Tails of Iron Reviews
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.
I've reviewed a fair whack of games so far in 2021 and Tails of Iron is easily the best of the bunch. Addictively deadly difficult combat, a wonderful game world to explore and a compelling story all add up to having a very good time indeed
Tails of Iron is a difficult, brutal and fascinating action-RPG, a black fairy tale that deserves attention, especially if you want an adventure with tight and powerful combats.
Review in Italian | Read full review
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 fun 2D Soulslike that will really tickle anyone who loves Redwall. The combat and world are both detailed and good, so it's a shame about all the padding in the middle.
Tails of Iron is a beautiful and charming side-scroller with brutal combat and a grim story. Fight as the rat king Redgi and reclaim your kingdom.
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.
From milking bugs to slaying frogs with jetpacks, Tails of Iron is an off-the-walls, brilliantly intuitive sidescroller, but it has a heart and keeps you gripped from start to finish as you slaughter a conveyor belt of would-be challengers. It’s not about avenging your father, not entirely - it’s about family and community. Vin Diesel would be proud. Sadly, it’ll probably get lost in the busy end-of-year shuffle among the triple-A powerhouses. But in the downtime between releases, make some room for Tails of Iron - it’s one of 2021’s best.
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.
Overall, Tails of Iron ties together a beautiful medieval world with RPG mechanics and a brutal combat system for a challenging adventure RPG you’ll be thinking about long after you put the controller down. Combat is brutally difficult, but although you’ll often be left howling at a defeat, Tails of Iron’s charming world and in-depth combat customisation will have you back before long, ready to try again. Oh, and just one more time for good measure: Damn you, Clubba!
I really enjoyed my time with Tails of Iron, it had a very mature story to tell wrapped up in a charming yet dark world. The clever use of communication between the creatures while using ‘Geralt’ for narration duties is definitely one of my highlights from this game. While I am not a fan of the ridiculously named ‘Souls-Borne’ genre, there was so much to love about Tails of Iron that it was easy to overlook. Sure, the combat was very difficult but who doesn’t like a challenge; I just hope we get to see more from Redgi and his brothers in the future.
Tails of Iron could go deeper on the story and lighter on the backtracking, but if it ever gets a sequel I hope it maintains obvious love seen in the art direction and design.
Not every task and mission is equally interesting and some of Tails’ movement mechanics feel slightly unresponsive, but those are small dings against an otherwise very enjoyable rat-centric game, and we don’t have nearly enough of those.
The small smudges reported up to this point do not compromise the experience as a whole. In the approximately 10 hours of play required for completion, to which is added another handful to complete all the secondary ones left pending, Tails of Iron constantly keeps the player's attention high, just like Redgi's shield. We are far from the complexity of a full-fledned souls-like, but the production of Odd Bug represents an engaging challenge, sometimes exciting, which will certainly keep even the most demanding players engaged.
Review in Italian | Read full review
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.
The indie developer Odd Bug Studio brings us Tails of Iron, a perfect combination of an RPG and souls like adventure that is a true gem not to be missed in 2021.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
While it never totally fails to be an acceptable action RPG, most of Tails of Iron’s initial appeal doesn’t outlast its humdrum gameplay.
Backed by a stunning art style and the voice of Geralt of Rivia, Tails of Iron is an excellent action-adventure RPG that offers a challenging yet satisfying Souls-inspired experience in a captivating medieval world.
I have to say, I don't often play games like ToI. I don't mean souls-likes, or RPGs or Indie Games. I mean games that I excitedly yell at people about. Tails of Iron wasn't a transcended experience, it won't revolutionize the gaming industry or anything. It is, however, a well-designed, fun and charming game. It's something I simply need you to experience, and if it can make me feel that way, it deserves some praise. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to beat the game again on Bloody Whisker difficulty to get that last achievement. Tata!
In my final attack on Frog Village, I found farmer frogs tending to their fields in between fights with enemy frog soldiers. Odd Bug Studios including them shows that even the big enemy isn't only evil; this is a civilization that unfortunately happens to hate Redgi's. The care and attention to world building would have been enough to keep me playing Tails of Iron, but the tight combat made it a joy to play the whole time.