It's been four years since Fights in Tight Spaces grabbed turn-based tactics by the collar and beat it about the head with a stack of collectible cards, so the fact that it's getting an expansion this far out was a surprise in and of itself. That this DLC primarily adds a dog to help you batter baddies in cramped conditions is, if anything, a pleasant bonus.
For the uninitiated, Fights in Tight Spaces takes the tactical layer of games like X-COM and replaces the aliens with a heavy dose of John Wick. Playing as suave silhouette Agent 11, each level places you in an isometric, turn-based action scenario filled with monochromatic goons, then deals you a handful of martial-arts themed playing cards. You need to play the cards to take out your opponents in the most efficient way possible. It's a straightforward premise, but one sleekly presented and with more depth than you might expect.
The DLC, named K9 Division, adds a helpful hound into the game's card-based brawls. According to developer Ground Shatter, this involves more than just an extra character to play with. While Agent K can fight on their own terms using an array of dog specific moves such as biting enemies, intimidating them by barking, or distracting them to give Agent 11 more breathing room, the DLC also layers in an "all-new assistant system" that allows both agents to team-up for flashy combinations.
You can experiment with this system via not one but two canine starter decks, each offering a slightly different hound-assisted fighting style through a total of 50 new cards. The DLC also brings a "remixed story mode" letting you experience the game afresh with Agent K's assistance, as well as new enemies for you to batter/bite. Oh, and in case you're wondering, yes, there is a card for petting the dog.
If you're wondering why Fights in Tight Spaces is getting this DLC four years after launch, it seems K9 Division ports over some of the companion systems seen in Ground Shatter's sequel Knights in Tight Spaces, which released earlier this year. While a decent follow-up, Knights doesn't appear to have gone down as well as Fights did. Knights' 'Mostly Positive' Steam reviews claim that it's a richer experience all-told, but one that takes a while to show its strengths, lacking the more immediate appeal of its predecessor.
In any case, Fights in Tight Spaces: K9 Division is available now, with an RRP of $10 (£8.50) Ground Shatter is currently running a 10% launch discount, bringing that price down to $9 (£7.65) until October 2.
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