Back when Tails of Iron first came onto the scene in 2021, its blend of Souls-like combat, visual storytelling, and the use of anthropomorphic rats as its heroes certainly left a lasting impression. Now, Odd Bug Studio is hard at work on the sequel, Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter, fully aware of the heightened expectations of even better things to come.
Speaking with lead designer and studio co-founder Jack Bennett, it’s clear that the team is more than excited to take on this challenge and continue fleshing out this world they have created.
“A lot in Tails of Iron was very much setting the rules for the world, setting up the combat, how that was going to actually play. So a lot of our development time was focused on kind of building that core base, that foundation for us to build the rest of the saga on top of. So that was one of the reasons why the game was slightly smaller for the first game,” he said.
“But now we had that, that meant we could then go further. We didn’t want to lose what Tails of Iron was. But we wanted to add more depth to the combat, show more of the world, introduce more races, introduce more characters. So that was kind of the direction we wanted to go. And rather than creating a massive open world, we still wanted to have that sort of storybook feeling, but we just wanted it to feel more detailed.”
Moving the focus away from the great war between the rodents and the frogs in the south to the north, where an ancient enemy, the Dark Wings, has reemerged, means a fresh start in Tails of Iron 2, and new possibilities become possible. A new hero takes the stage in the form of Arlo, the young heir to the Warden of the Wastes. Bearing witness to the destructive powers of the adversary, players must now learn how to survive the dangerous trek ahead as well as come to grips with how to deal with this new threat.
Having new tools definitely help, as Arlo can use his trusty grappling hook to navigate platforms, and that will likely come into play in combat scenario, with verticality being a core design element. As are the various tweaks to defensive and offensive capabilities, something Bennett made sure to emphasis when talking about the changes made.
“At a base level now, the combat is slightly different because we have iframes on the dodge roll, you can take a few more risks. So that means that the combat becomes a bit more intense. We then introduce traps, so Arlo can place like bombs around the level. And that really helps with these big bosses because our bosses are so much bigger now,” the lead designer explained.
“And then on top of that, we’ve expanded the gameplay with the elemental side of things. So now every weapon and armour has an element of damage or resistance, every creature has an element that it’s weak against, strong against. That’s really going to allow the player to build how they want to play and be prepared for all sorts of situations.”
The new crafting system will make it easier for players to do so in Tails of Iron 2, as giant beasts and standard enemies can now be hunted down for resources which can then be used to make weapons and armour. Although it may still be possible for Arlo to finish off his adventure using the gear rewarded as part of progression, the flexibility and possibilities provided by the various equipment sets will keep the power firmly in your hands.
That sense of identity also extends to the settlement building portion of the game, which has evolved from the previous iteration of restoring vital functions to the player’s keep. Upgrades will pave the way to better equipment and the like, and on the visual front, you will have to ability to determine just where you want these artisans to set up shop, shaping your resistance a little differently to others.
With a current launch window of 2024, the dark fairytale that is Tails of Iron 2 still has some time to cook, with player feedback being ever vital to how the team approach the development. The recent demo has given the studio more to think about when it comes to refining the game further, but at the same time, the positive reception has only bolstered their morale.
And when you still have the Witcher himself, Doug Cockle, narrating the entirety of Arlo’s adventure, the entire endeavour continues to feel like a fairytale in the making, and that’s something we can all look forward to.
