Tails of Iron

Once in a while, you come across a game that really gets you going. You dive in, get lost in it and lose complete track of time. Tails of Iron is one such game.

The game mechanics are simple and natural. One could even say that it might even have attained the addictive quality found only in old arcade games. You’re not gonna be spending hours farming resources to forge or build all sorts of customisable rubbish. All the goodies available to you are there in the game for you to unearth (sometimes literally) and, more often than not, you will have to fight it out for them.

The 2D gameplay keeps things simple as you only have to handle two degrees of freedom. The beautiful graphic novel style is rendered to perfection with a shadowy foreground, and plenty of depth in the background. This attention to detail is ever-present throughout the game as I even notice continuous movement in the background of each scene. I was equally impressed by the environmental soundtrack, from the rain to the eerie noises within the crypt. The tracks are anchored to scenes or objects and comes to life and fades away as you get closer or move away from its source. Occasionally, the source even follows you like a rapper with a boombox in the 80s.

Then there’s the all-important gameplay and the very key activity in Tails of Iron, fighting! I personally found this game extremely challenging. Based on visual cues, beating my opponent required patience, quick reflexes and nerves of steel. Pummelling that attack button was useless here. I had to alternate defending with the shield, evading heavy blows and opportunistically landing a few well-aimed hits. Truth be told, I actually attained that ecstatic sense of satisfaction at defeating a hellish opponent, especially when I realised that my health gauge was almost depleted!

What about the storyline, you might ask? Well there is one and it works. Nary a dull moment, you’re kept curious and often frazzled until the very end… and then it leaves you wanting more!

Odd Bug Studio, I’m in love with your work! Tails of Iron has made it to my All-Time Top 10. I can’t wait to see what you folks will come up with next!

Extras!

Gameplay trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMJF8hH8RGE

Odd Bug Studio: https://www.oddbug.co.uk/