Ever since it was revealed as part of the China Hero Project I’ve been excited to learn more about F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch. The game’s unique diesel-punk aesthetic and mech-animal character designs grabbed my attention from the moment I watched the original trailer. The game has a demo available as part of Steam Autumn Game Festival right now, and it was the first thing I downloaded bright and early Thursday morning.

F.I.S.T. is a Metroidvania where you play as a rabbit named Rayton. On his home planet, a hostile robotic force has laid siege and, although Rayton was part of a civilian resistance initially, he’s since gone into retirement. That is—until his friend is kidnapped. Rayton now picks up his mechanical arsenal—including a massive fist and a drill—to begin a rescue mission and fight back against the Machine Legion.

The demo itself isn’t long. It took me sixteen minutes to complete, with two deaths along the way. But it’s a showcase of an easy-to-play, hard-to-master combat system that feels great with a variety of combos. There’s even a helpful combo list in the pause menu. The game also seems to incorporate a risk–reward system for aggressive play, and there look to be plenty of secrets for avid explorers.

I’m not sure if you start the full game with two weapons, but the demo gives you both the mechanical fist attached to Rayton’s back and a drill. The fist hits hard and is great for juggle combos; a charged attack will also break shields in a pinch. I didn’t use the drill as much, but it’s fast and can block enemy fire by spinning in front of Rayton. To help dodge attacks there’s a dash and double jump, which makes Rayton feel nimble. When I reached the end-of-demo boss, I quickly learned there’s a parry system: press toward an enemy’s attack at the last moment to counter.

Enemies flash red when they’re near death, and you can trigger a finisher that seems to replenish Rayton’s flask. I can’t say for sure, but the flask definitely felt like it filled as a reward for aggressive play and finishers—which I hope is true, because the flask restores portions of Rayton’s health. Risking health to regain it speaks to my Bloodborne brain.

In line with what you’d expect from a Metroidvania, there were paths I couldn’t reach yet that I’ll clearly backtrack to later, and I was rewarded with gold knuckles as a secret for exploring off the beaten path.

This demo is just a small taste of what F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch has in store, but I really like what’s here. Combat feels great—the weight of those mechanical punches lands with a thud—and in the boss fight, parrying into a flurry of wild attacks was super enthralling. The world is intriguing, and as I said before, I’m digging the style and character designs quite a bit.

F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch is scheduled to release in 2021 for PS4 and PC. Keep your eyes on Explosion Network for more coverage.