The desire to be a badass secret agent is everyone’s guilty pleasure. Whether you are travelling the world or annihilating bad guys, it would never get old. Alongside this, you have super cool gadgets and some kick-ass martial arts training to unleash. Therefore, when I was given Fights in Tight Spaces to review, I couldn’t wait to experience this secret agent-inspired experience.
Developed by Ground Shatter and published by Mode 7, this is a deck-building title. What’s more, it has turn-based combat, rogue-like elements, and demands a tactical mindset. Moreover, it is wonderfully stylish, and it’s brutally hard as well. Consequently, you must plan your approach while hoping that luck and your cards are on your side.
Fights in Tight Spaces makes you feel all-powerful.
What’s excellent about Fights in Tight Spaces is how empowering the action is. No matter how much you fail, and you will a lot, you always feel all-powerful, regardless of your errors.
You control a special agent for a top-secret corporation known as Section Eleven. These highly trained operatives risk life and limb to prevent terrorist threats. However, this is easier said than done, as every goon is out to get you. What’s more, success relies heavily on the luck of the draw. Subsequently, failure and frustration are all but assured in this tough but addictive, terrorist fighting strategy title.
Violence, environment, and a deck of cards.
The action plays out across multiple chapters. If you are familiar with Slay the Spire or Cult of the Lamb, the structure will be reassuringly comfortable. Effectively, the aim is to move from point A to B by following a branching pathway. En route, you’ll encounter special rooms for healing, shopping, or upgrading/exchanging cards. In between, each node acts as a standalone arena with unique goals and special foes.
The goal for each encounter revolves around violence, manipulating your opponents and the environment. You must utilise open spaces to move your foes while making the most of your surroundings. As such, balconies, walls, and tables are effective tools to kill your enemies. However, with many foes to tackle, making the right decisions isn’t easy.
Action points, combos, and your cards.
Though Fights in Tight Spaces is predominantly a deck builder, the turn-based combat and rogue-like mechanics complement the core concept. The hero has limited AP to use and must carefully select every move he makes. With 3 categories to choose from, you can create a plan with relative ease. You may either attack, move, or block/counter. However, it wasn’t so straightforward as each card unleashes different effects on your foes. Consequently, you must consider this as well as your opponent’s strengths and weaknesses.
Alongside this, there is your combo meter to fill, your environment to be aware of, and you know exactly what your opponent will do during their turn. Accordingly, you can use this information to your advantage as you balance every element, as well as the cards in your hand.
Talking of cards, you are free to upgrade, buy, and swap out your base deck as much as you wish. By doing this, you can increase your chances of survival and extend each run that bit further. However, you still need plenty of luck to be successful.
Fights in Tight Spaces is simplicity personified.
Superhot was adored for its simple but stylish approach. Fortunately, Fights in Tight Spaces follows suit with its silhouetted protagonists, striking cutscenes, and interesting stage design. Moreover, I admired how the strategy elements evolved based on the traps and pitfalls of each level. On top of this, the basic animation worked perfectly with the simple character models and the minimalist colour palette.
The audio complemented the action with its varied but dramatic soundtrack. Alongside this, I cherished the booming sound of each shotgun blast, the rasping noise of a pistol being fired, and the bone-crunching sound of each punch and kick. In short, the audio captures the theme and brutality without being OTT or crass.
Excellent controls.
Who’d have thought such a high-energy idea would be improved by the slow and methodical nature of the deck-building genre? However, Fights in Tight Spaces makes it work. With an excellent tutorial and an amazing control layout, this is easy to pick up but wonderfully tough to master.
Rogue-like gaming and replay value go hand-in-hand. Accordingly, Fights in Tight Spaces has longevity and replay value. With plenty of chapters to complete, and the ability to watch every battle on completion, there is plenty to see and do. My only complaint is that there is potentially too much reliance on luck, which is frustrating. As such, at times you can have a powerful deck of cards, make the right moves, and still fail. Consequently, this will test your patience and resolve to the limits.
Fights in Tight Spaces took me by surprise.
This genre is saturated and there are some remarkable titles to experience. Accordingly, I didn’t expect Fights in Tight Spaces to impress. However, its interesting style, dramatic story, and combination of mechanics took me by surprise. Yes, the element of luck frustrated me, as did the level of difficulty, but this also made it rewarding and moreish. Subsequently, I loved it and I recommend that you buy it here! Can you make the perfect plan and tackle every threat? Pick your cards, study your environment, and pray that luck is on your side.
