Song of Iron

 Xbox Series X
User Score
6.6

Mixed or average reviews- based on 7 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 7
  3. Negative: 2 out of 7

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  1. NICKOODEMUS
    Jan 9, 2022
    9
    Great little game developed by one guy. It's got alot of character and love poured Into it. Support games like this!
  2. Karottedraak
    Mar 21, 2022
    7
    Like other people say this game looks great and has an interesting way of telling its story and your discovery. Also its made by one person which is really incredible to see. But the biggest let down is the combat, the controls are super flooty and you hit insanely slow. Also the enemies do not seem to have really tactics into killing them its just mindless block and hit. The reason thisLike other people say this game looks great and has an interesting way of telling its story and your discovery. Also its made by one person which is really incredible to see. But the biggest let down is the combat, the controls are super flooty and you hit insanely slow. Also the enemies do not seem to have really tactics into killing them its just mindless block and hit. The reason this is a problem is because in the trailer everything looked super satisfying into throwing your weapons to just blocking and hitting. In the game itself everything feels kinda off.

    But the game is around 3 hours long so its not a big deal and it does not ruin your experience. pretty solid game after all.    … Expand
  3. Koteevich
    Jan 28, 2022
    9
    Bad translation. Lots of bugs. Poor control (which you get used to, but still). But damn it, a gorgeous soundtrack, stunning stylish graphics, a great atmosphere atones for all sins! After all, the game was made by one person, and considering this, the game is really cool! I am really pleased with the passage of this little masterpiece.
  4. MikeSzoke
    Sep 7, 2021
    8
    A tale of revenge set in the Norse wilderness. You’ll come head-to-head with all manners of beasts and men in your climb up the mountain in Song of Iron. The title is an intense action -adventure, side-scroller game created by solo developer Joe Winter for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC.

    The story of Song of Iron is told in a very subtle way. The protagonist does not speak, or at    A tale of revenge set in the Norse wilderness. You’ll come head-to-head with all manners of beasts and men in your climb up the mountain in Song of Iron. The title is an intense action -adventure, side-scroller game created by solo developer Joe Winter for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC.


    The story of Song of Iron is told in a very subtle way. The protagonist does not speak, or at least we do not hear or see the words that they say. Instead, details are revealed through interactions with the boss like enemies found throughout the journey.
    Your main goal, however, is to seek revenge for the elimination of your people by forces led by a man known as Wolfric. Otherwise, the greater details of the struggle our protagonist faces isn’t fully revealed until closer to the end of the game.
    The way the story is told reminds me heavily of Samurai Jack; very little dialogue, subtle details and clues alluding to the greater image; a heavy emphasis on emotion and tone. This is all perfectly embodied by the structure of Song of Iron.
    Without revealing too much, there is a twist towards the end of the game that threw me for a bit of a loop. It did a superb job of subverting expectations, but the drastically change in tone was a smidge jarring and even disappointing to a degree. Although it was still executed well, it makes me wonder what other directions the game could have gone in.


    The gameplay in Song of Iron is packed with mechanical depth; a side-scroller is inherently a bit restricted in what it can accomplish - at least traditionally. But the way that Song of Iron incorporates the many different weapons you can come across, the step-back/doge mechanisms, stealth, and even enemy placement, really helps to flesh out the experience. Then you begin to accumulate relics from the Gods that give you magical abilities such as being able to call your thrown weapon back to you or bathe your weapons in fire.
    The way that enemies can come at you from any direction can really make you feel surrounded, despite it being a side-scroller. While they’ll eventually wind up on the same lane as you, enemies can be anywhere in the environment which allows for sections where you can choose to get by with stealth. The stealth works well at adding an extra layer of depth to the gameolay, making you aim to avoid the sights of the enemies around you by planning your movements carefully or hiding in the shadows. I found the game to be considerably balanced as well. Enemies were a challenge, but not one that felt unlikely to be overcome. Bosses were extremely tense and even brutal at times, but they never took more than a handful of tries to take down. With your growing arsenal of magical abilities throughout the journey, the scale in power is noticeable, yet new enemies are consistently introduced to keep pushing your skills.
    There is room for more polish in general with Song of Iron but with combat especially. I had some animations glitch - or my character freezing - requiring me to double tap the thumb stick to regain control. There was one instance with a puzzle where I had to move a block out if a doorway in order to progress, but the grab function simply wouldn’t work correctly. I managed to get around it by finding a way to break the game a bit by pushing the block into the asset it was stuck in. The issues with Song of Iron are, for the most part, rather minor, but their impact on the experience is certainly still to a noticeable degree.


    The art style in Song of Iron is beautiful. The way the drab environments are highlighted by the usage of lighting is mesmerizing at times. From fire dancing in the shadows, to the glow of ancient shrines, the title takes rather simple settings, but turns them into these breath-taking backdrops. You feel puny in comparison to the world around you. Even some of the monsters you come across will vastly outsize you in every way. This method of evoking emotion was masterfully executed. It added to the experience, the intensity of the journey, while creating some stunning scenes for your eyes to take in. The settings you come across are also diverse in their design. From snowy mountains, to goblin caves, to burning forests, Song of Iron has a lot to offer in artistic creativity. Progression between environments ties together the world to the struggle of the protagonist in a very interesting way.

    Overall, Song of Iron is a refreshing take on the action-adventure side-scroller formula. The intense action, immense world, and depressing tale all come together to create an experience that many will not want to miss out on. Song of Iron resembles the atmospheric games Inside and Limbo, but with a heavier focus on combat. The title isn’t without some polishing issues, and direction choices that might fall flat for some, but these flaws do not detract from everything the adventure has to offer.

    A key was provided by Resting Relic for review    … Expand
  5. JohnSnow117
    Sep 1, 2021
    9
    Like lightning from Thor’s hammer, Song of Iron slammed home this week. If you are looking for something to scratch that Viking itch you were left with after Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s recent conclusion then this game is it. Solo developer Resting Relic has given us a perfect balance of old and new with his debut offering. From dark caves, to snowy mountains and beyond, the environmentsLike lightning from Thor’s hammer, Song of Iron slammed home this week. If you are looking for something to scratch that Viking itch you were left with after Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s recent conclusion then this game is it. Solo developer Resting Relic has given us a perfect balance of old and new with his debut offering. From dark caves, to snowy mountains and beyond, the environments in Song of Iron perfectly showcase what I’m sure developers from decades past imagined, but simply didn’t have the technology to deliver. The Xbox Series X I played it on had no problems bringing this masterpiece to it’s full potential however. While the split-second timing required to complete some of the platforming sections resulted in more than a few deaths for my poor víkingur, these tragedies were short lived thanks to the game taking full advantage of the SSD’s ultrafast loading speeds. You’ll need a sharp mind to go with those quick reflexes if you hope to navigate some of the puzzles you will encounter in your quest to save your people. While not overly difficult by any means, Song of Iron stays true to it’s retro roots by not holding your hand. Don’t expect any maps or flashing arrows to guide you to the game’s conclusion. Just know that when you finally do find your way there you will be blessed with an ending even M. Night Shyamalan would be proud of!… Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
74

Mixed or average reviews - based on 5 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 5
  3. Negative: 0 out of 5
  1. SomosXbox
    Sep 29, 2021
    60
    Song of Iron is a game that has bet everything on its visual section, and although it is true that the result here is outstanding, it is not enough to support a game that is far from being enjoyable in its gameplay experience.
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  2. Everyeye.it
    Sep 12, 2021
    68
    Made in Unreal Engine by a single man, Song of Iron is a product that thrives on light and shadow, a certainly remarkable accomplishment that however failed to fully satisfy us on the playful front. Fans of adventures steeped in Norse mythology and out-of-the-box twists would do well to give it a chance - especially if at a discount - but those who expected a more complex and refined experience in terms of platforming and combat system would do well to weigh with attention to the critical issues of the game. Having said that, we hope that Joe Winter and his Resting Relic can follow up on Song of Iron and this time with some extra help, so as to fully exploit the potential of the ideas behind the progenitor.
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  3. Xbox Tavern
    Sep 7, 2021
    86
    Song of Iron is possibly one of my favourite games of 2021. It has a perfect playtime with just the right amount of difficulty to leave you at times pulling your hair out and feeling a brilliant sense of accomplishment when you have killed an enemy or a boss. Song of Iron‘s music is a great accompaniment, the Nordic feel pulls you in and immerses you completely. As you’re going through the game you pick up powers which include faster running helps you jump over those big gaps, fire and electricity for your sword and arrows as well as my personal favourite: calling back your sword after you’ve thrown it into an enemies head. At just a couple of hours long, this comes highly recommended.
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