I think we might be witnessing the birth of a new genre: Rat Souls. Nah, I’m kidding. It’s just the people from Odd Bug Studio doubling down on the success of the first Tails of Iron game. The victory of Redgi, king of the rats in the South, was short-lived. An even deadlier foe prepares their army in the North. This calls for a new hero to take up arms and prevent the extinction of rat kind. Arlo, our new protagonist, will have to go toe to toe with the bats of the Dark Wings clan.
We don’t know much about Arlo as a main character for now. He is called “heir to the Warden of the Wastes” by the developers. But we have yet to find out what this means. Is he the prince of the rats in the North, very much like Redgi when he started his journey in the first Tails of Iron? Is it what this new kingdom is called? Or are the Wardens of the Wastes a faction tasked to maintain peace in the North? I’m thinking about something similar to the Grey Wardens from the Dragon Age games when I say this. We’ll have to wait until January 28th to see.
Geralt The Great White Rat
Legendary voice actor Doug Cockle returns as the narrator of this epic tail (very much intended pun) about rat bravery. I couldn’t imagine a better fit for such a dark setting than Cockle’s low and hoarse voice. You can get a sneak peek of what to expect from him in the most recent trailer for the game. He’s already known for his role as Geralt of Rivia in the Witcher games and the newest Netflix animation. He made quite the impression narrating the first Tails of Iron game. And I can only expect him to deliver this time, as well.
As you would expect from a souls-like, fighting bosses seems to be the highlight of Tails of Iron 2. And it looks like evil bats won’t be the only ones you’ll have to watch out for. Luckily, you have all the mechanics you’d expect to face these dangerous enemies: dodge-rolls, parries, and brutal executions. You also have access to spears, bows, and maces, depending on your playstyle. The developers also mentioned a new type of weapon, traps. I also caught a glimpse of guns being used during enemy encounters. All in all, we’ll have a variety of options regarding how we tackle combat.
Unlike the previous installment, this one seems to put a lot more emphasis on base-building. In the first game, your kingdom acted like more of a prebuilt hub. But in Tails of Iron 2, you’ll have to invest in your settlement and build it from scratch if you want to reap more benefits. This includes better items, traps, and meals to boost your effectiveness in battle.
Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter
Another change is the new magic system we’ll have access to. It seems like the story will take us on a journey to free imprisoned Rat Gods. And by doing so we’ll get access to powerful elemental spells to use in combat. The latest trailer showcased thunder, poison, fire, and ice magic. What I’m really curious about is if these spells will only have combat applications. Or if we’ll see them play a role in exploration and unlocking contraptions during our adventure.
Last but not least, you won’t be a lone… wolf?! Lone rat?! We’ll see the return of the companion system. The first game allowed us to bring them along on select missions. But we have yet to see how they tackled things in this one. Can we bring them along any time we want once we unlock them? Will they still be tied to specific missions? We’ll see.
I can’t wait to bring you more details as we get closer to the release. It’s not really my style to speculate about games until I get my hands on them. But that’s about all I can give you at the moment. I’ll leave you with the newest trailer. Let me know your thoughts and how excited you are about the game.
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