Tails of Iron 2 PS5 Review. Difficulty options in video games are often a bone of contention in the discussion around our favourite pastime. It’s a gamers choice of difficulty that usually generates the most discourse, but sometimes it can be if these options should even exist at all. More often than not my own preference is for the “Normal” option as this is usually the way a games creators intend the experience to be. However when it comes to Tails Of Iron 2, my only path forward with the game was to go the “Easy” route.
A sequel to Odd Bug Studio’s critically acclaimed 2021 title Tails Of Iron, which takes place in the Southern regions, this epic story plays out in the snowy lands of the North. There’s a Game Of Thrones vibe here with the “King in the North” parallels.
Tails Of Iron 2 (PS5) – Winter is Coming
Whiskers of Winter
Playing as Arlo, heir to the Warden of the Wastes, players are set on an adventure to rebuild their kingdom that was ravaged by the dreaded evil Dark Wings. The journey takes you across the vast lands of the North as you unite the clans of this anthropomorphic kingdom. As alluded to the default difficulty setting can be quite challenging so don’t let the learning curve turn you off. If you are finding things too punishing don’t be hasty about restarting on the Fairy Tale (Easy) difficulty. There’s still plenty of challenge to be had here in battle.
The story plays out at a satisfying pace with skills and abilities having apt time to bed-in before the next is unlocked. There is a mix of platforming, RPG elements and Soulslike combat.
What some players may take a while acclimatising to is the manual saving. This will be critical to success as failure to save often can set you back quite a bit. Luckily there are generously located spots to save your progress so it’s just getting into the habit that may take adjusting to. Those familiar with the first game will be used to this mindset and have a slight leg up here.
Look and Feel
The presentation of the visuals is excellently done, with the same diorama style of the original game. The lighting effects produce so much mood and seem to be an upgrade from its predecessor. Environments again are excellently realised with parallaxed backgrounds and foreground elements giving depth to the world. Particle effects and animations further enhance the visuals giving the sense of living, breathing surroundings.
Characters you meet and enemies you fight are beautifully realised. The designs are intricately detailed showing such care and attention from the team. The same goes for the environments that you venture around. The sound effects on show are very well done as is the soundtrack, adding to the epicness of the tale. The Witcher voice actor Doug Cockle (Geralt) returns with a gritty delivery of the narrative, fitting nicely with the mood that the visuals portray.
Rebuild & Craft
As you progress you gain the ability to rebuild some of the fixtures of your homeland. These buildings allow you to craft armour and weapons, permanently boost stats with deliciously crafted food dishes or purchase items from a shop. Getting these stalls up and running is critical to your success, giving you an edge in combat. Gathering resources as you travel and looting fallen foes for items provides you the tools with which to craft an arsenal of weapons, traps and armour fit to take on any formidable adversaries.
There’s a plethora of ways to kit yourself out with different stats and elemental resistance depending on your choice of equipment. You also unlock sorcery abilities as you advance through the story, putting the elementa spells of thunder, poison, fire and ice at your fingertips. Use of these abilities which deal considerable damage to enemy combatants, can be key especially in boss fights where the stakes are high.
The Art Of Combat
Combat is a delicate dance of blocks, strikes, parries and dodges. Timing is key. A precisely executed barrage of moves can whittle down an enemies health in no time at all. Laying traps for your foes to barge into is also a good tactic. Finding the right moments to heal too can go a long way towards success. Mixing things up with a blast of light and heavy attacks along with some spells is quite the art.
One spot where its easy to get caught out is with slowed movement from the weight of your chosen loadout. Each piece of armour and weapon carries its own weight stats so staying as nimble as possible while keeping the rest of your stats up is talent in itself. Attack animations cannot be interrupted one triggered so attention must also be on picking the delivering the right attacks at the right moments. Soulslike fans should be suitably at home here.
Knowledge Is Power
A very handy piece of kit at your disposal is your bestiary. This gives you crucial information on the enemies you face including strengths, weaknesses and items that can be looted from their slain bodies. Paying close attention to the information garnered here can swing the tide of battle in your favour.
Having just the right setup can save you from the frustration of repeated attempts at overcoming boss fights. So, time spent studying up on your adversaries is time very well spent.
Tails Of Iron 2 has a lot to offer even if you have not played the first game. With a balance of RPG elements, challenging combat and customisation there is appeal here for varied gaming tastes and skill levels. Have you got the iron in your veins to put up a challenge?
Tails Of Iron 2: Whiskers Of Winter releases on January 28th for PS5, PS4, PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.
Review code kindly provided by publisher.