We're returning to the rat kingdom of Ratdom, this time as Arlo, the heir to the title of protector of its northern regions, in what British developer Odd Bug Studio calls an "evolutionary, not revolutionary" sequel to their 2021 game Tails of Iron.
The fact that this is an iterative sequel is immediately noticeable: Odd Bug Studio has retained their hand-drawn art style (thank goodness for that; it's still one of the best art styles I've seen in an indie game), and Doug Cockle, the voice actor behind Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher, is back as narrator, all while the extremely challenging but deeply satisfying Souls-inspired combat system is back with new, welcome additions.
Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter, like its predecessor, is a feast for the eyes. The game resembles a vivid medieval picture book as the rat knight makes his way through new hand-drawn environments such as golden forests, deep underground tunnels, and snowy landscapes while impaling, crushing, or chopping off the heads of everything from spiders, beetles, and snakes, to owls, frogs, and especially bats.
Although the frogs, the main villains from the original, return in a limited format, it is the bats, the so-called Darkwings, that are the rats' new archenemy. The game starts out peacefully in the castle of Winter's Edge, as rat father and son go hunting together to teach you, the player, the fundamental gameplay mechanics. However, it isn't long before Winter's Edge is attacked by the bloodthirsty bats and their sinister leader. Arlo barely survives and it's up to him to rebuild Winter's Edge by recruiting various specialists, such as a blacksmith, a cook, and a trader, from other races in the animal kingdom.
Although the narrative itself is rather dry, Doug Cockle delivers it with as much enthusiasm as he can muster. Unfortunately, his narrative reading often takes place during active gameplay, so you tend to struggle to hear what's being said. Not that I miss cutscenes in a game like this, but it's hard to concentrate on reading subtitles or listening to a narrator while trying to make it through one brutal battle after another.
Combat, like its predecessor, is the meat and potatoes of the game, and it's not for the faint of heart. The game is at its most difficult at the start, where Arlo has limited abilities and so little life that he dies in a few hits. The first real boss the game throws at you might make you abandon the game altogether - or at least lower the difficulty level (there are three, and the recommended middle one is really challenging, believe me). If you overcome this inexplicably insane difficulty spike, the game will quickly feel more tangible as you pick up new weapons, armour, and spells.
Although the combat system is more or less identical to its predecessor, it now feels far more dynamic thanks to the addition of various projectile-based weapons, traps, and other consumable items, and not least magic. The latter in particular is crucial to defeating some of the game's many challenging bosses. Otherwise, you still need to dodge attacks marked with red crosses and circles, block projectiles marked with grey crosses, and parry special attacks marked with yellow crosses. Parrying properly, however, requires a great deal of trial and error, which is why you often have to roll around the arena like a madman (it's highly recommended not to wear too heavy armour, which hinders Arlo's mobility).
After the original, I noted that I was ready for a sequel if developer Odd Bug Studio addressed the sometimes poor pacing, the heavy reuse of content, and the lack of fast travel. And while they've obviously heard my and other reviewers' criticisms, I don't think they've been adequately addressed. Yes, they have implemented a fast travel system where you can buy checkpoints around a given map and teleport between them. But these checkpoints feel very randomly placed and still leave large parts without fast travel options, which is why you end up running back and forth too much in the same environment, just like in the original. Granted, at least you can sprint now.
Tails of Iron 2 is a significantly longer game than its predecessor, so I don't know if I'd say the pacing is tighter, but it does feel like there's more momentum in the game. And of the side content, the new Monster Hunter-inspired beast hunts, where you go out to take down big bosses, are clearly more engaging than anything in the predecessor. However, the side content still suffers from too much reuse and you can still only have one side quest active at a time, which together with the sub-optimal fast travel system contributes to an artificial extension of the game via backtracking. Tails of Iron 2 also adds a base building system and a couple of crafting systems, and while they are very shallow and linear, one of the great joys of the game is crafting new brutal weapons and stylish armour for Arlo, of which there are plenty this time around.
I also can't help but be annoyed that more effort wasn't put into improving the level design. Since the game is first and foremost an action game, it's fine that you mainly just move from one combat scenario to another, but since you fight many of the same enemies and constantly backtrack through familiar environments, I can't help but feel that some platforming or puzzle-solving sections would break the monotony. Especially with the new addition of a grappling hook that is not used in combat, but only occasionally used to passively cross distances where jumping is not an option. I feel it's a missed opportunity not to be able to use the grappling hook as an active tool for platforming or manipulating objects such as enemy shields.
It may sound like I'm more negative about Tails of Iron 2, but that's not true at all. I just wasn't expecting a sequel, so it's a shame that Odd Bug Studio manages to make many of the first game's mistakes again, even though it takes crucial steps in the right direction. If you're looking for a competent Souls-like game with brutal boss fights, lots of cool weapons, and armour, and not least a gorgeous art style, then Tails of Iron 2 is a strong choice. For the most part, I enjoyed my 10-15 hours with the game, even though I was constantly nagged by the feeling that something more than just a solid game was lurking around the corner.