Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter review

Released in 2021, Odd Bug Studios’ Tails of Iron is a charming yet challenging side-scrolling adventure. Now we’re being treat to a sequel. Once again it features a rat protagonist, and once again they need to rebuild their kingdom after a swift an unexpected attack. But worry not: thanks to new enemies and gameplay elements, Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter does enough to keep things feeling fresh.

Arlo is the star of this sequel, a young rat of the North who finds his world turned upside down when vicious bats called Dark Wings attack, killing his father and devastating his kingdom. But being a brave young rat he decides to take a stand against the Dark Wings, choosing to rebuild his kingdom and eventually take the fight to them. And so, you embark on numerous adventures, visiting locations around your home of Winter’s Edge in order to acquire valuable allies that will allow you to restore your Kingdom to its former strength.

Anyone that has played the original Tails of Iron will find this sequel very familiar. It has the same inky and utterly lovely visual style, for example. It features the same challenging combat, too, in which players need to monitor their enemies in order to successfully dodge red attacks and counter yellow attacks to get the upper hand. The voice of The Witcher 3‘s Geralt of Rivia, Doug Cockle, also returns to narrate Arlo’s adventure, which is lovely.

There are some new features, however. One of those is a grappling hook, which allows Arlo to more easily navigate some locations. It’s just a shame that you can’t use it in combat to perhaps quickly pull yourself to distant enemies. There’s a new weapon sharpening system too, which allows you to gain a buff to your damage output for a short period of time. Needless to say, it comes in particularly handy when facing off against powerful bosses.

But perhaps the biggest new addition is the introduction of elemental spells. Throughout his travels, Arlo will eventually be able to wield the powers of fire, ice, lightning and poison, each useful when taking on the various adversaries placed in his path. These elemental powers can even be upgraded if players take the time to explore the game’s world. And the weapons found and crafted during your adventure can also have elemental properties, making you consider your loadout more carefully.

These new additions, as well as various other tweaks, elevate Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter over its predecessor. And thanks to its new setting and cast of characters, it’s welcoming to newcomers as well as fans of the first game. Multiple difficulty levels are even available from the outset this time around, allowing players to tweak the game’s combat to their preferences. So, it doesn’t have to an overly challenging Souls-like experience of you don’t want it to be.

And some will definitely want to lower the difficulty, as the combat can be a little frustrating at times. For the most part its fantastic, but sometimes it’s hard to clearly see the indicators that appear above an enemy’s head signalling what type of attack it’s going to perform, putting you at a disadvantage. And as you play through Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter, you might encounter the odd difficulty spike. On top of all that, if you do find yourself dying and get returned to your last checkpoint, you’ll find your health-restoring bug juice canister likely empty, forcing you to seek out a berry bush, barrel or bug to replenish it.

Overall though, Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter is a very enjoyable game, every bit as charming as the original — if not more so. And while its premise may not be all that different to its predecessor, the new enemies you face off against, as well as new gameplay elements such as your elemental powers, keep things feeling fresh. Suffice to say, fans of action adventure games would be wise to check this out.

This review of Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter is based on the PS5 version, with a code provided by the game’s publisher. It’s available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch and PC.