Before Tails of Iron 2 Whiskers of Winter, there was the first Tails of Iron game which was an extremely great but super challenging 2D action-adventure game that clearly drew inspiration from Dark Souls and other titans in their respective genres. Fast forward to January 2025 and we have a sequel.
Should you check it out, and is it worth playing through? To answer that question, let’s first dive into what makes Tails of Iron 2 such a great game.
Tails of Iron 2 Whiskers of Winter
Doug Cockle, otherwise known as the voice of Geralt of Rivia from The Witcher 3, makes a return to Tails of Iron in the sequel and once again knocks it out of the park with his narration skills. Tails of Iron 2 thrusts you into the deep end. While Tails of Iron 1 focuses on Redgi in the southern region of the world, Tails of Iron 2 revolves around Arlo, a rat in the cold North.
Playing as Arlo, players will have to adventure out into the snowy wastelands in search of the Dark Wings. However, as with all action adventure games, things are never easy. If you played Tails of Iron 1, you’ll be right at home here. You’ll also appreciate a couple of things that really make this sequel excel.
Gameplay in Tails of Iron 2 Whiskers of Winter is once again entirely dependent on player skill. Its predecessor made this clear to you right from the get-go, and this time around, it’s no different. You’ll need to quickly learn how to dodge, parry, block and sword slash in order to survive. Be prepared to die. A lot. Tails of Iron 2 Whiskers of Winter is every bit as challenging as the first game was and, I dare say, even more brutal in numerous other areas. You’ll have to time your attacks and be very careful when adventuring out into the cold wilderness because danger lies ahead every step of the way.
Much like the previous game, you’ll have to really observe and react accordingly to enemy attacks. The difference this time around, however, lies with the fact that Arlo can make use of “Elementa” or magic spells that really enhance your damage output. The game features an extensive Bestiary with the enemy’s strengths and weaknesses identified for you to see so that you can adjust your attacks to defeat them.
This adds a layer of strategy to the game and you’ll want to always be prepared before heading out into the frozen wilderness. It honestly feels very Monster Hunter-like like and in addition to the extensive crafting system, it’s like a mashup of 3 iconic genres (Soulslike, Metroidvania and Action-RPG). Elements were infused into a side-scrolling 2D title that delivers on all fronts. You can also upgrade your settlement and gain access to better food items, and prepare yourself before heading out again.
Players will have to overcome the learning curve at the start of the game, but once you get going, things slowly start to fall into place, and you’ll be taking down tough enemies and traversing dangerous environments in no time. Being able to choose from a variety of weapons means that you have access to completely different playstyles. Using traps or lances is completely different to using a sword or a hammer, for example, and, you really do have to switch things up as you progress because of the enemies you’ll be fighting against.
When it comes to the story, Tails of Iron 2 Whiskers of Winter lets the narrator and the actual environments do all the talking, so to speak. Doug Cockle is truly fantastic in his voice acting and it’s such a treat listening to him in the game narrating what’s going on. The game has expanded quite a lot from its predecessor, and the sheer number of boss enemies you will take on throughout is quite a challenge. While the Frogs were the main opposing force in the first game, the Darkwings or Bats are the main antagonists here. Arlo’s on a quest for vengeance, and it really drives the plot forward.
Defeating tough enemies helps with the progression through the game since you’ll gain access to new weapons, armour and abilities, which further enhance your damage output. This feels very satisfying, and the sense of accomplishment you’ll feel when you take down a particular nasty boss enemy is immense.
Circling back to the story, you don’t need to have played Tails of Iron 1 to enjoy Tails of Iron 2 Whiskers of Winter since the two tales, while set in the same world, are not heavily intertwined and you won’t be missing out on much lore since the game does a great job of explaining things on its own.
Depending on whether you opt into playing on an easier difficulty or not, Tails of Iron 2 Whiskers of Winter will take you anywhere from 9 to 15 hours to complete, and there’s a lot of additional room for speedrunning or trying out different builds for the very hardcore gamers out there. Unfortunately, the game does suffer from a few polishing issues. Mostly with regards to the combat, pacing, difficulty and the elements or magic system making things a tad more frustrating at certain points. Much like its predecessor, there’s also a lot of backtracking, and this might annoy some gamers
Graphically, the game is every bit as gorgeous as its predecessor and has a lot more variation this time around with the different regions and enemies available. The frigid North is filled with some gorgeous locales, and once again, the art style is truly fantastic. The game also features a lot of extremely brutal animations, so it’s not for the faint of heart and definitely not for young children.
Overall, Tails of Iron 2 Whiskers of Winter is a great sequel that expands upon the original formula while unfortunately having a few issues along the way. The combat can sometimes feel very “cheap” or “unfair,” especially when it comes to certain enemies and their weaknesses.
You will end up dying quite a lot in the game and if you lack patience, it’s going to just frustrate you. If, however, you’re a fan of games that are challenging or that push you to improve your skills to defeat boss enemies, Tails of Iron 2 Whiskers of Winter definitely checks that box. It’s still a great game, and I certainly wouldn’t mind seeing Odd Bug Studio craft a third entry into the saga that expands on everything even more while further refining the combat. Give it a try if you can!
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The code was provided by the distributor.
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