Aether & Iron Reviews
Aether & Iron is a stylish and ambitious narrative RPG set in a retrofuturistic 1930s New York. Its strongest elements are its rich worldbuilding, sharp social themes, and noir-inspired storytelling, driven by meaningful choices and an introspective protagonist. While its tactical combat and RPG systems take a back seat, the game excels where it matters most, delivering a cohesive, immersive experience that feels fresh and distinct.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
If you can look past the technical struggles of Aether & Iron, you will find a gripping narrative fueled by colorful characters and an equally colorful world. Gia’s journey to find who she wants to be, and what she wants to do, gripped me from start to finish. The side characters are lovely and diverse, representing different walks of life throughout New York. The combat is fun and interactive, even if surprisingly difficult in moments. In the end, Aether & Iron is an experience worth having. Just know that nothing and no one is flawless in New York City.
While drawing inspiration from tabletop adventures, it certainly isn’t short on ideas, as it combines an alternate history 1930s decopunk setting with an intriguing turn-based combat system replicating car chases. Its fine use of noir stylings within its story and narrative helps give players an engaging experience, even if there are some missteps along the way.
Despite occasional stalls, this combination of tactics and talking has plush-leather depths worth sinking into.
Aether & Iron takes immense joy messing around in the noir decopunk playground it has constructed, and that joy is often infectious. Some polish, mechanical depth and omissions aside, Aether & Iron’s world and characters monologued their way into my heart, and the inventive tactical car combat, charming indulgence of tropes, and overall direction make for a glamorous and gold-embellished package that deserves to have its name in lights for a time.
A classic noir that tastefully departs from its ilk in meaningful ways, namely its cast and setting.
Aether & Iron may be blunt and occasionally cliché, but its phenomenal writing makes it one of the strongest Disco-likes yet.
Aether & Iron is a very promising title that tells a highly compelling story of power and class, and is crowned with one of the most clever SRPG battle systems on the market. However, it is full of disruptive glitches and bugs that rear their heads far too frequently, which prevent the mind from fully engaging with the wonderful story. Signs indicate that the developers are quick to fix issues as they arise, so there is reason to believe they will get fixed over time. However, at the moment of writing, the flaws are too numerous to overlook. This makes it difficult to fully recommend the game to a wider audience than hardcore SRPG and aetherpunk dystopia fans. For those that love these aspects, though, there are few titles on the market that will scratch that itch as well as Aether & Iron.
Aether & Iron looks like it will be a very big and unique RPG. Its story-driven decisions, innovative vehicle combat, and dice-based decision-making make for an experience that feels both new and well thought out.
Aether & Iron isn't trying to be all things to all people. It's a slower, more thoughtful game that depends a lot on its story and systems. That strategy won't work for all players, especially those who want action all the time or rewards right away.
I fell so in love with Giovanna 'eight shots' Randazzo and the "decopunk" world she inhabits that I can easily overlook the problems it has with its narrative and technical aspects. It's a great narrative RPG, and I'd love to see its universe expanded in future games. The 'lore' was great, the turn-based vehicle combat was challenging and exciting. The visual art and musc are perfect. I wish it had better plot points and didn't run so bad in my PC, but I really didn't care that much about those issues.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
In the end, Aether & Iron was the game I had only dreamt of prior to its release. It is a game that leads with evocative writing, flawlessly performed by a gifted voice cast, and set within an avant-garde world of compelling ideas. The vehicular tactical combat, dice-based skill checks, robust RPG elements, and sophisticated score only add to the wonder of how such a small studio has pulled off the most ambitious game of the year to date. It goes to show that you don’t need a high-fidelity, AAA open world to fully immerse a player; rather, just as much can be accomplished with an imaginative script that doesn’t waste a single word.
Despite a few slightly complicated systems, Aether & Iron left a really positive impression on me. The world-building is excellent, the characters are engaging, and the combination of noir storytelling with sci-fi elements makes the setting stand out. The dice-based dialogue adds unpredictability to conversations, while the turn-based car combat offers something genuinely different from most RPGs. It’s definitely a dialogue-heavy experience, so players looking for constant action might not connect with it. But if you enjoy story-driven RPGs and like the idea of something a bit unusual, there’s a lot here to appreciate. With its distinctive setting, strong writing, and creative mechanics, Aether & Iron feels like an RPG that isn’t afraid to try its own ideas, and for the most part, it succeeds as well as makes me want to shop for a fine waistcoat and hat.
Aether & Iron pulls players into the role of a well-written anti-heroine and a gorgeously-drawn art deco setting, and adds turn-based vehicular combat and a simple-but-effective RPG system to create a fantastic debut title for developer Seismic Squirrel that feels thematically relevant to our modern struggle. Its worldbuilding leaves a bit to be desired, but if you can take it for what it is, it delivers on its promises very well.
Superbly written and acted with some of the finest worldbuilding in any RPG this decade, Aether & Iron is an instant classic and one of the best games of the year.
Aether & Iron is an RPG of masterful writing and stark contrasts. There's a lot to praise between the combat and the narrative, but it's the characters that make this New York a city with breathing lungs and a beating heart. It's truly something special.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review