Difficult video games have never really been my cup of tea. Not in the sense that I don’t like a challenge – my preferred difficulty setting is hard after all – but more that I’m not a fan of games that are hard by design, such as the praised Soulsborne games. I’m a fairly impatient player at the best of times; I go without upgrading for long periods and I prefer to attack at will rather than having a balanced diet of attack and defend. As a result, any mention of the terms ‘punishingly brutal’ or ‘Souls-like combat’ is enough to make me quiver in fear at the thought of the beating that awaits my pride. But if there’s any game of that ilk that could twist my arm and convince me to play it’s one with anthropomorphic animals. So when I was offered the chance to preview Tails of Iron, one of my most anticipated titles of the year, I jumped at the opportunity to embarrass myself in front of the game’s developers.
Tails of Iron is a 2D RPG adventure from the Manchester-based Odd Bug Studio and publisher United Label, where players take control of Redgi, a young rat who is heir to the Rat Throne. But during his ascension to the murine throne, Redgi’s kingdom is invaded by the ruthless Frog Clan, led by Greenwart, and Redgi must now restore the kingdom by sending the Frog Clan back from whence they came.
My preview session gave me a look at the game’s opening 40-ish minutes, with Tails of Irons’ Producer and Designer Jack Bennett riding shotgun, giving me tips and answering my questions whenever I had them.
The first thing to note is just how amazing the hand-drawn art style is. Environments and characters have a ton of detail, seriously feeling like you’re playing inside the pages of a Redwall book or a fairy tale, which is quite fitting given the menu design is that of a book, and Bennett tells me that’s what Odd Bug Studio was going for.
“We want our games to feel like a Grimm’s fairy tale, where we have this cute world but underneath there’s a dark and scary story,” says Bennett.
When I ask about what influences helped shape the art style, Bennett tells me that the game’s environment artist is from the Czech Republic and as a result the art style has a ton of Czech influence.
“Things such as the thick black lines that border the characters and environments are heavily inspired by the Eastern European woodblock printing,” Bennett says while laughingly dismissing the Darkest Dungeons similarities.
The early stages of my preview act as a tutorial of sorts, introducing me to the mechanics of the game, as well as setting the narrative up. The game begins with Redgi waking up from a solid night’s sleep after being woken by one of his father’s (King Rattus) servants who informs him that he requires an audience with young Redgi.
As the characters start talking I was expecting to hear human voices, but instead each character utilises different sounds with accompanying speech bubbles to convey what they’re talking about. Bennett explains that this was a design choice that was inspired by the late-60s-early-70s British kids show The Clangers. Then came one of the game’s drawcards, the gravelly yet soothing voice of Doug Cockle (of Geralt of Rivia fame), who narrates the game’s story beats. Bennett reveals that it was United Label who made Cockle’s narration in Tails of Iron happen after they sent him a build of the game which he loved.
The art style is amazing
From here Redgi throws on some basic armour which gives us a look at the loadout screen and how it will work. Redgi’s armour consists of a helmet, chest armour and a shield, and as with most RPGs the armour you choose will have its pros and cons. Heavier armour will mitigate the damage taken but will make you slower, whereas a light build will be the opposite. Otherwise you can choose medium armour for a nice balance, or you can mix and match between all three for each piece of equipment should you wish.
Chatting with his father, Redgi learns that he must fight his brother Denis, with the winner being crowned the Kingdom’s new king. However, Redgi cannot partake in the royal rat donnybrook on an empty stomach, so King Rattus tells his son to go have a pre-fight feed. This is where we dabble in the game’s cooking mechanics, with Redgi tasked with finding ingredients for the chef (another one of his brothers) to use. Once the meal is eaten, Redgi’s health will increase, and no this isn’t something you need to do often (or at all according to Bennett). But the meals act as a health upgrade, so it comes recommended. However, I must say there’s something cathartic about eating a meal while Doug Cockle is telling a story.
Now it’s time to prepare for battle and so we venture to the blacksmith (yep, another one of your brothers), who tells me that if I find weapon and armour blueprints in the world he will forge them for me, but as I don’t have any blueprints I’ll have to use the armour and weapons I already have. It’s worth noting that blueprints aren’t the only way to acquire new armour or weapons, with Redgi able to pick up items on his journey.
Next up is the combat tutorial, and for the most part it’s simple enough. Enemy attacks have colour-coded indicators that will indicate whether Redgi must dodge, block or parry. Redgi’s attack is mapped to the right bumper (if you’re a controller peasant like me), which can either be a simple hack and slash with a press or a charged attack when holding the button. Bennett tells me that one of the reasons why they chose this button layout was to utilise the features of the DualSense controller’s adaptive triggers.
Frogtality
Environments and characters have a ton of detail, seriously feeling like you’re playing inside the pages of a Redwall book or a fairy tale
After completing the tutorial, the player will then learn that Redgi can regenerate his health by drinking bug juice, which Redgi will keep in a flask that can be refilled from kegs found in the world or bugs killed on your travels.
With all that in mind, I am ready to face off against Denis and claim the rat crown, but not before Bennett gives me one crucial piece of advice: save as often as you can. Save points are fairly generous and can usually be found in key locations, taking the form of wooden benches accompanied by a lamppost with a blue light.
I finally get a taste of the game’s combat and although it’s not a walk in the park, I defeat Denis and my confidence rises a little bit, but then Bennett tells me that Denis is the most basic of enemies and on cue Greenwart’s invasion occurs and he beats me to a pulp.
With the frogs slaughtering every rat they can find, Redgi is one of few survivors left and his journey to restore the kingdom begins. Trekking back through the village and the castle, Redgi will have to fight his way past the bloodthirsty frogs. Frequently you’ll have to battle multiple enemies at once, meaning you’ll have to have your wits about you with enemies attacking from close range and distance. Making the whole experience even better is that the combat is extremely smooth and satisfying, and the frogs will even spurt green blood when attacked.
My preview culminates in a tussle against of one the game’s first boss-type enemies, and while I was more than a match for my giant frog enemy, not for the first time this session my impatience cost me; instead of playing smart I tried to bite off more than I could chew and paid the price. Thankfully I had enough time to give it one more crack and this time played with a little more strategy and much to the delight of Bennett, I was able to come out victorious.
It’s clear that the team at Odd Bug Studio has poured a lot of love into the world of Tails of Iron. While I have only scratched the surface with my tiny rat claws when it comes to Redgi’s journey, what I have played so far has a ton of potential and I can’t wait to dive in further next month.
Tails of Iron will launch on September 17 on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X&S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC.
