Three years in the past, Odd Bug Studio launched Hole Knight-style soulslike Tails of Iron, by which an historical clan of frogs returned to put siege to ratdom, killing our father and setting us on a course for revenge. Now, they’re releasing a sequel by which an historical clan of bats returns to put siege to ratdom, killing our father and setting us on a course for revenge. Sounds acquainted.
The sequel’s repetitive prologue combined with a prolonged tutorial makes for a snail’s tempo opening, retreading far an excessive amount of of the identical floor. The one notable distinction is that we’re within the north now as a substitute of the south, that means that the town is coated in a thick blanket of snow that makes it appear like the rats are standing amidst the coaching grounds of Winterfell.
Nonetheless, after a short while with Tails of Iron 2, it’s already clear the bats make for extra formidable enemies than the frogs. With the ability to take flight provides fight extra verticality, and with the previous sport’s clear signposting making a return—yellow sparks imply parry, purple means dodge, white means block—it’s much more intuitive than even its inspirations. Belief me, combating dragons with a sporadic Darkish Souls digital camera shouldn’t be enjoyable. However in a side-scroller the place you possibly can at all times see what they’re doing? It’s thrilling.
Tails of Iron 2 additionally introduces the whetstone mechanic. Now and again, it’ll flash purple to point that your blade has dulled, that means that it’s a must to discover a gap to make use of it otherwise you gained’t deal harm. It’s a singular mechanic that pushes you to identify opportune moments between assaults, however discovering openings to strike is already a pivotal a part of the soulslike loop. Including one other layer with the whetstone solely muddies the fight since as a substitute of utilizing these openings to assault, you’re fidgeting with an merchandise, throwing a wrench into the momentum.
In a extra mediated sport like Monster Hunter the place you might be free to flee from battles to make use of a whetstone, it really works, however not a lot right here.
Fight itself is way slicker, nonetheless, refining among the best soulslike’s already spectacular gameplay. Tools and crafting has additionally been expanded, which I’ve little doubt will open the door to extra in-depth builds and solely skyrocket replay worth. The strain of leaping out of the best way of a bat’s dive bomb to then roll again over and hack at its tail with an axe was simply as gripping as the most effective encounters within the final sport, giving me hope that—even when the beginnings are so comparable—issues will ramp up as we uncover extra of this northern world.
Talking of exploration, the rats of the chilly wastes have grappling hooks, which can be utilized to climb up ledges and get out of deep pits, including a brand new layer that makes the sport’s 2D planes really feel much less flat. I’m excited to see the place Odd Bug Studio goes with this, as a result of grappling within the midst of a boss battle would tie completely into the added verticality of the bats, bringing depth the place the whetstone fails.
Tails of Iron was already a ravishing sport, with handcrafted backgrounds that completely encapsulated the storybook fantasy. The sequel takes issues even additional. When combating Baron Frostavik as he rides the Sorchling Wingeral, a burning purple moon bleeds into the encircling clouds, staining mountain peaks and fortresses which loom within the distance behind the silhouette of an all-consuming forest. And, as we battle, the metallic riffs of the soundtrack are performed by winged bats simply out of attain, jamming as their chief smashes my poor little rat again to the bench.
Even within the quiet moments, like in the course of the first hunt with our father out within the plains, the sport is beautiful to take a look at. It feels half Witcher, half Recreation of Thrones. It is perhaps a sidescroller, however Tails of Iron 2 presents us with a wealthy, full world.
Tails of Iron 2 will get off to a rocky begin, wedging pointless mechanics into fight and repeating a narrative it simply advised three years in the past, however with such a robust basis laid by its predecessor, it nonetheless stands tall.
Gameplay is extra responsive and punchy, the visuals are extra placing than ever, the added verticality to fights makes them that rather more partaking, and the grappling hook makes exploring much more thrilling. It stays to be seen how far Odd Bug Studio takes these concepts, and the way effectively they’ll be weaved into fight, however there’s lots of promise, even when it’s at first buried beneath ill-fitting and repetitive choices.
Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter
Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter takes the motion to the North, the place a brand new evil threatens the Kingdom. That includes enhanced motion RPG gameplay and components of settlement constructing, you lead Arlo in his mission as Warden of the Wastes.
