Rats vs frogs is a matchup that probably only exists on the cutting room floor of an episode of Discovery Channel's Animal Face-Off. It's delightfully mundane, and yet developer Odd Bug Studio manages to forge a gripping rivalry between the two warring armies in Tails of Iron.
You play Redgi, son of King Rattus and newly appointed leader of the rat kingdoms, on the day your home is invaded by Green Wart and his army of barbaric frogs. It's pretty clear who the bad guys are: the frogs are monstrous, their glassy eyes and jagged teeth bulging out of their heads, while Redgi and all the rats you come across pierce your heart with their beady little eyes and the adorable timidity with which they hold their paws. The frogs gargle and snarl whenever you meet one in combat, whereas the rats speak through the bouncy chirps of a penny whistle.
The rats in Tails of Iron are inspired by the game director's actual pet rats, and as a former rat owner myself that attention to detail shines through. Balk all you want, but there's so much character and warmth in a rodent's eyelids, and Odd Bug Studio gets that spot on.
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