Iron Danger

71%
Game Brain Score Based on 526 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • music
Iron Danger Game Cover
Iron Danger is as charming as it's filled with environmental traps and time crimes. Also, you heal when you enter a sauna.
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In "Iron Danger," a tactical combat puzzler, players manipulate time to outsmart enemies in challenging encounters. With a party of two characters and highly interactive environments, strategies vary from setting foes on fire to arranging tree trapfalls. The game's standout feature, the time control mechanic, enables players to rewind time for up to 5 seconds, allowing endless opportunities to find the best approach.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Linux
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

71%
Audience ScoreBased on 526 reviews
gameplay182 positive mentions
grinding32 negative mentions
  • The time manipulation mechanic is innovative and adds a unique twist to combat, allowing players to strategize and plan their moves effectively.
  • The game features beautiful graphics and a charming art style, enhancing the overall experience.
  • The voice acting and character design are well done, contributing to an engaging narrative despite some flaws in the story.
  • The game lacks depth in RPG elements, such as character progression, loot, and meaningful choices, making it feel more like a linear puzzle game than a traditional RPG.
  • There are significant issues with optimization and performance, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences, especially during combat.
  • The story feels incomplete and ends abruptly, leaving players unsatisfied and wanting more closure.
  • gameplay449 mentions

    The gameplay of "Iron Danger" is centered around a unique time manipulation mechanic that allows players to rewind actions, creating a blend of tactical combat and puzzle-solving. While many players find the core mechanics engaging and innovative, criticisms arise regarding repetitive combat, clunky controls, and a lack of depth in character progression and enemy interactions. Overall, the game offers a fresh experience, but its execution may leave some players wanting more in terms of variety and polish.

    • “The time rewind mechanics are super fun and make this game truly unique, turning what appears at first glance to be an RPG into a wacky puzzle game of sorts.”
    • “The main gameplay mechanic (rewinding your actions) is very enjoyable, as is the art and the music.”
    • “Great game with unique gameplay, solid story, likeable cast of characters, nice art and music... ends a bit on a cliffhanger, but otherwise it is everything I wanted it to be and much more.”
    • “This one is really tough because the core gameplay idea is fine-tuning your flow of combat moves, but when maybe 1/5th of the time I'm just watching a replay of my character's weapon swing through an enemy's body without damaging them, it feels less like fighting tough enemies and more like fighting dodgy programming.”
    • “I wanted to like this game but the lack of saving really hinders the gameplay session and the combat is very dull.”
    • “As others have mentioned, the battles are clunky and tedious, which is what the core gameplay loop is.”
  • story380 mentions

    The game's story is primarily linear and lacks significant player choice, often relying on familiar tropes and a straightforward plot. While some players appreciate the engaging characters and voice acting, many criticize the narrative for being generic, underdeveloped, and ending abruptly with unresolved plot points. Overall, the story serves as a backdrop to the gameplay rather than a compelling narrative experience, leaving some players wanting more depth and resolution.

    • “The story revolves around a young girl (Kipuna) being granted limited time-travel powers by a mysterious deity.”
    • “The story is nice, it's original enough to keep you invested in it; I just wish it had more surprises, but I liked it nevertheless. The spoken dialogue between the main characters kept it enjoyable and interesting.”
    • “Great game with unique gameplay, solid story, likeable cast of characters, nice art and music... ends a bit on a cliffhanger, but otherwise it is everything I wanted it to be and much more.”
    • “The story is let down by some wonky dialog along the way and by our teen protagonist making some decisions dictated by the plot.”
    • “The biggest drawbacks are a narrow focus on a set storyline with no sidequests or rewarding optionals, no branching of any kind and some UI issues - like consumables that cannot be picked up.”
    • “The plot is boring and unoriginal, the voice acting is passable.”
  • music80 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread praise for its quality and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers highlighting the soundtrack as a standout feature. While some tracks may be considered forgettable, others, particularly those during key moments, are described as moving and beautiful. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a significant asset that contributes positively to the gaming experience.

    • “The music that plays during the intermissions on the boat in particular is quite moving.”
    • “The story was good to very good, the music was top notch, amazing and the ending was probably one of the best ending games I have seen.”
    • “Beautiful environments, engaging story, addicting gameplay, and a magical soundtrack: a gem!”
    • “There is a lot of artistry in the style and soundtrack, but sadly I can't recommend it because the only gameplay loop you have isn't very fun.”
    • “Other parts of the game such as presentation and music are just standard.”
    • “-music”
  • graphics78 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the art style and overall visual appeal, describing it as beautiful and charming. However, there are significant concerns regarding optimization, as players report poor performance and limited graphical settings, which detracts from the experience. While the visuals are generally considered good, they are not deemed exceptional for the genre, leading to a consensus that the graphics could be improved to match the game's ambitious design.

    • “The graphics are beautiful and controlling multiple characters is special.”
    • “The graphics are quite beautiful, the sound is solid, and the story is somewhat compelling.”
    • “On top of that, beautiful visuals and gorgeous music are highlights of the title.”
    • “The graphics optimization is pretty darn bad.”
    • “There are no graphical settings other than a single slider for detail, so it's not easy to diagnose that any further.”
    • “How you managed to do this with graphics of Torchlight level?”
  • grinding32 mentions

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly due to the clunky combat mechanics and the cumbersome timeline management. While the initial hours may be enjoyable, the repetitive nature of battles and lack of engaging gameplay elements lead to a quick decline in enjoyment. Some players appreciate the clever tactical elements and pacing that minimize grinding, but many feel that the core gameplay loop becomes monotonous over time.

    • “The rewind time mechanic could use some work - it's tedious going back and forth between characters, rewinding to set up actions for the other.”
    • “Every little encounter becomes tedious, because even with time powers you feel underpowered and managing the action of even two characters takes a good bit of time.”
    • “Definitely not an RPG, just a tedious game through and through.”
  • optimization23 mentions

    The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with players reporting poor graphics performance and frame drops as low as 25 fps, even on capable PCs. While some users noted improvements since the initial release, many still find the optimization lacking, leading to a janky gameplay experience. Overall, the optimization issues detract from the enjoyment of the game, despite its interesting mechanics and story potential.

    • “I have since upgraded my video card, and I think the devs put some effort into optimization.”
    • “Could be optimized a little better, but it's still a great game to play.”
    • “The mechanics are interesting, but the optimization is awful.”
    • “The graphics optimization is pretty darn bad.”
    • “Couple that with the dreadful optimization (dropping as low as 25 fps on my pretty good PC, even when not in battles) and the rather slow story and it just isn't fun.”
    • “Little to no story aside from mcguffin the quest line, awful optimization in certain parts to the point my PC started chugging along in frames and heat.”
  • atmosphere10 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with users highlighting the impressive graphics, art style, and well-crafted visuals that contribute to a lovely ambiance. The music is also noted for enhancing the atmosphere and adding character to various scenarios, complementing the fresh gameplay mechanics. Overall, the combination of these elements creates a captivating and immersive experience.

    • “The visuals and the music craft a well-thought-out atmosphere and feel.”
    • “The music in the game is very good and brings a lot of atmosphere and character to the different scenarios of the game.”
    • “Nice atmosphere and art style.”
  • stability6 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is marked by minor glitches, particularly when using the mouse to activate skills, which can lead to character interruptions. While some players experience screen freezes accompanied by sound, these issues are generally manageable and do not significantly detract from the overall enjoyment of the game. Unlocking certain abilities can help mitigate these stability concerns, enhancing the gameplay experience.

    • “The screen freezes on me but I can hear the sound still.”
    • “You should also get accustomed to how using your mouse to activate a skill on an enemy glitches your character out, so sometimes they get bashed before they can get out their skill.”
    • “In Iron Danger, it works well, but with only minor glitches, it can be frustrating at times.”
  • replayability5 mentions

    The game has been criticized for its lack of replayability, with players noting that it can be completed in about 25 hours without any compelling reasons to revisit it. Many found the story and characters unengaging, and technical issues further detracted from the experience, leading to a consensus that the game offers little incentive for multiple playthroughs.

    • “Finished the game in about 25 hours, which for a €25 game and considering absolutely zero replay value for me is quite disappointing.”
    • “[The story is a bit bland with boring side characters and villains. The controls for the camera and the core mechanic are niggly at best, awkward and annoying for the most part. Some mission-breaking bugs have a big impact on the game, and there is no real replay value.]”
    • “I don't feel like it has any replayability.”
  • emotional4 mentions

    The game is praised for its heartwarming characters and a magical, fairy-tale atmosphere, creating a wholesome experience. The strong voice acting further enhances the emotional depth, making it a memorable journey for players.

    • “Quite heartwarming characters and a magical fairy-tale kind of feeling all along.”
    • “I would sum up the game as a wholesome experience with great voice acting and decent strategic elements.”
  • character development4 mentions

    Character development in the game is highlighted as engaging, with interesting character design that complements the fun gameplay. Overall, players appreciate how the story enhances the depth of the characters.

    • “The character design is interesting, the gameplay is fun, and the story is actually quite engaging.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

64% average critic score

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Play time

12hMedian play time
10hAverage play time
11-14hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 10 analyzed playthroughs

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