Tails of Iron Reviews
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.
While exploration is fun enough, it’s the combat system that is the real standout here, simple enough to be quickly learned but intricate enough to provide plenty of variety, particularly during the fun boss fights.
I really wanted to like Tails of Iron more than I did. Everything about its presentation, from its graphics to its phenomenal storytelling, hooked me. It had everything to be one of my favorite indies of the year. But the gameplay just HAD to resort to annoying cheap tropes found in less successful Soulslikes, throwing you into waves of small rooms where you have to deal with hordes of enemies that can one-shot you just by blinking.
Tails of Iron is a piece of a decent dark story that will surely appeal to players looking for a strong experience.
Review in Polish | Read full review
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.
Tails of Iron is an RPG throwback to the classic, old school combat and strategy style seldom used that often anymore. Combined with the 2D hand-drawn environments and strategy that it employs, Tails of Iron is a welcome addition that fans of the RPG genre and newcomers alike will enjoy
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
A journey that begins with difficulty and ends more easily, which may alienate players looking for a hardcore souslike experience.
Review in Greek | Read full review
Tails of Iron tried its best to oppose the stereotypes of ‘Souls-like games are always hard’. Still it’s merit heavily relies on precise and reactive combat, it definitely feels more of a breeze than the traditional Souls-like titles out there. The story of a forgotten decedent, trying to rebuild its kingdom is very touching and boosts the heartfelt sincerity with the help of its colorful illustrations and graphics. If you’ve never tried or feared to play a Souls-like genre in the past, perhaps this game was meant for you. Could be a gateway to a new perspective to this style of genre.
Review in Korean | Read full review
Tails of Iron might not reinvent the wheel, but it introduces new ideas and a refined souls-like experience with a dark fantasy Redwall theme.
Tails of Iron is not for the fainthearted. It’s a bloody, brutal, blistering experience from start to finish. Its combat smartly mixes skill and strategy. The game will push you to your limits, but it’s hard not to have fun skewering and slaughtering your way to redemption. While the game’s scope is, unfortunately, a bit limited, I have a feeling this won’t be the last time we hear from Redgi.
Such is the story of Tails of Iron. It doesn’t accomplish anything notably remarkable, but it doesn’t have to. It’s a well-designed, fun, and engaging title that I was surprisingly addicted to.
At first, Tails of Iron beats you down so hard that you may feel it is totally unfair but when you get a handle on things and find some useful armor and tools, then you start to enjoy this fun epic heroic mouse-venture with some of the best visuals you’ll see in the word of video games.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Tails of Iron is a solid, confident entry to the genre. The tightly focused encounter design, meaty combat and enjoyable world-building and storytelling with adorable rodents who think they’re people, I didn’t find much not to like. The difficulty may be a turn-off for some, but the game keeps to the core soulslike tenet of playing fair and making sure that when you die (and you will die), you’ll know what you did wrong to bring it about. If you’re looking for a challenging, rich adventure then I’d highly recommend joining Redgi to reclaim his kingdom and his crown.
Any game that tosses in a lovely homage to 90s wrestling via its medieval arena combat portions is at least worth your good attention.
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.
While it may not wholly lean in on its RPG roots enough, Tails of Iron is an indie to squeak about. Its combat is punchy, and the charm of its striking art style is nigh-undeniable. Odd Bug Studio seemingly includes a tease for a follow-up at the game’s end, so I hope Tails of Iron does not end up underrated—it deserves a sequel.
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.
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.
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.