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Judging by the name alone, Fights in Tight Spaces has explained its gameplay in layman's terms. At first glance, agent 11, a black-and-white character, falls into a narrow space like a subway car, an apartment balcony, and a cell.
Players will then see a series of cards that, if I choose the right ability, I can put the agent in the right position and perform some cool moves. If I use the wrong card, I might crash into the road and get back to where the game started.
But the depth of gameplay in "The Secret Fight" is really amazing, it's the kind of game that can be played for hours in a row, quit for a few minutes, and then can't help but want to open. This Roguelike title combines a gorgeous and elegant style with a slow,strategy that encourages players to come up with tricks. Narrow Fight lacks narrative depth and level diversity, but it compensates for this with extremely clever Trap Battle and polished mechanics.
The story of "Narrow Fight" can be said to be worthless. My spy liaison told me that there were "ninjas" in Berlin, and that knowing this was enough to start working, after all, this is really the only piece of information you have at hand. This was followed by a series of level battles, starting with some low-level Biker Party members, followed by prison guards and trickier ninjas and killers from Europe.
Each level is turn-based, and I use my cards to navigate through the meshed narrow environment, attacking or protecting myself. For example, I can kick a villain at the bar and rush toward him, smashing his head on the bar and causing a lot of damage. I can also turn over a table, use counter-attack moves in enemy attacks, and be ready to knock the enemies who are sure to attack me the next turn.
Players can use pre-made decks or build their own decks. In pre-made decks, some cards are defensive, using grabs or counterattacks to defend against enemy damage and give counterattacks. Other cards use blades or punches to deal damage, dealing with enemies before they hit me. Fortunately, there are occasional slow-motion zooms in the game that show how Agent 11 hit someone in the head or deliver a perfect blow.
The types of enemies players face will also change their gameplay strategy, enemies with assault rifles and strong villains have different skills, if I get close to them, some enemies will attack automatically, and some enemies will wait until the next turn to use their skills.
The ideal thing to do is to stay away from their attack range and AOE skills, and if you're thoughtful, you can use the environment to create an edge for yourself. For example, I can push someone into the attack range of his accomplices and have the enemy kill each other, or kick them directly off the railing and fall into the abyss.
As the game progressed, I became more and more comfortable with the choice of strategy. Every time I win a battle, I add a new card to my deck. But there are also some less obvious ways to advance in the game.
First, I had to make sure that my deck had enough moves, attacks, and defense cards to maintain a balance. If I use mobile cards, I can keep myself safe, but it will cost combos and make it harder to earn bonus achievements. If I choose to fight, I can quickly clear the field and get rewards, but it is difficult to guarantee that I will not be hurt by it.
At the end of each inning, I have to make a choice about what's next. This Roguelike game has a limited world map in each level, and I can choose which battles I want to participate in, or go to gyms, medical stations, etc. to exchange money for permanent attribute upgrades. If I choose an event, I may also lose luck, such as gaining new abilities or extra health, etc., but I may also end up with a loss of money or health.
I can also choose to strengthen powerful skills. A booster ability allows my agent to take three damage at the beginning of each turn, and will return to full blood at the end of the level. But enhancing skills happens to be part of the developer Ground Shatter that needs to be refined, because most of the enhancement skills are only attribute improvements, and it would be better to have some effect that greatly changes the tactical strategy.
Overall, Narrow Room Fight is an unexpectedly addictive mini-game with moderate difficulty that doesn't hurt even if it fails, and I can give up the game and return to the map, or reboot the level directly after death. When I give up this round, I gain a lot of experience points, which helps me unlock more cards and decks. The process of moving forward is also a learning path, so failure is very common, not to mention that there are so many difficulty options to adjust.
But if you win, you will reap infinite satisfaction. Whether it's kicking a samurai over a balcony railing or sprinting up to a woman with two shotguns and kicking her in the face, the sort of satisfying encounters abound. Enough interesting battles and a small space to play, it will naturally lead to a cinematic battle scene. If you've always liked thrilling skit games like Trapd, Then Narrow Duel is definitely a powerful punch for Pooh.
It was released on December 2 on PCs, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
Translated by 丨 Stark Young
Edit 丨 Zoe
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