TAILS OF IRON II: WHISKERS OF WINTER

On completing Tails of Iron II: Whiskers of Winter, I had mixed feelings. As I begin to transcribe them in text, I realize that I didn't have that much to talk about. Like the first game, it's a game whose greatest strengths are in certain areas. Taking into account player feedback, the creators made some improvements. However, the core gameplay remains the same, while some elements in its predecessor were better implemented.

After the prosperous conclusion of Redgi's adventure, peace reigned in the kingdom. In the north, however, the bloodthirsty Bats' forces were growing. Beyond the ranks of the Rat Kingdom, horrific plans for conquering and bloodshed were brewing. The greatest obstacle to their fruition was the stronghold of the battalion of the Warden of the North, sworn to guard the frontier against all threats (any resemblance to Game of Thrones has to be entirely coincidental). In Whiskers of Winter, we find ourselves in the paws of Arlo, son of the Warden of the North, and we will witness the first major invasion of the Bats and the death that descends under their black wings. Our goal is to find allies within (and outside) the realm, and form a strong line of defense in the north to crush the invaders.

The game, like its prequel, flexes its well-tuned combat, as one of its stronger qualities. Its difficulty is above the genre avarage. In fact, during the early hours I would say it's quite tough, with most opponents destroying us with little effort, so perseverance and patience are needed. We wouldn't call it unfair, as the savepoints are in the vast majority of cases only a short distance apart. After receiving the baptism of fire, the scales start to tip clearly in our favour as we progress through the game (with the exception of the last boss, which is to be expected though). This is largely due to Arlo's empowerment from Whiskers of Winter's extensive crafting system. The game has a wide range of armor (with corresponding resistances and weaknesses to specific elements) and weapons with different attack patterns and speed (and correspondingly different types of elemental damage, depending on the set they belong to). The weight of the equipment still factors into the response to our reactions.

Among the added features of the title are the various potions that give us resistance to certain status effects for some time (poisoned, burning, etc.), as well as the traps. These are particularly useful on the game's bosses, since by using the appropriate one for each situation, we can stop them in their tracks and leave them exposed to our attacks for a short period of time. Even more helpful are the spells we will gradually acquire in our outings. These too are based on 4 elements and contribute significantly to the encounters.We will need all the help we can get, against enemies who want to paint the snow red with our blood. And there are more than a few of them, because their variety is another area which has been greatly expanded upon, since the first part.

Where Whiskers of Winter not only doesn't make progress, but we'd say it's regressing, is the way its maps are designed. In the first Tails of Iron, the areas, while disconnected from each other, were at least more complex, with several branches, and some places inaccessible until you found the right item for them. That is, they were closer to the structure of a Metroidvania. In the second game they follow the same logic, only this time they are much more linear, but also smaller in scope. To be fair, the exploration in both games was consistent with the linear progression of the story, but in Whiskers of Winter that sense of confinement is much more noticeable. Adding secrets, items, or optional areas to discover, in which a strong opponent may lurk, or even if it's just adding to the lore of the world, would have made the exploration more than just a rote. Following in the exact same pattern as its predecessor are the various quests, usually limited to fetch-type requests or encounters with one or more enemies. Where they are slightly differentiated are the various "Hunts" that are vaguely reminiscent of Monster Hunter and give access to some crafting materials that you wouldn't otherwise obtain.

The other major strength of Whiskers of Winter, which remains from the first game, is the overall presentation. The visuals maintain that captivating art direction that brings to mind a children's storybook. It should be pointed out once again, however, that both its relatively high challenge and some violent scenes (e.g. characters dying in various ways with explicit renderings) make it unsuitable for young children. Returning in the narrator's role is Geralt, aka Doug Cockle. Needless to say, how different Tails of Iron II would have felt without his contribution. The guy could have made a fight between broccoli seem interesting.

The truth is that the time that has passed between the two titles is not short. In the end we are left with a bit of a disappointment, as we get more of the same instead of the sequel making big steps forward. Its combat has improved, without being substantially better than its predecessor, and the presentation is still impeccable. When it comes to its content though, particularly the quest design and exploration implementation, there is stagnation. If more care had been taken here, with the inclusion of unique set-pieces, some platforming challenges, secrets, etc. we would have had something memorable on our hands. The more ambitious sequel we've been waiting for hasn't come, yet...

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