Welcome to our review of Ironcast, a game loosely based on the match three principle, but it offers so much more!
I know, when you hear that yet another match three game arrives on a console, we all shudder and say that we played enough Candy Crush or Fishdom, right? Wel, this game brings a lot more to the table, allow me to explain.
This game adds turn based tactical fighting and all this in a steampunk style where you handle an ironcast, a steampunk tank, so to speak.
Wow, I said it, so far the introduction, let me explain what the premise of the game is. You basically form combinations on the playing field, each color representing a specific power or scraps, which is basically the currency to upgrade your ironcast. When you make the combinations, you score points and each turn, you start off with 2 moves you can make. Wether you attack or repair your ironcast, this game is all about tactics.
Do not skip the tutorial!
Seriously.
During the tutorial, they will explain the game in detail, going into detail on how weapons work, how upgrading works, how to protect your ironcast, which advantages you get from walking, … It is really important to pay proper attention during this time, because it will make life a lot easier during the game.
This game has a serious kick when it comes to the difficulty level as you need to really plan ahead. Let’s take the fire element on the board, not every ironcast is the same, so some have limits of 8 while others limit the storage to 6. When you make the combinations on the playing field, you do get more XP when making longer combinations, but anything over 6 is actually wasted. This can end up biting you in the ass and you may end up with a field without weapons…
It also introduces you to a new kind of permadeath, but I will let you find that out yourself 😀
In conclusion, this game is relatively hard and you need to think hard and ahead of things, levels can get to a seriously hard level rather quickly, but it is so darn addictive. The war story behind the action, the steampunk style, yes, this game brings a total package. Despite being an older game that has seen life on numerous platforms prior to Switch, this game is still very relevant and worthy enough to buy it. It is not for the occasional 5 minute play, but you really need to invest a little time in my humble opinion.
My rating is another thing, I can not let my personal preference for the genre influence me and I need to really look at the bigger picture. This game is not for everyone, but I am sure whoever gives it a decent try, will enjoy it very much, my rating stands at 80%
