Song of Iron Reviews
I’d love to say that Song of Iron was a great game made by one developer, with no qualifiers. I think where Song of Iron has some issues has less to do with it being a solo effort than perhaps the impracticality of the extreme minimalist approach as a concept, coupled with some consistent mechanical frustrations with movement and combat. Still, I love that Song of Iron is not weighted down by feature bloat. It’s a spare, beautiful-looking, engrossing iteration of a genre that always needs fresh ideas and bold, singular visions.
Song of Iron is a short and sweet Nordic adventure that tells a simple story which ends up much deeper than it first seems. With a range of gorgeous environments to explore and relatively satisfying combat, it only occasionally frustrates with some tricky boss fights and clunky movement resulting in some platforming pitfalls. Still, these grievances don’t last long, as I found the world created by Resting Relic to be a stunning one to explore and very thoughtful in its style and presentation. Mostly, I’m just astonished with how great it is that a solo developer is capable of creating this wonderful little journey, and I can’t wait to see what comes next.
Despite a short campaign, minor bugs, and a few complaints about the controls, Song of Iron was very enjoyable; and I’m excited to see what a sequel will bring. Hats off to the one man developer for this brutal Nordic action adventure.
Song of Iron has succeeded in delivering the required level at the audiovisual level but has failed to provide the desired gaming experience but it is an experience offered by a single developer who we believe has the potential to deliver a unique experience in the future.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Song of Iron is summarized in one sentence: a work whose ideas, frameworks and correct structures have been implemented in the most wrong way possible.
Review in Persian | Read full review
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 sustain a game that is far from being enjoyable in its playable experience.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Song of Iron starts off as a promising minimalistic Viking adventure, before running out of steam and dipping in quality the longer you play - which isn't long, thus also putting its asking price into question.
Song of Iron is a very successful one-man effort that delivers an impressive action-platformer with a combination of exploration, combat and obstacle overcoming. The game has a great atmosphere and a very hilarious soundtrack which, if you're a fan and liked the soundtrack of the Vikings series for example, you'll be thrilled to hear. Unfortunately the game is quite short and the combat could use a bit more depth or variety. If you like platformers with obstacle climbing and are tempted to wander through the very well crafted Nordic world, then you will not go wrong with this game.
Review in Czech | Read full review
Song of Iron isn’t the biggest or baddest Viking game on the market, but it does manage to tell a compact story that is presented in a downright stunning way by a lone developer. It doesn’t outwear its welcome, and despite having little to no replay value outside of a painstaking achievement/trophy to complete the game without dying, it’s well worth the meager price of admission.
Song of Iron has a really great sense of atmosphere to it, but it’s rather short and has some bugs here or there that makes the experience feel as though it lacks polish.
Song of Iron brings together a visually beautiful rendition of Nordic environments and music, which is complemented by weighty combat gameplay that makes you feel like a true Viking, and while the game’s puzzles and traps are a little rough around the edges, they thankfully don’t hinder the overall experience. If that’s not enough to draw you in, simply pick it up to experience the story’s twist alone – it had me thinking I was drunk on Viking mead, it’s that crazy!
Song of Iron comes at the tail-end of gaming’s Viking craze. In recent years we’ve seen the likes of God of War, Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, and Valheim to name a few. Some of these are still receiving updates and ongoing support. As a lover of all things Norse, I’m delighted to see another game inspired by this influential and fascinating culture. But what makes Song of Iron stand out from its contemporaries is its size, style, and cinematic flair. Oh and the fact it was made by a solo developer.
In the end, Song of Iron gives players a beautiful world that is enriched with enchanting music and effects. But ultimately the game falls short. It is hampered by its controls in both combat and platforming which will likely frustrate many players. The story feels like an afterthought, and honestly had so much potential with the setting, but it misses the mark. The game could have benefited from the protagonist having actual lines of dialogue, or even dialogue choices. This would have lifted Song of Iron to another level. With all the criticism I have of this game, admittedly it certainly was a solid effort. I commend the developer for making such an ambitious title. I look forward to seeing what he is able to build on and improve with his next title.
Unfortunately, the overall combat falls a bit flat and the platforming lands more as an annoyance than something to break up the fighting. The bugs found throughout will hopefully be fixed soon, but for now I can’t recommend it.
With an unbelievable look, tight gameplay, and bravura moments which shouldn’t work yet do, Song of Iron breaks away from the pack and stands alone. It is a stunning achievement and an absolute must-play. Hear the song and join the fight.
Song of Iron offers us a fascinating and cinematic world, capable of effectively evoking the world of the Vikings and their mythology, but it counter-balances this with some technical issues and a bit too rough combat system, making the experience inconsistent and frustrating at times. I would however still recommend it, primarily to enthusiasts of Norse culture.
Review in Italian | Read full review
There were many times while playing this game that I felt it simply wasn’t that fun, but time and time again I ooh’ed and ahh’ed at the graphics and music. As it’s a very short 2 or 3-hour experience if that and the promise of a very interesting ending is enough to entice you then there are worse ways to spend your time.