Iconoclasts: Video Review Game

When looking at Iconoclasts It seems that this is another “pixel” platformer, which group Indi-enthusiasts made in his free time. In fact, this is the result of almost ten-year work of the Swede Joakim Sandberg (Joakim Sandberg), alone engaged in each component of the project of his dream. And it is impressive to such an extent that they involuntarily begin to consider each pixel and admire every second animation, along the way, getting great pleasure from the gameplay.Some enemies have to make themselves to kill themselves.

Patience and work

The player assumes the management of Robin – a mechanic girl living in society with an authoritarian regime. In this world, it is impossible to engage in a favorite thing and choose the desired job, all this decides on the organization One Concern. Do not obey their rules – get ready to be behind the lattice or to be killed. But Robin does not scare all this – so hard she does not want to release a wrench from the hands.

Therefore, she decides to use their skills for the benefit of the suffering people, having enlisted support for several protesters inhabitants. And how much a lot of strength was invested by the developer in Iconoclasts, can be seen even in conversations with random people. The author managed to recreate the world in which you believe, despite the “pixel” schedule. The townspeople are frightened by the threat of punishment for the slightest cross, do not always trust Robin due to the fact that she “freelancer”, the mother prohibits the Son to communicate with the heroine, because she has “bad influence”. The plot is full of surprises, and on the way you constantly meet interesting characters, even though their dialogues and monologues sometimes seem tightened.

It’s great to combine a discussion of serious topics, experiences of heroes, successful jokes and a pleasant atmosphere. Yes, and the pace of narrative is shot down very rarely – there are few unnecessary or boring episodes in the game.

By its structure Iconoclasts – “Metriculum”, where on the first location you see a lot of secrets, access to which is blocked until you get the appropriate skills or tools. And get them will work either in a few hours when you return to the selected zone, or during the “new game +” – there is an equipment unlocked from the very beginning.

Many puzzles are associated with these secrets, since even if there are all possible items in the inventory, the path to the treasure chest is not always obvious. Robin wrench is used in a wide variety of situations: it twists the bolts and thus opens the doors, it clings to the mug as they hung in the air and is highly separated (it is not trained in the standard double jump), it spins it and beat off shells. Later, the key becomes even more useful, and with those strange blue wires that you have seen at the beginning of passage, finally give something to do.In addition to the strange creatures of various forms on the way, soldiers looking for Robin.
Firearms are used to solve riddles. Before receiving an “upgrade” (which, by the way, is accompanied by one of the best scenes in the game) Robin can only shoot at different directions flying not very far, but soon it is possible to switch between them and bombs. Here the puzzles become even more interesting – it is necessary to determine in what order to activate with the help of bombs buttons, on which platforms to get up and where to shoot. Usually, when obtaining new opportunities, it is used to use them on the entire coil – if they gave an improvement in the wrench, in the next location they will have to swing them at every step. And the ingenuity of the author who was able to come up with so many different puzzles, it remains only to admire.

Devil in detail

It is interesting here what rewards for the search for secrets and the solution of optional riddles are not at all costs to spend time on them. But before each chest, you still want to get – the process in this case turns out to be more important than the result. Robin boxes find materials used to create improvements, three of which can be equipped at storage points. One of them will allow longer to breathe under water, another will increase the strength of the impact of the key. New schemes find almost every location.

And this element of the gameplay seems completely ill-imparable and made only to ensure that the player has a reason to solve cool riddles. Improving the characteristics are so insignificant that their effect is impaired, even if you wear all three “upgrades”. In addition, when you receive damage, these things wear out, and from time to time they need to be replaced. But they forget about their existence almost immediately – even when I had a pack of a variety of materials in the inventory, I didn’t want to spend time on Kraft. Although it is possible that to access some chests, the opportunity to breathe for a long time under water is still useful.

But Plus W Iconoclasts much more than flares. The combat system, for example, does not offer revolutionary ideas, but it fits great into the gameplay. Ordinary opponents are either extremely weak and die with a pair of shots, or forcing the use of the whole arsenal – swing the key so that they are killed their shells, throw their poor bombs and shift in this way to the abyss, stunning and jumping on top. Fights do not take a lot of time and do not annoy – rarely spend more than a few seconds.Brother is ready to stand for sister Mountain.
Quite differently built battles with “bosses”, during each of which the heroine is locked in one room with a huge enemy. It is necessary to memorize “timings”, remember the techniques used by them and again find the use of almost everything Arsenal. And if the rest of the opponents die quickly, then the “bosses” have a great margin of health and gain new skills when applying an impressive damage. There are episodes in which an assistant joins Robin, and in such situations between them you have to switch, which adds speakers in the already exciting fights.

Fortunately, with the management of problems, it does not arise during battles, nor with the usual study of locations. The heroine responds quickly by pressing the buttons, it is easily cling to a wrench for the necessary objects, and also enough hands for the ledges, if it was not able to dare to the adjacent platform. It can only shoot on three sides, but when approaching the enemy is approaching peculiar assistance when aiming, saving time. The only thing that seems to be managed completely illogical is the interaction of the character with drawers: you can lift them only by jumping on them and pressing the “Up” button.

Thanks to excellent management, explore locations – one pleasure, good and look great. In each detail, many years of solo developer is noticeable, which was able to draw a variety of zones, inhabit them with unusual opponents and add many secrets. Some of them are hidden so well that even after the attentive study of each pixel, the meter in the menu will still report to the missed chests. In a suspicious wall, the passage will open in the suspicious wall, then with the breakdown of the stones, a small loophole will be available, and you run past it, not even thinking about its existence.Black agent does not like it when something goes not by her plan.***
You can praise here and animation that gives all the characters with emotions and feelings are not worse than conversations, and a pleasant style that can come to the soul even to those who are tired of “pixels”. Ten years – a very long term for which many things and phenomena have time to be out. But “Metriculia” with puzzles, good plots and excellent battles with “bosses” will not be obsolete, probably never. And it’s great that now we have an example of how one person can go to his goal for years, polish every element of his project almost to the ideal and succeed. Iconoclasts does not offer something completely new for the genre, but it does not prevent her from being one of his best representatives.