Tails of Iron is a new Souls-like game featuring the kingdom of the Rats, coming from the UK-based indie developer Odd Bug Studio that also worked on 2D VR sidescrolling adventure game The Lost Bear. Over the past few years, there have been many successful indie Souls-like games such as Salt and Sanctuary and Hollow Knight, but there is something that makes Tails of Iron different from its distant relatives. For starters, Tails of Iron gets rid of the classic stamina bar found in almost every Souls-like game, and this is a deliberate choice on the developer's part because Odd Bug Studio wants players not to get too distracted by micromanaging a bar, and instead experience the combat in full.
This is a major difference when compared to Dark Souls and games of its kind, but it is merely the tip of the iceberg for Tails of Iron. As of late, the term Souls-like has become a catch-all to refer to all games with hard mechanics and intense boss fights that also happen to include more classic features of Dark Souls games or the original Demon's Souls. This has led to an increasing number of indie games that fall within that category trying major changes to stand out, such as the newly released Grime and its unique parry mechanic. Game Rant spoke to Jack Bennett from Odd Bug Studio about Tails of Iron, and what players should expect when trying the game out.
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With the stamina bar removed in Tails of Iron, there is more freedom of movement and action than other Souls-like titles, which makes combat more fluid and allows for a more immersive experience. Part of the allure of Demon's Souls and Dark Souls is having to manage an important resource that's used to attack, dodge, and parry, which can be lost in Tails of Iron, but the indie game makes up for it in other departments. For example, Tails of Iron takes from The Witcher in being largely story-driven, according to Bennett, which is not something that all Souls-like games do.
One of the most distinctive traits about this genre is that its stories are often told in fragments, or maybe riddles and clues, sometimes without explicitly stating what the main plot is really about. Tails of Iron is more straightforward with its narrative, and the game is designed to have players explore the backstory of the kingdom and why the war between the Rats and the Frogs has now reprised after years of peace. The conflict is pivotal to the story, and when the Frogs strike the Rats retaliate by taking the fight to their poisoned lands with the use of gas masks and an arsenal of weapons. Bennett said there are also plenty of armor types and shields.
"Character customization is all based on your weapon and armor loadout. Weapons come in one of three different types - swords, spears, and axes."
Another thing that marks a major departure from other Souls-likes is that Tails of Iron doesn't feature skills and talents to customize the main character, a Rat prince by the name of Redgi. This doesn't mean there won't be build variety in the game, and Odd Bug Studio made sure to have a plethora of possible combinations for players to delve into. There are 75 unique weapons and pieces of armor in the game, with the latter also coming in three different types.
"Armor can be light, medium, and heavy. The weight of the armor affects the speed of your dodge roll and your ability to evade attacks. On top of this, armor has enemy resistance, so you’ll need to select the right gear for the enemy you're facing."
Overall, despite its difference from classic games within its genre, Tails of Iron seems like a very promising title because it seeks to be a bit unusual, and that is not a bad thing. Ultimately, players shouldn't expect a Dark Souls clone, and sometimes that's for the best.
Tails of Iron will launch on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on September 17, 2021.