Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter

Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter took me by surprise, successfully combining blatant inspirations from the big cheeses of action RPGs and reinterpreting them in a fine, nibble-sized package. It looks simultaneously beautiful and intentionally rough, and its combat is challenging but (mostly) fair. I’m not sure it needs to continue doubling in size with its potential third entry—it’s a little fighter, and rat’s good enough.

Much like its predecessor, Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter is a solid roguelike action RPG with plenty of entertainment. However, the similarities to the first game are so pronounced that it sometimes feels like a retread rather than a true sequel. This is especially evident in the core gameplay mechanics and environments, which, while still enjoyable, hold the game back from taking the series to the next level.

Embracing its strengths and main qualities, Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter is a solid sequel, with a fun and challenging combat, impeccable art style and an always interesting universe. However, the innovations do not add much to make the game a natural evolution and ends up becoming too safe a bet.

Tails of Iron 2 Whiskers of Winter is a good and fun sequel that offers enough to keep you loving the soulslike RPG universe created by the humble Odd Bug Studio. However, lacking the wow factor of the first instalment of the saga and with some little errors, this game could have used a little something new in terms of design.

Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter makes up for it with its impressive combat, detailed visuals, interesting medieval fantasy with animals and a narrative that heightens the atmosphere. However, the game fails to build on the achievements of its predecessor and suffers from superficial systems, bland level design, unnecessary backtracking and repetitive and unbalanced fights. The new epic of the rat kingdom may please with what it has good, but it will not impress those who played the first one.