Three years ago, Odd Bug Studio releasedHollow Knight-style soulslikeTails of Iron, in whichan ancient clan of frogs returned to lay siege to ratdom, killing our father and setting us on a course for revenge. Now, they’re releasing a sequel in which an ancient clan of bats returns to lay siege to ratdom, killing our father and setting us on a course for revenge. Sounds familiar.
The sequel’s repetitive prologue mixed with a lengthy tutorial makes for a snail’s pace opening, retreading far too much of the same ground. The only notable difference is that we’re in the north now instead of the south, meaning that the city is coated in a thick blanket of snow that makes it look like the rats are standing amidst the training grounds of Winterfell.
However, after a short time with Tails of Iron 2, it’s already clear the bats make for more formidable enemies than the frogs. Being able to take flight gives combat more verticality, and with the past game’s clear signposting making a return—yellow sparks mean parry, red means dodge, white means block—it’s far more intuitive than even its inspirations. Trust me, fighting dragons with a sporadicDark Soulscamera is not fun. But in a side-scroller where you can always see what they’re doing? It’s thrilling.
Tails of Iron 2 also introduces the whetstone mechanic. Every so often, it’ll flash red to indicate that your blade has dulled, meaning that you have to find an opening to use it or you won’t deal damage. It’s a unique mechanic that pushes you to spot opportune moments between attacks, but finding openings to strike is alreadya pivotal part of the soulslike loop. Adding another layer with the whetstone only muddies the combat since instead of using those openings to attack, you’re fiddling with an item, throwing a wrench into the momentum.
In a more mediated game likeMonster Hunterwhere you are free to flee from battles to use a whetstone, it works, but not so much here.
Combat itself is much slicker, however, refining one of the best soulslike’s already impressive gameplay. Equipment and crafting has also been expanded, which I have no doubt will open the door to more in-depth builds and only skyrocket replay value. The tension of leaping out of the way of a bat’s dive bomb to then roll back over and hack at its tail with an axe was just as gripping as the best encounters in the last game, giving me hope that—even if the beginnings are so similar—things will ramp up as we uncover more of this northern world.
Speaking of exploration, the rats of the cold wastes have grappling hooks, which can be used to climb up ledges and get out of deep pits, adding a new layer that makes the game’s 2D planes feel less flat. I’m excited to see where Odd Bug Studio goes with this, because grappling in the midst of a boss fight would tie perfectly into the added verticality of the bats, bringing depth where the whetstone fails.
Tails of Iron was already a beautiful game, with handcrafted backgrounds that perfectly encapsulated the storybook fantasy. The sequel takes things even further. When fighting Baron Frostavik as he rides the Sorchling Wingeral, a burning red moon bleeds into the surrounding clouds, staining mountain peaks and fortresses which loom in the distance behind the silhouette of an all-consuming forest. And, as we battle, the metal riffs of the soundtrack are played by winged bats just out of reach, jamming as their leader smashes my poor little rat back to the bench.
Even in the quiet moments, like during the first hunt with our father out in the plains, the game is gorgeous to look at. It feels half Witcher, half Game of Thrones. It might be a sidescroller, but Tails of Iron 2 presents us with a rich, full world.
Tails of Iron 2 gets off to a rocky start, wedging unnecessary mechanics into combat and repeating a story it just told three years ago, but with such a strong foundation laid by its predecessor, it still stands tall.
Gameplay is more responsive and punchy, the visuals are more striking than ever, the added verticality to fights makes them that much more engaging, and the grappling hook makes exploring even more exciting. It remains to be seen how far Odd Bug Studio takes these ideas, and how well they’ll be weaved into combat, but there’s a lot of promise, even if it’s at first buried beneath ill-fitting and repetitive decisions.
Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter
WHERE TO PLAY
Just as the Rats of the South start to piece their lives together, following the great war between Rodent and Frog, an old and unspeakable evil stirs in the North; wings black as death; fangs sharp as steel; and a thirst for blood rivalled only by their insatiable hunger… for vengeance.As Arlo, young heir to the Warden of the Wastes, journey through the vast, snow-ravaged lands of the North in an epic quest to overcome the Dark Wings once and for all. Hunt down giant beasts. Unite disparate clans. Upgrade your settlement. And discover a terrible secret of blood and crown…The time for heroes is over. For the Kingdom needs a warrior; forged of the North and as cold as the snow that shrouds these lands. A rat… carved from iron.
