Aether and Iron from Seismic Squirrel is a “Decopunk Narrative RPG” set in an alternate world 1930s eta where anti-gravitational technology has taken the world by storm. The game looks extremely intriguing with a design aesthetic that’s dripping with both style and substance.
Is Aether and Iron worth checking out and should you give the game a go?
Story & Setting
In Aether and Iron, players will take on the role of Gia Randazzo. Gia is what seems to be a hardened assassin of sorts and the game will slowly flesh out her character as you progress throughout the story. The onboarding process is very straightforward with players having to click through conversations and pick the best options.
Dialogue & Choice System
Things get a bit more complicated when a dice mechanic is introduced which allows you to roll a die with a chance factor influencing your responses to NPC characters. You will therefore want to weigh up the risk to reward ratio before taking a chance with some of your questions to NPCs.
Gameplay & Combat
Gameplay in Aether and Iron therefore involves a lot of conversing with NPCs and then later on, turn-based combat where you will command your vehicle on the anti-gravity highways of New York. Using your vehicle, you’ll essentially be taking part in a tactical battle where you can use specific abilities on other vehicles.
Aether and Iron blends the tactical combat of the vehicle segments with the storytelling of the almost visual-novel dialogue sections quite well. Steeped in 1930s-eque political intrigue, Aether and Iron is at its core, a story driven tactical RPG. There’s enough here to keep you coming back for more and the game is a lot of fun. Some of the later battles can get quite intense and you’ll have to modify your vehicle and take into account each character’s specific strengths and weaknesses when in combat to ensure victory.
Storytelling Issues
However, there are a few minor gripes that I have with the storytelling. Without spoiling too much, first and foremost, one of the characters that you meet is a complete airhead and super whimsical in nature. All of this is fine but it does eventually feel a bit trope heavy and gets a tad annoying as the game goes on. There’s also some truly inexplicable decision making that takes place throughout the course of the game and it’s clearly done just to drive the plot forward. Other than that though the storytelling is generally not bad and while tastes will vary, I really enjoyed the 1930s vibe and aesthetic.
Voice Acting
Where the game also really stands out is the fact that almost every single interaction in the game is voiced by a stellar English voice acting cast. Gia’s voice actor in particular, Rhiannon Moushall has performed extremely well here. She is perfect as the protagonist in Aether and Iron and her voicework really deserves a lot of praise.
Graphics & Visuals
Graphically, Aether and Iron has an artistic flair to it that looks extremely visually appealing. The environmental backgrounds are filled with detail and when the game switches over to the tactical grid for battles, the flashy effects ramp up and it all looks fantastic throughout. Character designs are also great with their portraits looking crisp and clear.
Soundtrack & Audio
The soundtrack of Aether and Iron is amazing too having been composed by Christopher Tin and Alex Williamson. There’s a jazzy orchestral vibe throughout and it really accentuates the whole 1930s vibe and aesthetic even further.
Final Verdict
Aether and Iron is a tactical, 1930s aesthetic, story infused game that is definitely worth checking out and playing. It ticks all the right boxes and the narrative is engaging enough to keep you coming back for more. Yes there’s a few trope-filled aspects with the writing but that’s expected given the genre. The game does have a demo available on Steam too so if you’re on the fence about this one, give the demo a try and see if it’s for you or not. Chances are, you’ll be hooked instantly by Gia’s personality and the surprisingly fun tactical gameplay. Aether and Iron is easily on of 2026’s best games already and I highly recommend it.
Aether and Iron Trailer
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The game was provided to us for the express purpose of reviewing.
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