Game: Tails of Iron – Bloody Whiskers Expansion
Developer: Odd Bug Studio
Publisher: United Label
Platform: PC (Reviewed), PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Switch
Release Date: November 24th, 2021
Interested in a video version of this review? Then check it out below! Note: the video covers both the base game and the free expansion.
Last week, the developers at Odd Bug Studios released a free expansion to their recently released game Tails of Iron titled “Bloody Whiskers.” If you haven’t already played the base game, I encourage you to check out my review of it HERE, as I won’t be going in-depth on anything outside of what’s included in the free DLC.
Billed as a “massive expansion” to the original game, I was a little disappointed that it took me only about an hour to complete. What content that’s there is good, I enjoyed it, especially when the combat gameplay is this fun, but it isn’t anything that’s mind blowing.
Bloody Whiskers is accessed after the player completes the base game, and consists of a tournament in which you will fight four separate foes, plus one final battle against a secret enemy. As with the bosses from the core game, the key to winning these difficult conflicts is patience. Learning their patterns, exploiting their openings, mastering your timing, and strategically using your potions, ranged weapons, and poisons are all necessary in achieving victory here.
In between battles, you can save, refill your health, and replenish your ammunition just outside of the arena. What’s frustrating is that you cannot refill your poisons without backtracking to another area. This is a huge pain simply because of how useful poison is at sapping the health of your opponents, which is mighty useful against these challenging boss battles.
These confrontations are great fun. Not only do they present some of the most complicated challenges in the game, but the characters themselves offer some interesting insights into the game’s world as well. You’ll do battle against a pirate captain, a Warden, and even a warrior rabbit. All of these hint at the greater universe of Tails of Iron, introducing some of the other civilizations and people that inhabit this fascinating world. It is an exciting prospect for the future of the franchise.
That’s probably the most thrilling thing about this expansion. Everything here opens the door for the possibility for new stories, new heroes, new places to explore; the ending absolutely makes some intriguing revelations for the lore of Tails of Iron, and makes me eager for more.
There’s not much else outside of these boss battles though. You are able to finally unlock the sealed door on the second floor of your castle keep, uncovering some astonishing secrets of the Rat Kingdom, but there aren’t new areas to explore or anything like that. You also receive 6 new weapon skins and 5 new armor sets on all platforms, and gamers on PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch also obtain the Halloween skins with this update, which have been available on the PC for awhile. It personally makes me laugh seeing regi outfitted with a pumpkin head helmet and wielding a scythe.
Lastly, upon popular request, “Fairy Tail” mode has also been included with this DLC. This new mode allows players to immerse themselves in the game’s world and narrative without having to focus on the challenging combat. Some people will lament this feature, claiming something like “games these days are too easy” or whatever, but it’s simply an added option. It’s not a requirement. If you don’t want to use it, don’t choose it. It’s that simple.
I don’t want to assign a score for a free DLC. This isn’t some hyped expansion meant to extend the life of the game for a long time. If anything, it’s an appreciated extra that satiates the hunger fans may have after seeing the base game’s credits roll. The new bosses are imposing, and great fun to defeat, but I think most will walk away with a greater admiration for Tails of Iron’s plot. If this free expansion was meant to make gamers excited for what’s to come, then it hits the nail firmly on its head.
Images provided by the publisher.
Josh Cornett is a lifelong gamer who enjoys games across all platforms and genres. He has gone by the alias of “Block” ever since college, when he was nicknamed “Blockbuster” for his extensive video game and movie collection. Currently, he reviews a wide variety of games on his Youtube channel, and talks about all things gaming related on his Twitter and Facebook pages.
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