15 is a bit high despite the replayability.”
“The boss fights are also pretty interesting and challenging, especially for someone who's as reckless as I can be. However, despite the replayability, which mainly involves farming resources to invest into various upgrades, I still think that the game might be a bit costly.”
- gameplay3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Gameplay is characterized by natural combat and movement mechanics that enhance the overall experience, with larger scale mechanics effectively integrated. Minor issues can be adjusted in the settings, leading to a smooth and enjoyable experience, highlighting the appeal of first-person melee combat.
“Combat and movement in each room feel natural, and the larger scale mechanics make sense.”
“The one or two minor complaints I had were solved in the gameplay settings, so after the testing stage, I was running the game well and enjoying myself.”
“I'm surprised there aren't more first-person melee combat games out there; it's such a fun gameplay style.”
“The combat feels clunky and unresponsive, making it frustrating to engage with enemies.”
“Movement is awkward and often leads to unintended actions, disrupting the flow of gameplay.”
“The gameplay mechanics are overly complicated, making it difficult to enjoy the experience.”
- story2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's story is minimalistic, focusing more on gameplay than narrative depth, which some players appreciate as it allows for a more streamlined experience.
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game suffers from slow performance issues, especially considering its simplistic voxel-stylized 3D aesthetic, leading users to strongly recommend further optimization.
“Finally, it is kind of slow performance-wise for a game with such a simplistic, voxel-stylized 3D aesthetic; more optimization is strongly recommended.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its clever humor, featuring whimsical elements like "dips" for upgrades and exaggerated, cartoonish violence that enhances its comedic effect. The vibrant aesthetic and well-timed slow-motion moments contribute to a lighthearted experience, making the absurdity of the gameplay both entertaining and enjoyable.
“The game has a great aesthetic, a great sense of humor (including upgrade 'dips' you put your fists into that are things like... cheese), and well-placed slowdowns like when you punch through a door, hurling some poor dude across the room because obviously when two disjointed fists are pummeling your friends, you stand next to rickety wooden doors waiting for them to enter.”
“The colors are vibrant, the cute aesthetic makes the people-exploding levels of violence hilarious rather than disturbing, and despite only seeing two levels so far (the open arena and train levels), I've already greatly enjoyed the variation in environments.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including bugs that allow players to be harmed during cutscenes and an overly simplistic AI that can be easily exploited, leading to an unchallenging experience.
“It's also really buggy; the first boss (Meow Max) can hurt you during his intro cinematic, and his AI is so easily exploitable that it's actually impossible to lose.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it frustrating to progress.”
“I encountered multiple glitches that broke my gameplay experience, including getting stuck in walls and having to restart levels.”
