Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter review — The rats are back in an epic new adventure

The original Tails of Iron was one of my favorite releases of 2021, featuring a unique art style, difficult yet rewarding combat, and an intriguing story which was bolstered by its unique use of rats and other animals/reptiles, rather than humans. To say I’ve been patiently waiting for a sequel is an understatement. Well, the nearly four-year wait is over, and Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter is finally here, but does this sequel build upon the original, or does it falter under its own weight?

Whiskers of Winter sees players taking the rein of a new rat, named Arlo, known as the Bastard Prince. The game is set many years after The War of the Rift, an epic war in which the bats, known as Darkwings, decimated everything in their path. Eventually, through the courage of the various colonies banding together, the Darkwings were struck down. Now, years have passed, and many believed the Darkwing threat had subsided. One night while Arlo lay in bed, the Darkwings launch a surprise attack against Lord Avor and his kingdom, ultimately killing the king and destroying much of the town. Despondent and alone, Arlo reluctantly takes his place in Lord Avor’s chair. Thus begins a journey in which Arlo must hone his skills, rebuild his kingdom, and unite the colonies once again to end the Darkwing threat once and for all.

Sure, the story may sound quite familiar to those who played the first game, but thankfully the beats are different enough to not cause too bad of a sense of deja vu. I found myself proud of Arlo as the story progressed and watching him as he gained confidence in his abilities and learned how to be a leader was quite fulfilling. Likewise, I enjoyed nearly all of the NPCs encountered throughout the eight or so hour journey, became invested in their backstories, and was always eager to fight alongside them to ease their town’s issues. Watching my merry band of brothers assemble, form bonds, and ultimately lay siege to the Darkwings lair in an epic showdown was incredibly satisfying. 

Like Tails of Iron before it, there is no spoken dialogue between characters, rather they speak only in noises and comic-like bubbles with pictures. Instead, narration by the magnificent Doug Cockle, known to the world over as Geralt of Rivia from The Witcher series, tends to fill in the gaps. Despite not having direct dialogue, you are never taken out of the story. The pictures are surprisingly sufficient to explain what is occurring, and Doug Cockle is always there to dive deeper into the nuance of events as they unfold. 

Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter has not let up on the intense combat for which the first game was praised and instead has upped the ante with even more epic boss fights and challenging enemies. The basic fighting beats remain relatively unchanged, with Arlo having three basic attacks, quick, heavy, and ranged. For each attack he can have one weapon equipped, with quick and heavy attacks allowing for the use of sword, axe, or spears, and ranged attacks allowing for bow, crossbow, or gun. Learning the timing on these attacks and when to utilize each is key, as a wrong move can quickly lead to death. 

During fights you must constantly be aware of what your enemy is doing, but thankfully there are telltale signs to prepare you for an upcoming attack. A red attack can’t be stopped or parried, so you must dodge it, while a yellow attack can be parried and lead to a stunned enemy. While simple enough on paper, fights can become quite hectic when you’re being ganged up on. I found it best to separate enemies as much as possible, and then tackle them individually, though some enemies are quick and don’t allow many chances for this tactic. Arlo is strong, but goes down quickly, and like other Soulslike games, every enemy encountered is capable of taking you out. It’s best to take your time, be patient, and wait for the right opportunities to attack rather than rushing in.

Enemies have a wide range of attacks and come in many different reptile or animal forms, with each having a variety of weaknesses and strengths. New to Whiskers of Winter’s combat mechanics is the inclusion of magic, which can be wielded by Arlo and with which your weapons are regularly imbued. It is absolutely imperative that you pay attention to your enemy’s weaknesses and equip the proper weapon, otherwise you might as well be hitting them with a stick. Arlo has access to a bestiary which explains each enemy type, their strengths, and their weaknesses. Likewise, whenever you encounter the trail of an upcoming boss you will automatically be given a cue to check the bestiary to properly prepare. 

While constantly swapping weapons may seem like a hassle, it becomes second nature quite quickly. I found it best to ensure my quick attack, heavy attack, and ranged weapons were all imbued with different elements, though I still often had to swap depending on which weapon felt right for a particular fight. I found it best to make regular visits to the blacksmith to build the latest weapons and have a stockpile of weapons imbued with all four magical elements so I would be ready for any enemy thrown at me.

Additionally, as you progress, Arlo will learn how to wield magic including fire, poison, electric, and ice. Unfortunately, while useful in a pinch, these elements all have too great of a lag time between uses to be much more than a once or twice a boss fight attack. I wish they had gone further in on the magic system, allowing players more freedom of choice as to how they customize Arlo, but I think the game is balanced around hand-to-hand combat, and magic may have essentially made you unstoppable.

I mentioned rebuilding the town, and that is the main crux of your mission throughout the game. Little by little you’ll venture out into the world to find a blacksmith, chef, merchants, and convince them to join your town. As you do, you’ll begin to rebuild, eventually having the option to upgrade shops for better items. The chef prepares meals which permanently increases your health, the merchant sells many useful items and will buy anything you have no need for, and the blacksmith will ensure that you never lag too far behind your enemies in terms of strength. 

Each new area you visit has a main mission to complete, along with side missions including optional bosses, requests for items from the town, and infestations. These missions are relatively short, but provide a few more hours of gameplay and help you unlock better weapons and items.

My only real complaint is the sheer amount of backtracking required. Despite having multiple areas to explore, each is quite small once everything is unlocked, and you’ll find yourself growing weary of fighting through the same enemies time and again as you attempt to complete side missions or bosses. It’s not enough to turn me off the game, but it was disappointing.