Howl of Iron

About

Howl of Iron is a single player action adventure game. It was developed by 16 Gears and was released on January 12, 2023. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Howl of Iron is a 3rd Person Action Adventure game blending HUNT & COMBAT. Stalk on your unaware enemies, fight in open combat and explore the steampunk city of Steamfall.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

79%

Audience ScoreBased on 42 reviews

graphics4 positive mentions

optimization2 negative mentions

The game has a unique and interesting concept, featuring a mechanical werewolf in a steampunk setting, which many players found engaging.
Combat mechanics are satisfying and provide a rewarding experience, with some players appreciating the animations and feedback during fights.
Despite being a free demo, the game shows potential for growth and improvement, with many players expressing hope for future updates and a full release.

The game suffers from performance issues, including frequent crashes, low frame rates, and clunky controls, making it difficult to enjoy.
As a student project, it lacks polish and feels incomplete, with minimal content and design choices that detract from the overall experience.
Many players found the gameplay to be repetitive and lacking in depth, with a desire for more unique levels, boss fights, and combat mechanics.

graphics
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
30%
30%
The graphics of the game are visually impressive and feature a captivating steampunk aesthetic, but they are criticized for being overly demanding and lacking sufficient optimization and customization options. While some players appreciate the stunning visuals, many find the gameplay experience clunky and the available graphics settings too limited to enhance performance. Overall, the graphics are a highlight, but they come at the cost of playability.
- “The steampunk theme will hook you instantly with the soundtrack and the aesthetic.”
- “This is a great start to the game, the visuals are spectacular, and the combat is pretty satisfying.”
- “The game does have graphics settings (pretty bare-bones though).”
- “I have to say the visuals are immaculate, but this lacks almost any polish whatsoever... it's clunky and unpleasant to play, and thoroughly unoptimized.”
- “Graphics are way too demanding.”
- “Also, no actual graphics settings to alter besides resolution or quality, which by the way doesn't even have enough options.”
gameplay
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The gameplay offers a mix of engaging combat mechanics and various abilities, making it enjoyable for players willing to invest time in mastering its intricacies. However, some level design elements can be confusing and may detract from the overall experience. Despite these issues, players express a strong desire to continue exploring the game and its intriguing story set in a steampunk world.
- “Well worth a few hours of time to enjoy playing, learning the mechanics, and getting that 100% (which is tricky).”
- “Overall, I really love the gameplay and want to play more of it.”
- “(Different combos, abilities further into the gameplay, throwable objects, etc.)”
- “It has a surprising amount of combat mechanics, though I felt that some parts of the level design were a bit confusing or didn't benefit the gameplay at points.”
- “I'd also like to know more of the story; all I know so far is that this is likely an authoritarian regime holding power. I do not know why they're doing this, and I do not know why I'm a mechanical werewolf, either.”
- “(different combos, abilities further into the gameplay, throwable objects, etc.)”
story
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The story is perceived as short and lacking depth, with players expressing a desire for more background on the authoritarian regime and the protagonist's identity as a mechanical werewolf. While the concept is intriguing and the game's aesthetics are praised, many feel that the narrative needs further development to fully realize its potential.
- “A cool story concept about a mechanical wolf hunting in a steampunk world.”
- “Sounds are awesome, the monster is unreal and totally unique, the enemies look cool, and the story seems interesting.”
- “The story is rather short and not really interesting.”
- “I'd also like to know more of the story; all I know so far is that this is likely an authoritarian regime holding power. I do not know why they're doing this, and I do not know why I'm a mechanical werewolf, either.”
- “Despite the lack of information about the story I've been given so far, it does have potential.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Reviews indicate that while the game's concept is promising, it suffers from significant performance issues that require urgent optimization. Many users believe that with the right improvements, the game could become a standout title in their libraries.
- “The potential the developers have here is amazing, and I believe with the right optimization and features, this game could even be a favorite in the Steam library.”
- “The concept looks incredible, but the performance in its current state is terrible.”
- “Optimization is very much needed.”
music
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music effectively complements the steampunk theme, captivating players with its engaging soundtrack and aesthetic.
- “The steampunk theme will hook you instantly with the soundtrack and the aesthetic.”