Iconoclasts Reviews
If you have ever been turned off Metroidvanias for their tendency to prove too confusing or challenging, or pined for a larger focus on plot, Iconoclasts is the answer. By relegating the heavy exploration side of the popular genre in favour of driving a captivating narrative and characters to the forefront, Joakim Sandberg has crafted a 2D adventure that comes out as one of the most entertaining of the year, and certainly in the genre as a whole. Don't sleep on this.
Joakim Sandberg solely developed this game pixel by pixel for around 7 years, and the end result is an amazing adventure game with a lot of passion. without a doubt, this is one of the best 16-bit games of recent memory. the only negative thing about the game is the fact that tweaks are not really that helpful, which impacted our desire to discover more of the world's secrets.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
Iconoclasts has a genuinely interesting story, told in a way which is too obtuse to come across well. It also leaves quite a lot on the table without properly explaining things. Its characters are charming, lovable, believable, detestable, and sympathetic all at once, and watching them go through the events of the story can be captivating. Unfortunately, it takes Iconoclasts about halfway through before it begins to even feel like a game, and while the gameplay progresses a bit more from there, it still never reaches the heights I think it could have. At just 11 hours for the main campaign, it's something I would definitely recommend to anybody looking for something to dig into without much time commitment. Also recommended, start the game on hard mode; normal leaves things much too plain. I definitely believe that if the game's creator, Joakim Sandberg, ever places himself in the directorial and lead writer positions of a small development team, all of the depth that the gameplay and exploration elements were sorely lacking could reach their full potential and then some, creating something absolutely great.
Iconoclasts is a kind of game that no AAA studio could ever have made. It has all the mechanics, visuals and other easily judged elements that a video game needs, and nailed down really well too, but it also has a less tangible feel to it that just endears it to the player. Even among other nostalgic pixel-art metroidvania games, this one stands out, and ought to be remembered as one of the indie greats.
Iconoclasts is quite an enjoyable game. It has a strong foundation, with characters brimming with personality and a colorful world. Each location in the world has its own distinct look and mechanics that make you perfect your skills, learn how to use the abilities Robin has, and find new skills that will help you find your way into new spots. It's a game that flows well, where each area might take a second or two to find out what needs to be done, but should rather quickly pick up what needs to happen to help Robin continue her journey and save her world from One Concern.
Iconoclasts is a different type of metroidvania, favouring environmental puzzles, exploration and story over combat and variety, wrapping everything up in a gorgeous 16 bit pixel art: we cannot avoid recommending it if you're in for an ingenious ride.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Iconoclasts is an amazingly well-done game that never settles down for more than a minute, effortlessly switching from one challenge to another and never letting the player get too caught up on an area.
Iconoclasts is a near-constant delight, offering story that can be charming or silly or insightful, combat that is involved, puzzles that challenge the mind, and a feeling of endless excitement and adventure.
Iconoclasts is a wonderful mix of platormer and puzzle game with great graphics and an exciting story.
Review in Polish | Read full review
Iconoclasts is a worthy puzzle platformer unlike anything you’ll have experienced before — a true labour of love.
There's a lot to like about Iconoclasts, but it unfortunately never makes the jump from good to great. Not only does it fall into some of the pitfalls that other platformers have exposed throughout the years, it also lacks any innovation that truly wows. That's ultimately fine, as players are treated to a very polished puzzle-platformer with a surprisingly interesting story. Those who pick up the game will surely enjoy their time with it, but don't be surprised if you've felt like you've played certain segments a dozen times before.
While Iconoclasts may not reinvent the platformer, it does do the basics of the genre extremely well. When combined with a resonant, engaging story and colorful style, the title emerges as a great example of the power of one man's persistence and vision.
Iconoclasts is an ironic, humanistic critique of religion as much as it is a masterful take on a traditional game genre.
Iconoclasts is a gorgeous pixel art metroidvania with some great ideas. Action, platform and puzzles are fun. And the narrative and characters are really compelling. A total success.
Review in French | Read full review
On the whole, Iconoclasts is a memorable, thought-provoking, and enjoyable take on the Metroidvania genre which manages to stick out from the crowd with its chipper presentation and deeper storytelling style. Couple those elements with some of the best 16-bit spritework we've seen and a killer lineup of awesome boss encounters, and you've got another must-have for the Switch library. It may have been eight years in the making, but this one has certainly been worth the wait; don't miss out on this one.
Iconoclasts blends a complex story with neat puzzle platforming, and does so in great style. The game's length occasionally works against it, and the boss fights aren't all winners, but the story is worth seeing through to the end thanks to a memorable cast of characters and plenty of variety along the way. It's just a very robust, unique game that you'd be a tool to miss.
Iconoclasts isn't a trendsetter within its genre on a mechanical level. It has great puzzles and poorly-handled combat. Yet there's such huge amounts of time and personality poured into how Iconoclasts looks, and how its game world is built up, that it's easy to forgive such issues. It's a gorgeous 2D puzzle platformer with interesting characters, and that is enough to see it rise above merely being 'good'.
Iconoclasts is a pretty fantastic game. The story is fun and interesting, the controls are tight and near perfect, the art and animation is beautiful, and many of the puzzles and traversal are both fun and challenging at the same time.
Iconoclasts takes the Metrovania genre to a new level of polish and charm, with plenty of secrets and a story that's surprisingly refreshing for the genre. It may not reinvent the wheel but rather shows that there's still plenty that can be uncovered when you apply seven years worth of polish to the sidescrolling standard.
Iconoclasts has some shortcomings, such as a few overextended stages in the middle of the story and a very high difficulty in some parts. But an interesting story, puzzles, accessible skills and bosses leave just an incredible amount of the most positive emotions.
Review in Russian | Read full review