Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter

About

In "Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter - Digital Deluxe Edition," players assume the role of Arlo, young heir to the Warden of the Wastes, on an epic quest to defeat the Dark Wings, a malevolent force threatening the snow-covered lands of the North. The game promises a rich, full world blending elements of the Witcher and Game of Thrones, with challenging combat and intricate RPG elements, tasking players to hunt beasts, unite clans, and upgrade their settlement. The journey will uncover a terrible secret, testing the mettle of this newfound warrior.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter screenshot

87%

Audience ScoreBased on 507 reviews

story57 positive mentions

grinding33 negative mentions

Tails of Iron 2 improves upon the original with enhanced combat mechanics, a more dynamic enemy variety, and a beautiful art style that captivates players.
The addition of elemental affinities and spells adds depth to the gameplay, encouraging players to strategize and adapt their gear for different encounters.
The game features a compelling narrative, engaging side quests, and the return of Doug Cockle as the narrator, which adds charm and humor to the experience.

Some players feel that the game is too similar to the first installment, lacking significant innovation and making it feel more like an expansion than a true sequel.
The difficulty scaling can be inconsistent, with some bosses feeling overly punishing while others become trivial as players progress.
Issues with bugs, such as freezing during boss fights and problems with hitboxes, can detract from the overall experience and frustrate players.

story
192 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
66%
4%
The story of "Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting that it closely mirrors the narrative of the first game, albeit with a darker tone and some new elements. While some appreciate the engaging world-building and character interactions, others criticize the plot for being repetitive and lacking depth, particularly in the latter half where it feels rushed and less impactful. Overall, the storytelling is seen as a highlight for some, but many feel it falls short of innovation and emotional resonance compared to its predecessor.
- “The story this time is about Arlo, the heir of the North, whose kingdom got invaded by the Darkwings army. You venture into a vengeful mission in the cold of the North to redeem yourself, your kingdom, and your father.”
- “Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter is an incredible adventure game, one that will challenge you with its engaging combat mechanics, wow you with its incredible art and worldbuilding, and pull on your heartstrings with its powerful story, but not without making you chuckle at a clever rat pun or six in the process.”
- “The art style is very nice, the storytelling is superb (thanks to the great Doug Cockle).”
- “While the story is again lackluster, the overall gameplay carries the title all the way to its climactic end.”
- “This game continues the legacy of the first one, but to a fault; it's literally the first game all over again with pretty much the exact same plot and story beats.”
- “I will say the story was alright but then slowly got rushed near the end to what I'll describe as a terrible ending and ruins what the first game set itself up to be.”
gameplay
122 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
64%
10%
The gameplay in "Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter" builds upon the foundation of its predecessor, introducing new mechanics and improvements that enhance the overall experience, such as elemental damage and a day/night cycle. However, some players find the combat clunky and repetitive, with lingering issues from the first game, including hitbox problems and a slow healing mechanic. While the game offers a visually appealing world and engaging combat, it struggles with balance and innovation, leaving some players wanting more depth and variety in gameplay.
- “It takes every gameplay mechanic from the first game and not only improves upon them, but also throws plenty of new things in to change it up enough so it doesn't feel identical to its predecessor.”
- “The gameplay here does feel more polished than in the first game - many things were sped up to make traversing the world less tedious, and there's a lot more going on here - we have a day/night cycle, some 'magic powers', elements, etc. It all makes the experience feel more varied and fun.”
- “The gameplay remains an absolute joy, filled with incredible moments and details that make the experience truly special.”
- “Gameplay is mostly the same besides the few bugs I've noticed, which are hitboxes can be sorta jank, but the elemental system was a nice idea on paper; it doesn't work in this game.”
- “There are many problems, part of them are from the first game: 2 frames bosses' attacks, useless two-handed weapons, and there are new ones: balance all over the place, new unnecessary or too simple mechanics, etc.”
- “A complete lack of any innovations, both in the plot and in the gameplay.”
graphics
73 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
37%
4%
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their stunning art style and vibrant visuals, which many reviewers describe as a significant improvement over the original. While the world design is noted to feel smaller and less complex, the overall aesthetic and fluidity of combat enhance the experience. However, some players have pointed out issues with programming bugs and visual obstructions that can detract from the gameplay.
- “The art style is easily one of the most impressive I’ve seen in a 2D platformer lately.”
- “Its stunning art style, dynamic scenes teeming with activity, and overall charm, combined with challenging yet rewarding combat, set a high bar for the sequel.”
- “Graphically, the game is much better; everything is smoother and some locations are absolutely beautiful.”
- “If it weren't for Geralt and the art style, this is an easy skip.”
- “The visuals of the world and each region are fantastic, but they feel smaller than the first and less complex.”
- “Still many programming bugs (losing loot, stuck enemies, etc.) and annoying visuals (foreground obstacles block your view, enemy effects not visible on the ground, etc.).”
grinding
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3%
3%
94%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly when farming materials for armor and weapons, which is often compounded by bugs and unresponsive controls. The boss mechanics, which involve them fleeing during fights, detract from the experience, making encounters feel drawn out and unengaging. Overall, the need for constant backtracking and equipment adjustments adds to the sense of monotony, leading many to feel that the grinding significantly hampers the enjoyment of the game.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Farming materials for tier 3 armor/weapons is an absolute chore and is often bugged.”
- “More bugs (and I don't mean the enemy type), more grinding and fetch quests (because who doesn't like to run back and forth between the same 4 rooms 3 times in a row for quests that could've easily been accomplished in one fell swoop), more runbacks, more unresponsive controls, and more unskippable cutscenes...”
- “It brings the game to a grinding halt every five seconds and cannot be skipped.”
music
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
30%
13%
The music in the game is generally well-received, contributing significantly to the immersive atmosphere, though some reviewers noted its repetitiveness. While the soundtrack enhances the experience, particularly during boss fights, it doesn't always match the epic scale of the game's finale. Overall, the audio quality is considered an improvement over the predecessor, with some players expressing a desire for more interactive musical elements within the game.
- “The music and the once again excellent narration really make for an immersive experience.”
- “Audio is better than the first game; the boss heavy metal music was a great choice.”
- “Music is such a crucial component to these games; it would be awesome if a couple of the bars in the game had performers with an open spot and you could join in to the differently themed bands.”
- “Overall the art is great, the combat is repetitive, and the music is repetitive as well.”
- “The atmosphere and music carried this game, same with its predecessor, because the combat and boss fights are a bit annoying and feel unfair sometimes. Also, the worldbuilding happens too fast and the story moves on too quickly.”
- “Music is such a crucial component to these games; it would be awesome if a couple of the bars in the game had performers with an open spot and you could join in with the differently themed bands.”
atmosphere
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
83%
8%
8%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive quality, enhanced by excellent music and art that set a compelling tone from the outset. While the visuals and ambiance are top-notch, some players feel that the fast-paced storytelling and frustrating combat detract from the overall experience. Overall, the atmosphere is a standout feature, though it could benefit from a stronger narrative to complement it.
- “The art and atmosphere are also top notch.”
- “The atmosphere is great and sets the tone perfectly just from the main menu.”
- “Even more atmospheric than the first.”
- “The atmosphere and music carried this game, same with its predecessor, because the combat and boss fights are a bit annoying and feel unfair sometimes. Additionally, the worldbuilding happens too fast and the story moves on too quickly.”
character development
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
50%
17%
Character development in the sequel is perceived as lacking depth compared to its predecessor, despite the meticulous character designs and rich backdrop art. While players appreciate the diverse races and engaging story, the overall character growth feels somewhat limited.
- “Character designs are meticulous, and the backdrop art exudes so much craft and care.”
- “Love the story and the character design of the numerous amounts of races.”
- “The sequel's character development feels somewhat sparse compared to its predecessor.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a deep emotional connection to the game, experiencing moments of both joy and sorrow, which highlights its impactful storytelling. However, there is a consensus that extending character interactions and development could further enhance the emotional resonance of the narrative. Overall, the heartfelt enthusiasm from players suggests a strong emotional investment in the game's world and characters.
- “I cried multiple times and cheered during other times.”
- “I'm not the best reviewer, but I hope my sincere love and heartfelt enthusiasm for the game encourages other people to at least give it a shot.”
- “Allowing more time for character interactions and development could significantly enhance the emotional impact of the story instead of killing them within minutes of their appearance.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the humor in the game is well-received, effectively blending with gameplay and creating an engaging world filled with meme content. However, some players feel that the humor is not as strong as in the original game, suggesting a slight decline in comedic quality.
- “The devs have done such an amazing job combining great gameplay with humor, with an interesting world that I want to explore.”
- “Quests are newly connected, which is great; it is not just about finding an item but now you have to buy items and exchange them for something that another character needs, of course all with a considerable dose of humor and literally meme content.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game experiences notable stability issues, particularly with flying enemies and a specific bug involving the necromancer boss that can cause it to freeze during combat. Players have reported workarounds, but these glitches detract from the overall experience, with hopes for future patches to address these problems.
- “The flying enemies can feel a bit buggy at times, which holds the game back.”
- “There are some bugs as well. The necromancer boss, on the highest difficulty, freezes when he tries to go into a particular close-range attack animation. Other players encountered this issue, and the fix was to kill him with your ranged weapon after lowering his health to about 50 percent. This will probably be fixed in a later patch.”
- “The flying enemies can feel a bit buggy at times, which holds the game back.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Overall, the game's optimization is generally well-received, with new mechanics functioning smoothly and without issues. However, there are concerns about poor performance and the tolerance for major bugs, suggesting that some players feel these aspects are becoming more acceptable in modern gaming.
- “The new mechanics run smoothly without any problems.”
- “The new mechanics run smoothly without any problems.”
- “Is poor performance not enough nowadays? Are major bugs also tolerable?”