PC Gamer - UK (2022-02)

Stepping into the well-polished shoes

of an international super spy tasked

with dismantling criminal syndicates,

the basic plot does little more than

loosely string together the five

separate worlds in which the action

occurs. Divided into semi-

procedurally generated

levels, each world has

you fighting through a

number of tightly

enclosed locations that

range from densely

packed subway

carriages to compact

office corridors. The

Hollywood influences

are clear and it’s thrilling to recreate

iconic film moments like Casino

Royale’s opening bathroom brawl.

Despite being rendered in the

same charming minimalist style, each

world still manages to convey a

unique aesthetic to set themselves

apart, a fact greatly helped by the

huge variety in enemy design and

combat ability. While early

introductions are limited to basic

buffs, like slightly higher health pools,

you’re soon dealing with enemies

armed with guns or the ability to

counterattack outside

of their turns. It’s good

that things start off

slow, as the combat is

deceptively deep and

can take a few hours to

master. Fights are

centred around

improvisation, and

each turn has you

juggling finite energy resources with

a hand of cards representing various

attacks, dodges, blocks, and moves.

Each card carries a specific energy

cost and there’s lots of strategy in

spending your energy efficiently with

your available hand. Incoming enemy

actions are highlighted to assist your

decision making, and you frequently

have to choose between either

evading a possible attack or landing

an extra hit on your adversary.

Knowing what’s coming next not

only lends confrontations an

exhilarating cat-and-mouse feel, but

also makes it possible to exploit an

enemy’s future moves to your benefit.

It’s hugely satisfying using your

grapples and attacks to shuffle a

group of thugs around so that they

end up in the perfect position to all

accidentally attack each other.

DECK ’EM

At the end of each turn, a new hand

of six cards is drawn at random from

the deck, and once every card has

been played the deck is reshuffled to

start the whole process again. This

core loop seems simple at first, but

the addition of Combo, a numeric

value that rises with every attack and

falls with blocking or movement,

adds an extra layer of depth to

overcome. Combo can be spent on

powerful special moves, a system

much like the combos found in other

fighting games. There are cards

which represent several injuries as

S

mashing a goon’s head against the wall before launching his

buddy out of a window doesn’t sound strategic on paper, but the

turn-based combat of Fights in Tight Spaces transforms even the

simplest enemy encounter into an intricate puzzle where the

only solution is your fists. Although its roguelike trappings can

detract from the overall experience, these moments where everything

comes together in a glorious display of violence always shine through.

BRUTAL BALLET

Think with your fists in FIGHTS IN TIGHT SPACES

By Dashiell Wood

Each turn has

you juggling

finite energy

resources with

a hand of cards

There are a huge

variety of enemies

to discover.

NEED TO KNOW

WHAT IS IT?

A turn-based roguelike

focused on intense

melee combat

EXPECT TO PAY

£19.50

DEVELOPER

Ground Shatter

PUBLISHER

Mode 7

REVIEWED ON

Nvidia GTX 970, Intel

I5-4460, 32GB Ram

MULTIPLAYER

No

LINK

fightsintight

spaces.com

Fights in Tight Spaces

REVIEW

TOP: Money can be used to pick up new cards in

between levels.