Iconoclasts

 Switch
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 76 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 48 out of 76
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 76
  3. Negative: 8 out of 76
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  1. bskierys
    Jan 12, 2020
    8
    I was attracted by the graphics and sound affects that are extremely pleasent. Then I was entertained by the metroidvania gameplay and focus on puzzles and finding the way rather than combat skills. And then I was charmed by the characters and how your relationship with them evolves through the story. Even if the story itself is not so engaging and the world, even if original lacks depth -I was attracted by the graphics and sound affects that are extremely pleasent. Then I was entertained by the metroidvania gameplay and focus on puzzles and finding the way rather than combat skills. And then I was charmed by the characters and how your relationship with them evolves through the story. Even if the story itself is not so engaging and the world, even if original lacks depth - the chemistry between characters is what kept me to the end of the game.
    And well, then I stay even more, because I had to "complete" it. It's an open-world. I had to pick up everything.    … Expand
  2. Did-
    May 9, 2019
    8
    One man. Eight years. One game: Iconoclasts.

    I cannot fathom how this is even possible. There is so much in this game! There are many environments and they are all pretty detailed. There are a lot of different NPCs, and each have a set of unique animations, and each animation is so fluid I don’t even want to know how many different animation frames the developer had drawn for this game    One man. Eight years. One game: Iconoclasts.

    I cannot fathom how this is even possible. There is so much in this game! There are many environments and they are all pretty detailed. There are a lot of different NPCs, and each have a set of unique animations, and each animation is so fluid I don’t even want to know how many different animation frames the developer had drawn for this game (actually, I’d really like to know).

    The other aspects are also pretty amazing. There’s one I didn’t expect: The story, and the characters. It has a really interesting plot line and tackles serious subjects in a depressing pre-apocalyptic environment. Even though the game looks cute, the situations can turn bad very quickly, someone can get his head squashed in the ground when you expect him to be just taken into custody, it really reflects the mood of the world and is not trying to be politically correct.

    The level design oscillates between greatness and frustration. Sometimes, it innovates with interesting layouts and situations, and other times, it’s really difficult to read and understand where to go or what to do, or just boring to traverse. After the game was over, I wasn’t interested in finding all the hidden items, something I usually like, but here, the rewards are close to useless, it’s always the same thing: materials to craft items, and these items are not really useful.

    The bosses are well-designed and present good challenges (at least in hard mode). Except one, who is horrible because it’s so hard to understand how he works. Aside this one, all have interesting patterns and sometimes also stage layout with them.

    All in all, it’s a good Metroidvania game, but the fact that it has been made by a single person (game design, graphics, development, music, sound, level design, everything!) makes it incredible. A pure work of art.    … Expand
  3. pizzanuggs
    Jan 17, 2019
    9
    I haven't been so gripped by a narrative and characters since Mother 3. If you dig fantastic sprites and well developed interesting characters that aren't presented all "dark & gritty" you will not find a better feast.

    Boss battles are stellar and the simple platforming and puzzles between these set pieces flow with ease. It's been billed as a Metroidvania, and in many ways it does    I haven't been so gripped by a narrative and characters since Mother 3. If you dig fantastic sprites and well developed interesting characters that aren't presented all "dark & gritty" you will not find a better feast.

    Boss battles are stellar and the simple platforming and puzzles between these set pieces flow with ease.

    It's been billed as a Metroidvania, and in many ways it does function like one, though more linear than is typical of the genre. Within this linearity the game manages to tell a story with twists and turns that had my jaw dropping. The last few hours had me glued to my controller to discover where the plot was taking me.

    I'd also say, in a time where Retro style games are coming out frequently, this the first that really made me feel like I was playing a long lost gem from the 16-Bit Era unlike other games that seem to just do a good job of "looking" like one. Iconoclasts plays fresh and handles its subject matter with a maturity I wasn't expecting.

    Check it out and marvel at what a single developer can accomplish.    … Expand
  4. crotch
    Sep 13, 2021
    8
    It would have been an easy 9, but the unusual boss fights really left a bad taste in my mouth.

    There were two boss fights in particular where I basically had to look up the solution on my phone. It’s like in those point-and-click adventure games where you have to to one specific thing, and until you figure it out (or look it up), there is absolutely no progress, and you’re just wasting    It would have been an easy 9, but the unusual boss fights really left a bad taste in my mouth.

    There were two boss fights in particular where I basically had to look up the solution on my phone. It’s like in those point-and-click adventure games where you have to to one specific thing, and until you figure it out (or look it up), there is absolutely no progress, and you’re just wasting your time.

    It’s funny to think that if this game had a ”walk in the park” mode for bosses, I would have liked it *more*. This game has so much going for it; it doesn’t need strange bosses. Alternatively, the game could have given you hints during the boss fights if you die a lot and/or make no progress. Not knowing what you’re supposed to do is just so frustrating, and that’s basically why I’ll never be able to enjoy a point-and-click adventure game.

    If you play the game with this in mind, it’s an easy 9 as I said. Just pull up a boss guide and use it as soon as you don’t know what to do. And then enjoy a game with a great story.    … Expand
  5. pmasterfunk
    Nov 8, 2019
    9
    Iconoclasts is an amazing game, with some minor flaws. It plays fine on Switch, so I have no reason to not recommend for this specific platform (damn you, Bloodstained).

    The game starts well enough, with a cutesy look and colours, simple puzzle platforming action. However, for me the story lags a bit after the introductory stages. The story hasn't really been set up yet, motivations are    Iconoclasts is an amazing game, with some minor flaws. It plays fine on Switch, so I have no reason to not recommend for this specific platform (damn you, Bloodstained).

    The game starts well enough, with a cutesy look and colours, simple puzzle platforming action. However, for me the story lags a bit after the introductory stages. The story hasn't really been set up yet, motivations are still unclear, and I wasn't really invested in the whole thing.

    Thankfully, once the midway point of the game comes around, the themes of the story start getting clear, and the characters' divergent beliefs and in-world politics and hierarchy are surprisingly profound. I did not expect this game to delve into topics of religious fanaticism and hubris, but it does so skillfully enough to not be either too critical or preachy. For me, the story is the highlight of the game.

    From a purely mechanical point of view Iconoclasts works well. The graphics are wonderful, animations smooth, and the world is amazingly detailed. The controls are okay, though I have some mild issues: I find the jumping momentum kinda finicky; and I find the ledge grabbing animation too slow, and bogs down exploration.

    The upgrades are nice, but not essential and not quite useful enough for me to mess around with them more. Chests only hold items for crafting upgrades, so I did't have too much interest in searching for them.

    Boss fights - which are many and often visually appealing - are mostly puzzle bosses, which is not my bag. I've beat one boss without really understanding what was going on, and could not figure out how to beat another without looking it up online.

    Now that I've finished the game and experienced the story, I don't feel like gameplay is quite strong enough for me to want to go back, at least not right now. I am however grateful to Joakim Sandberg for writing a deceptively deep piece of existentialism without making it patronizing and fitting it inside an enjoyable and easily-digestible video game. The game took me a bit less than 10 hours to complete.    … Expand
  6. iMustang
    Jan 13, 2020
    9
    Iconoclasts ended up being a very pleasant surprise of a game. Feeling like a hybrid between Megaman and Metroid (with dare I say an element or two of Zelda thrown in there), this game delivered a very solid adventure with lots of interesting characters, a driving story, and some really good music and visuals along the way. The story is not always the happiest being dystopian, but thatIconoclasts ended up being a very pleasant surprise of a game. Feeling like a hybrid between Megaman and Metroid (with dare I say an element or two of Zelda thrown in there), this game delivered a very solid adventure with lots of interesting characters, a driving story, and some really good music and visuals along the way. The story is not always the happiest being dystopian, but that seems to only project you to not only solve your problems, but the problems of the world as well. The story of this game is not what makes it great however, it's the addictive gameplay of exploring, blasting, and taking on fun bosses. The game is also very generous with its checkpoints, making the difficulty very reasonable. Overall this one gets a strong recommendation from me, especially if your like Metroid or Megaman.… Expand
  7. MiguelAngel242
    Feb 28, 2019
    10
    El mejor juego que he probado nunca, el estilo es perfecto, la música es fantástica y ambienta genial, los bosses y los personajes tienen una excelente historia y motivaciones propias, excelente jugabilidad con todos los personajes, la historia es brutal y las armas son variadas, necesarias (no inútiles) y se adaptan al juego perfectamente, la dificultad media un poco baja porque es unEl mejor juego que he probado nunca, el estilo es perfecto, la música es fantástica y ambienta genial, los bosses y los personajes tienen una excelente historia y motivaciones propias, excelente jugabilidad con todos los personajes, la historia es brutal y las armas son variadas, necesarias (no inútiles) y se adaptan al juego perfectamente, la dificultad media un poco baja porque es un juego de historia (la baja no la recomiendo) y la difícil para los que quieren un mayor reto (también hay una muy difícil al terminar el juego para los que quieren algo como un megaman), en resumen, compra recomendadisima.

    Única pega: el sistema de potenciadores no ofrece una ayuda relevante    … Expand
  8. JonatanPedroso
    Aug 3, 2019
    10
    Este jogo é uma obra de arte.
    A História é fantástica dentro desse mundo interessante e intrigante, os personagens são EXTREMAMENTE carismáticos, é praticamente impossível não gostar de nenhum, a trilha sonora é deliciosa e muito boa, a Pixel Art foi trabalhada até os mínimos detalhes. A gameplay é bem diversificada, e os puzzles te fazem sentir um gênio quando os resolve. O game é    Este jogo é uma obra de arte.
    A História é fantástica dentro desse mundo interessante e intrigante, os personagens são EXTREMAMENTE carismáticos, é praticamente impossível não gostar de nenhum, a trilha sonora é deliciosa e muito boa, a Pixel Art foi trabalhada até os mínimos detalhes. A gameplay é bem diversificada, e os puzzles te fazem sentir um gênio quando os resolve. O game é imprevisível, e nunca se sabe o que pode acontecer. Resumindo, esse jogo é LINDO.    … Expand
  9. Tkellgren
    Feb 14, 2020
    9
    The art style is awesome, the sound design is great, the humorous dialogue is done very well, the controls are tight, the difficulty level is perfect, challenging but not to the point of frustration, the upgrade system is good, just an all around awesome game for the switch.

    Highly recommend!
  10. SenseiMiguel
    Sep 1, 2019
    9
    Me enamore de este juego. Los jefes estaban brutales. Las musicas estaban nitidas. Le di 9 porque el jefe final me decepciono. No era algo WOW que esperaba. Fue muy random. Aun asi me gusto muchisimo el juego. Love it
  11. GabFire
    Aug 10, 2020
    8
    Esse jogo é muito bem feito, história incrível com personagens ainda melhores, gostei muito do que vi e gostaria que tivesse mais sobre esse jogo, super recomendo.
  12. MechaGojira
    Feb 27, 2020
    9
    Many a folks refer to Iconoclasts as a Metroidvania, and it is...... Though it really feels extremly lacking as a Metroidvania! There is not much back tracking needed to be done as the path of progression is fairly linier. Most backtracking is to find collectables, but exploring to find those collectables does not feel very rewarding at all. The use for the in game collectables just hasMany a folks refer to Iconoclasts as a Metroidvania, and it is...... Though it really feels extremly lacking as a Metroidvania! There is not much back tracking needed to be done as the path of progression is fairly linier. Most backtracking is to find collectables, but exploring to find those collectables does not feel very rewarding at all. The use for the in game collectables just has little to no impact on the game. I regret going after them as much as I did! The game goes as far as to have dialog making fun of backtracking at one point.....

    With all that negitivity out of the way, Iconoclasts was a fantastic game!!
    The graphics, music, sound effects, Character designs, dialog, story, and the combat was all just fantastic! Definitly a game I would highly recommend, not as a Metroidvania for sure, but by its own merits!    … Expand
  13. Online_NPC
    Oct 11, 2021
    9
    Pixel-art metroidvania at it's best. At it's core, it's a puzzle game, with light combat and boss-fights to break it up. The pixel art was vibrant and smooth, the animations were crisp, and the characters surprisingly well detailed. The soundtrack was good and lots of fun with each zone having a central theme or melody. You weren't in any zone long enough o have the melody get repetitivePixel-art metroidvania at it's best. At it's core, it's a puzzle game, with light combat and boss-fights to break it up. The pixel art was vibrant and smooth, the animations were crisp, and the characters surprisingly well detailed. The soundtrack was good and lots of fun with each zone having a central theme or melody. You weren't in any zone long enough o have the melody get repetitive or boring. The story started off kind of cheesy, but the longer i played, the more I felt drawn into the world.

    Graphics: 9
    Gameplay: 8.5
    Audio: 8
    Story: 8.5    … Expand
  14. rebster
    Nov 28, 2021
    8
    I got this game because I liked the way it looked and didn't know anything about the story. Once you start playing you notice that the story is actually dark. I also don't usually play 2D platformers and metroidvanias but this game has opened me up to them for sure. It is really impressive that Joakim Sandberg made this game by himself and for that he deserves a lot of credit.

    The game    I got this game because I liked the way it looked and didn't know anything about the story. Once you start playing you notice that the story is actually dark. I also don't usually play 2D platformers and metroidvanias but this game has opened me up to them for sure. It is really impressive that Joakim Sandberg made this game by himself and for that he deserves a lot of credit.

    The game looks beautiful, the music is good, the bosses are fun to fight and the tool upgrades are rewarding. You can play as different characters sometimes which is fun too, even though I have to say that personally I didn't feel connected to some of the characters, like Mina who we spend a lot of time with. For me my favourite part of the game was figuring out how to open the gates and similar puzzles.

    At first I really didn't care for the story as it seemed too deep and out of place in relation with the visuals of the game and I was simply playing for the fun of it. The story slowly grew on me and I became interested in the politics of their world. The game has the gift of making you question what is right and wrong - there was one particular boss fight where I felt truly guilty for killing them and it left a bad taste when it was over.

    Sometimes the dialogue can run on for a bit too long and I was just pressing the button to speed through the text.

    Finding chests is not that rewarding because there aren't that many different tweaks and you don't need many materials to craft them and they're not that useful so I feel like that aspect of the game wasn't that well integrated.

    Overall it's a really fun game to play and it kept me excited and wanting to progress. I recommend this to anyone that likes puzzle solving and lots of boss fights and the aesthetic of the game.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

21
#21 Best Switch Game of 2018
59
#59 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2018

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Oct 29, 2018
    85
    I went into Iconoclasts completely blind and came out at the other end of the tunnel smiling. [Issue #36 – November/December 2018, p. 23]
  2. Switch Player
    Sep 4, 2018
    60
    Iconoclasts is a fun, but difficult platformer with a great cast of characters, brilliant controls and a fantastic soundtrack that is let down by a story with little direction.
    Read full review
  3. ZTGD
    Aug 22, 2018
    90
    Iconoclasts is a brilliant game that permeates from the amount of care and time put into it. It is by far one of the best of 2018, and I recommend everyone give it a go. It is now available on almost everything (still waiting on my XB1 version guys!) and even if you are as sick of the tried and true formula of so many other games in this genre, this one stands out. Yes it is worth noting that we are affiliated with the publisher, but I promise that has no bearing on my feelings for this game. It stands out above the crowd and deserves so much more attention than it is currently getting.
    Read full review
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