Tails of Iron 2 has improved on the original in every way | Hands-on preview
I loved Tails of Iron when it came out in 2021. It was brutal and challenging, but it was also satisfying and beautiful, with a story that holds up well to many dark fantasy novels. Now, Odd Bug Studio is working on its sequel, Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter, and boy is it taking shape nicely. Clearly inspired by Game of Thrones, it takes place following the epic war between rodents and frogs from the first game, with a bigger threat emerging from the ashes of war. Buckle up, folks, because you’re in for an even greater challenge than before.
Arlo, his father, and the entire Rats of the South have done a great job of rebuilding their lives at Winter’s Edge. In the beginning of the preview, I wandered around the settlement with Arlo’s father, learning about the basics of combat, the crafting of combat, and cooking of meals, and playing around with the new grappling hook. It’s all going well until tragedy strikes in the dead of night. Getting out of bed and running outside, Arlo witnesses his father getting decapitated by the leader of a new evil. The Dark Wings are here, and they want to wipe out everyone in their wake.
Although I didn’t see a lot of what combat has to offer in Tails of Iron 2, it’s so satisfying. I won’t lie, it can be very tough. Enemies are savage and their attacks can wipe out most of your health if you’re not paying attention to their attack patterns. You also have to manage the sharpness of your weapon via a yellow gauge below your health. When it depletes, you attacks lose power, so it’s important to use your whetstone in the short breaks in battle. There are different weapons to equip like swords and axes, with each one having benefits and flaws.
When facing the jaws of death, you can block certain attacks and parry, picking the right moment to go in for a crushing blow. When you’ve done enough damage, a sick execution animation kicks in where you murder the enemy in savage fashion. Along with the normal sized creatures you need to slay, there are also much bigger enemies that want you dead. In an earlier section I fought this weird porcupine that needed to be killed. Like Monster Hunter, you can cut off body parts to weaken them, and this can make a great difference when you feel like you aren’t getting anywhere.
Again, I didn’t get to see a lot of the crafting in Tails of Iron 2, but you can collect plenty of resources from fallen enemies and craft different types of armour and weapons that have various elemental resistances, allowing to tailor your armour to whatever needs you have for any given situation. If you can remember how challenging combat was in the original, it feels even tougher here, but like the Dark Souls series, you are rewarded for learning how your enemies act and attack, making every battle feel like it could be your last.
Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter is a stunning game. The hand drawn art is filled to the brim with detail, bringing to life this bleak world you find yourself in. When I first saw these giant Dark Wings burst through the castle, I was amazed by how terrifying they looked, and when I got outside and saw them breath ice fire down upon me, I couldn’t help but think of the Night King riding on Viserion in the later series of Game of Thrones. Odd Bug Studios has made a stunning looking game, and I’m so excited to explore more of it come release day.
Although the demo was short, I loved every second of it. Hearing Doug Cockle narrate never gets old, thanks to his deep and raspy voice that does a great job of highlighting the threat and fear that the new enemy has brought to the story. The world is absolutely beautiful, and the combat offers a tough challenge with deep reward for learning and adapting. Tails of Iron 2 looks to improve on the original in every way, and from what I have seen from the preview, it’s done so in every element I’ve experienced so far.
Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter is coming to PC, PS5, PS5, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.
