Iconoclasts

84%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,919 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • music
Iconoclasts Game Cover
While most Metroidvanias find themselves struggling with their pace, Iconoclasts never lets up. It’s one of the best of its kind and definitely needs to be played.
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"Iconoclasts" is a single-player Science Fiction Platformer game with a delightful story, exceptional game mechanics, masterful visuals, and outstanding music. Play as Robin, a mechanic who just wants to help people, as you navigate through numerous densely detailed locations filled with action and puzzles. Experience a heart-wrenching epic with over 20 gear-grinding boss battles and a unique difficulty tweak system, all in a sensational atmosphere.

  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Linux
  • Play​Station
  • Play​station Vita
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

84%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,919 reviews
story670 positive mentions
grinding60 negative mentions
  • Gorgeous pixel art and animations that create a vibrant world.
  • Engaging and thought-provoking story with well-developed characters.
  • Fun and challenging boss fights that require unique strategies.
  • Gameplay can feel tedious with excessive backtracking and puzzles that lack clear solutions.
  • The tweak system feels underwhelming and doesn't significantly impact gameplay.
  • Dialogue can be overly verbose and sometimes poorly written, detracting from the overall experience.
  • story1,885 mentions

    The story of "Iconoclasts" is a central aspect that has garnered mixed reactions from players. Many appreciate its depth and the way it tackles complex themes such as religion, societal expectations, and personal struggles, often contrasting its vibrant visuals with darker narrative elements. However, some critics point out issues with pacing, convoluted plot points, and character development, leading to a narrative that can feel disjointed or overly verbose at times. Overall, while the story is engaging for many, it may not resonate with all players, particularly those seeking a more straightforward or action-focused experience.

    • “The story is the beating heart of this game; it's like watching a train wreck in slow motion, already knowing that regardless of how many or few people perish, it will forever change the course of their lives in a violent manner that none of them could have foreseen.”
    • “The story is surprisingly cynical and dark for its cheerful aesthetic and frequent jokes, but encouraging all the same.”
    • “The story is rich, direct and indirect, interesting and pretty unique with a fair amount of side stories for various characters.”
    • “Maybe it's better in the developer's original language (Swedish?), but even disregarding the text, the story itself is not great: the pace is off, it feels very slow in the beginning, and then it focuses too much on some annoying characters, ending with an underwhelming reveal/plot twist.”
    • “The story is all over the place, and the plot basically exists as a result of psychologists apparently not existing in a world where everyone lets their emotions run rampant.”
    • “The story is a convoluted mess and none of it really made sense, and the end felt dragged out, with too many plot twists that didn't seem to really twist much.”
  • gameplay1,024 mentions

    The gameplay of "Iconoclasts" is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating its engaging puzzles and unique mechanics, particularly during boss fights, which are often seen as the highlight. However, some reviewers criticize the gameplay for being repetitive, lacking depth, and occasionally frustrating due to unclear mechanics and tedious exploration. Overall, while the game features solid controls and a charming aesthetic, its gameplay may not satisfy those seeking a more complex or challenging experience.

    • “The gameplay is fun, the level design is excellent, the graphics are great, the puzzles are simple but thought-provoking, and the music and sound effects are well-done.”
    • “The gameplay is fantastic and has every recipe that makes a good metroidvania/platformer.”
    • “The gameplay is really fun and the puzzles are interesting, but what really blew me away was the story and the soundtrack.”
    • “The gameplay is incredibly mundane, with the abilities you gain not feeling empowering and not being used that creatively.”
    • “The gameplay leaves a lot to be desired.”
    • “The gameplay is frustrating.”
  • music491 mentions

    The music in "Iconoclasts" has received a mixed reception, with many praising its ability to enhance the game's atmosphere and complement its vibrant visuals. While some tracks are described as memorable and fitting, others are considered generic or forgettable, leading to a varied experience for players. Overall, the soundtrack is often highlighted as a strong aspect of the game, contributing significantly to its emotional depth and engagement, despite some critiques regarding repetitiveness and lack of standout melodies.

    • “The music is phenomenal, the pixel art style is wonderful to look at, and everything, and I mean everything, is incredibly animated.”
    • “The music, the feel of the game, the story, and the wonderful pixel art all work together to produce a lovely experience.”
    • “The soundtrack is an absolute masterpiece and I found myself sitting in cutscenes for minutes just listening to certain characters' themes.”
    • “In the first 30 seconds after leaving Robin's house for the first time, I came very close to stopping my playthrough because of how bland and generic the music sounded.”
    • “A lot of the music is forgettable.”
    • “This isn't exactly to say the music is bad, it just has many generic scores that don't try to stand out.”
  • graphics382 mentions

    The graphics of *Iconoclasts* are widely praised for their stunning pixel art and vibrant color palette, showcasing a high level of detail and animation that enhances the game's overall aesthetic. Reviewers note that the visuals effectively convey the game's unique world and themes, often contrasting the cheerful art style with darker narrative elements. Many consider the graphics to be a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's charm and emotional impact.

    • “The exceptional graphics and animation help to bring the world of the game and its characters to life.”
    • “Easily one of the best games of its genre I've played, with gorgeous pixel art graphics and a compelling story.”
    • “The graphics pop with color, details are abound in the environments and even in scenes of dialogue, the music is diverse and perfectly accompanies every set piece and with its strong story, level design and combat it all comes together to make one of the best action platformers I've ever played.”
    • “The graphics are pixelated (but not too much) and the game world and its characters are all very pretty.”
    • “The bright colorful graphics and chipper music completely betray what this game really is.”
    • “The bright art style clashes in a way I personally like with the darker moments.”
  • humor104 mentions

    The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its quirky character interactions and clever writing, while others criticize it for being inconsistent and occasionally falling flat. Many reviews highlight the balance between light-hearted moments and darker themes, suggesting that the humor often serves to enhance the emotional depth of the story. Overall, while there are genuinely funny moments and engaging dialogue, the effectiveness of the humor varies significantly throughout the game.

    • “The humor is nice at times; some of the more serious dramatic parts overstayed their welcome.”
    • “There's lots of really great humor and cute little scenes, and it just keeps coming, which is good because this is a tragically dark tale.”
    • “The game has an immersive, interesting world, a ton of great characters, many excellent boss fights, and some actually funny moments.”
  • emotional81 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is a mixed bag, with many players praising its touching moments, character development, and impactful storytelling that can evoke strong feelings, including tears. However, some critiques highlight a lack of emotional depth in certain characters and repetitive dialogue that detracts from the overall experience. Overall, while the game offers a beautiful and heart-wrenching narrative, it also presents challenges that may leave players feeling emotionally drained.

    • “It's not a perfect game by any means, but it's a beautiful and entertaining experience with some really touching moments and characters.”
    • “The story in general is interesting and has some very emotional moments; it's definitely the best part of the game.”
    • “This game is an emotional rollercoaster and an absolute mindfu¢k, and I love every second of it.”
  • grinding62 mentions

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and often frustrating, with many describing the puzzles, combat, and level design as repetitive and lacking challenge. While the game features beautiful art and a compelling story, the gameplay is marred by monotonous tasks and mechanics that detract from the overall experience. Many reviewers noted that the game could benefit from a more streamlined approach to its puzzles and combat to reduce the feeling of tedium.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “No grinding for materials by killing enemies, as all of them are found via exploration.”
    • “The puzzles just get increasingly tedious, the fights more so - I'm fighting this group of robots at the minute, 2 at a time, that almost act like minibosses considering the ludicrous amount of health that they have, and it's just totally joyless.”
    • “Level design is just plain bad, the main mechanic with the wrench is nothing but a glorified switch flipping, making most levels tedious and boring: go there, flip the switch, go there, flip the switch.”
    • “Unfortunately in its place comes lackluster combat, tedious puzzles and admittedly decent boss fights.”
  • character development48 mentions

    Character development in the game is a mixed bag, with some players praising its depth and emotional resonance, likening it to titles like Nier: Automata, while others feel certain characters lack sufficient development or motivation. The character designs are generally well-received, though some critiques highlight inconsistencies and a desire for more care in specific character portrayals. Overall, the game is noted for its unique and engaging character designs, but opinions vary on the effectiveness of the character arcs and storytelling.

    • “The ongoing story and character development have me loving it more and more.”
    • “There's a great deal of character development and interesting twists in the writing.”
    • “My favorite part is that this is much more story-driven than other metroidvania games - and tying in with that, there's some actual character development.”
    • “There was little to no character development for any of the characters.”
    • “Character designs seem really at odds with who they are.”
    • “My biggest gripe with the game is the character design/writing is poor.”
  • atmosphere24 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its engaging music, vibrant pixel graphics, and unique settings that draw players into the experience. Many reviewers highlight the emotional depth and charm of the characters, alongside a well-crafted ambiance that enhances gameplay. However, some critiques mention a lack of innovation in gameplay mechanics, which can detract from the overall atmospheric experience.

    • “The atmosphere of this game reminds me a ton of EarthBound even though this is a Metroidvania-style game.”
    • “You never really get tired of the ambience or the atmospheric music constantly playing in the background - all the sounds work extremely well to draw you into the experience.”
    • “No atmosphere, banal dialogue, generic art design, forgettable music.”
    • “In its entirety, Iconoclast has a rather dark and foreboding atmosphere; luckily, there are many characters to help balance out the grim storyline with fantastic personalities and witty humor.”
    • “Every inch of this game oozes life and atmosphere.”
  • replayability17 mentions

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while it offers new game modes like boss rush and challenge modes that enhance replay value, many players find the story-driven nature limits replayability after the initial playthrough. Some appreciate the choice-driven elements and hidden secrets that encourage multiple runs, but others feel that once the puzzles and story twists are uncovered, the incentive to replay diminishes. Overall, it caters well to completionists and those who enjoy exploring different narrative paths, but may not appeal to everyone seeking extensive replayability.

    • “Also, after beating the game once you get some new game modes (boss rush and challenge mode come to mind and are dope, even if hard as hell), so great replayability value too.”
    • “The story is so twisted that it gives you a different point of view about the characters and events when you play New Game+, which adds to the replay value.”
    • “There's beautiful sprite work and animations, smooth controls, challenging bosses, replayability... and it's all made by one guy over the course of just under a decade.”
    • “It's fun but pretty short, and not much replayability other than boss rushes or speedruns.”
    • “Because the game is so story-driven, I think it has limited replayability.”
    • “Also, as most of the game is puzzles, and even the bosses feel like big puzzles, I don't see this having much replay value once you've figured everything out.”
  • optimization9 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is praised for its solid performance across various platforms, including the Steam Deck, with no significant bugs reported. While the graphics are beautifully rendered, some users noted that performance could be improved to reach peak levels, though it remains satisfactory for most players.

    • “I played through the entire game on Steam Deck without any performance issues.”
    • “Graphics and art are beautifully drawn, yet performance is sound on any machine; it's clear that this game was heavily fine-tuned.”
    • “It does the job, but it doesn't do it at peak performance.”
    • “If you have the breath, spin and shock tweaks, you're definitely good to go (like you weren't without them) and can maximize your performance really quickly!!”
    • “Outside of cutscenes, framerate and performance were solid.”
  • stability7 mentions

    The stability of the game is a mixed bag, with some players experiencing frustrating bugs and inconsistencies, while others report a smooth experience with no glitches. Overall, it appears that while the programming is often precise, the game may still suffer from stability issues that detract from the overall enjoyment.

    • “It's great, with no glitches or bugs, making for a lot of fun and character development.”
    • “The game runs smoothly without any issues, allowing for an immersive experience.”
    • “I haven't encountered any crashes or instability, which makes the gameplay enjoyable.”
    • “Frustrating, inconsistent, and buggy.”
    • “First off: the game is somewhat buggy and unstable.”
    • “Lots of today's games are copy-pastes or buggy, poorly executed, wasted potential mess.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

85% average critic score

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Play time

12hMedian play time
14hAverage play time
10-15hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 18 analyzed playthroughs

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