Tails of Iron

Tails of Iron is a charming and often brutal Souls-like adventure, with some wonderful combat mechanics and a gorgeous hand-drawn world.

Tails of Iron is a fantastic, brutal, and gorgeous game. Placing rats at the forefront of an adventure game was a bold move, and serves the world that Odd Bug Studio has created immensely. The battle between the frogs and rats is intense, the combat is challenging - yet fair - and the wide variety of equipment is sure to make any RPG fan excited to experiment with new loadouts. I enjoyed every moment spent in the Rat Kingdom, and can only hope to see more from Redgi, his brothers, and this fantastic world.

Tails of Iron is an expertly crafted effort from Odd Bug Studio. The visual style alone is worth the price of admission, but the additional tough-but-fair combat, RPG-lite components and engaging exploration makes for a worthy entry into the Souls-like subgenre.

Tails of Iron tells an impressively deep story with no dialogue and keeps you entertained in the interim with witty charm and gruesome combat. Definitely worth a try if you are a fan of soulslikes.

Tails of Iron borrows inspiration from other challenging games, but its beautifully crafted world and thought-provoking narrative definitely deserve your attention. Every new area offers more to explore and tests your skills to see this rodent’s adventure through until the end. Tails of Iron is an under-rat-ed gem that will make a mighty fine addition to your indie game collection this year despite some rare bugs and needed updates to the combat systems.

Tails of Iron is a good game, although it cannot actually fit into one certain genre. It is not very deep or complex, as developers rather focused on implementing well a few elements. Thankfully, the exploration and combat system work like a charm and turn this rat tale into one worth experiencing. Its 2D world is truly engaging, while the challenging combat offers plenty of satisfaction once it is mastered. Tails of Iron might not be an overly ambitious game, but it is entertaining and rewarding.

Tails of Iron isn’t the biggest adventure in the world – while it has numerous maps to explore, they’re not particularly expansive – but it does have a lot of heart. It’s easy to warm to Redgi despite him not having a voice, which is quite an achievement in itself, and as you travel around his kingdom, fighting off bugs, frogs and other pesky creatures, you’ll come to care about his fate. It’s the combat that’s the real star of the show here though, encouraging you to keep an eye on the various quest boards even when the tasks they offer only send you to the same few locations.

Odd inventory design niggles aside and shopworn concepts aside, Tails of Iron is beautifully presented and a roundly entertaining, surprisingly grim action RPG that boasts a grandly enjoyable combat system. Fans of punishing action RPGs and grimdark fairy-tales will find much to love here.

This is an enjoyable Souls-like that simplifies the formula but focuses on the right elements to make it work.

Even if Tails of Iron has some flaws, starting with its back and forth and its combat system that lacks evolution, the title is simply charming. Helped by its panoply of charismatic characters, its sumptuous visuals and its successful fights requiring precision and coordination, the creation of Odd Bug Studio offers a magnificent journey that we can only recommend ... at least, if the difficulty does not suit you. Don't be afraid.

With its tough-but-fair combat, timeless storybook visuals, and unique furry fantasy, Tails of Iron is one of the year’s most distinctive RPG experiences. The intentionally subdued pace and challenging nature will definitely test the impatient, but anyone looking for a knuckle-cracking slugger, powered by a tale of valor and vengeance, will find Odd Bug Studio’s sophomore effort washes down like a fine flask of Bug Juice. Rest well, Redgi, your friends have done your memory proud.