The Iron Oath - Review

[HiddenX]

Magnetic Mag checked out the tactical RPG The Iron Oath:

The Iron Oath Game Review: A Fantasy Mercenary-Company RPG Set In An Open World

We had a chance to check out Curious Panda Game's latest turn-based tactical RPG, The Iron Oath, and wrote down our thoughts so you can decide if this game is right for you.

My 20 hours I've clocked in The Iron Oath thus far have been a very refreshing early access experience.

I've had only minor bug encounters and no gameplay hiccups while working my way through the tutorial of The Iron Oath, a new turn-based tactical RPG that hit Steam in early access back in April (2022).
First Impressions Of The Iron Oath

I was only reminded that I was playing an early access game when I entered dialogue with a character who had a picture of a silhouette as a stand in for an NPC picture or when I encountered a glass ceiling while leveling up members of my company.

Certain branches of the skill tree are "locked in this early access build," which I would assume is due to balancing work that still needs to be done. Other than that, you can expect to be met with a cohesive early access experience.

If I had to describe The Iron Oath I would probably say it's a little bit like Battle Brothers and The Darkest Dungeon had a baby that really loves D&D.

[...]

Final Thoughts Of The Iron Oath

The Iron Oath is already an impressively realized tactical RPG.

There was obviously a lot of thought that went into worldbuilding, lore, and the main quest line. The phenomenal music score alone was enough to keep me coming back to this world. Once the skill trees get fully unlocked and as the devs do a little more work polishing the UI, balancing, and adding some quality of life improvements I think it could be something special.

The devs clearly have a focused vision and pay attention to the details which makes it feel fresh even though it's not spearheading any new ground as a genre. If you've made it this far, I'd assume you already know if this is the kind of game for you. If it is, I recommend picking it up on steam to help support Curious Panda Games in their endeavor.

More information.

 

[screeg]

Disclaimer: I love this game.

Every review seems to call out that Iron Oat "isn't breaking any new ground". But it is a truly original combination of great parts from a 30-year span of games. By being a fantastic, tightly designed RPG that calls out the best of the genre, it *is* breaking new ground.

 

[Carnifex]

The game I might be most looking forward to playing at some point this year, assuming all the necessary updates/patches land.

 

[Hastar]

Glad to see one of the games I Kickstarted coming along nicely. Haven't tried it out yet but looking forward to playing it.

 

[Carnifex]

Nod, it's been percolating in the kick starter spin cycle for a while, yet when all is said and ready, I think we'll have a fine game to enjoy.