REVIEW - Iconoclasts - Samus: The Early Years

Name: Iconoclasts
Developers: Joakim Sandberg, Konjak
Publisher: Bifrost Entertainment
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, PC
Release: 23.01.18

Wish you were here! Yeah, that means you, Frank!

Yeah, it's another 2-D side-scrolling platform/puzzle game. What can I say? I have a type. From the initial artwork and trailer I watched, Iconoclasts promises the sort of adventure you would expect from a Metroidvania style game. What it delivers is... different.

Well, that should just about fill you in

From the title screen and the initial opening cutscene, which itself is a fast-paced montage of potential allies and villains reminiscent of a Saturday morning cartoon intro, it looks to almost be an RPG of sorts. You are introduced to the protagonist, Robin. Like all good heroes, she's mute and conveys most of her feelings with rather amusing facial expressions and movements. She's an illegal Mechanic. Mechanics are important, as they are the only people sanctioned by the religious organization, One Concern, to work with the sacred substance known as Ivory. Ivory is a liquid that is used for everything from supplying electricity to a house to fueling a rocket to the moon. (Or moons, in this worlds case)
Circling back to the "illegal" aspect of Robin's job, basically, she helps the nearby village on the down low, without the say so from the church. While this is welcome, and in some cases very necessary for their survival, it comes at a severe cost if transgressions are discovered. One Concern inflicts "Penance" upon any who disobey their laws, a process that involves the "criminals" being detained within their homes before a mysterious rumbling starts and something erupts from the earth beneath. Needless to say, One Concern kinda sucks.

I don't know why I couldn't just whack these guys

On your adventure, you'll meet all the characters you've been teased with from the title screen. First, you have Elro, Robin's brother and only living blood relative. He affectionately refers to her as "Sunflower" and is fiercely protective. He disapproves of Robin's pastime as he is more than aware of what One Concern is capable of, having once worked for them.
Your next ally is Mina, a rebel pirate who is from a group of people who have managed to produce Ivory from a completely natural source. (Of course, this is illegal. Because why have alternatives that could save the planet) She's hot-tempered and isn't afraid to fight odds that are stacked well against her to get her point across. Equipped with a stolen shotgun, she occasionally teams up with you to fight bosses and solve puzzles.
Your third, but by no means least, ally is Royal. He's the product of a human who has been infused with Ivory, a process that is very risky and occurs in death nine times out of ten. A little arrogant, and extremely ignorant of the ways of the world, Royal uses his Ivory powers to help Robin whenever he can without question. Despite being the next in line as leader of One Concern, he joins Robin on her adventure as he sees that the organization has gotten too big and faceless in the process of trying to appease its "God".
Though together they would make a formidable team, they spend more time fighting amongst themselves than they do One Concern. (I feel sorry for Robin in this instance as she keeps getting stuck in the middle of these arguments)

I've been called worse I suppose

Platforming and puzzle solving are the main focuses of the game. While there is combat, for the most part, you'll probably find yourself using the weapons at your disposal to open doors and unlock new paths to explore. The puzzles themselves can be challenging, later on requiring you to combine a few of the upgrades you've acquired to reach before unattainable chests or routes. Where I feel the game falls down a little is that it relies too heavily on "secret areas". Your standard "invisible walls that once you walk through become visible areas" deal. Unlike Metroid, I feel that you don't get enough opportunity to fully exploit the tools you've been given. Instead, you're left looking at the screen for (sometimes too subtle) hints that there's a hidden treasure nearby.

You're kidding, right? (She is, I laughed. Once)

Treasures in Iconoclasts are mostly items that are used to build Tweaks. Tweaks are exactly what they sound like, you equip them at save points to give you a various assortment of improvements to your wellbeing. This can be in the form of being able to breathe underwater for longer or being able to take a free hit without taking any actual damage. A maximum of three can be equipped at any one time and in any combination. (So you can stack three "Take a Hit" Tweaks to give yourself a little extra insurance) One paper, they're pretty decent though I found I would only really use a couple for the whole game without any real inclination to play about with them. A shame considering, like with the upgrades you receive, there could have been a bigger emphasis on having to hold your breath for longer or an area where to get through, a few free hits were necessary.

Wait, why did I even write a paragraph on them?

I know I've said that combat isn't a focus, but that doesn't mean that this game is a walk in the park. There are enemies on pretty much every screen. So what am I talking about, there's lots of combat. Well, most enemies, barring the bosses, tend to go down within one or two hits of your wrench or a quick blast from your stun gun. About 50% of the boss fights in the game are a case of trial and error as you try and figure out what is actually happening on screen. I thought back to classic Sonic the Hedgehog and Castlevania games, trying to think if there were instances where things would get too hectic to deal with. (Of course, there was) However, Iconoclasts' bosses feel like a battle of attrition. You go in, expecting to take damage and end up hoping you can do more damage before your health runs out. This might just be my experience, but I did feel that the fighting could have been slightly better composed than a "Shoot until it stops" approach that I encountered. Unlike similar games I've played, I never felt satisfied after a big fight, just relieved that I'd survived.

Shitshitshitshit...

As I alluded to at the start, Iconoclasts can deal with some pretty dark stuff. An all-powerful religious organization ruling the world, punishing those who would disobey with death or the threat of death. As the game is in the style of a classic 16-32 Bit game, I felt a few of the scenes were lost a bit in translation. Example, I beat a boss and suddenly a sort of tree burst from him. I laughed. It looked kind of comical. Then the following scene brought me right back down with the partner of the said boss almost beating the offending character to death. The only reason I was really taken aback was up until that point, the writing for the game (for which there can be massive blocks of) seemed quite aloof and light-hearted. From that point on though, there seemed to be a consistent nose-dive in mood whenever characters would interact with each other. Making some conversations, even between allies, a bit too heavy for the narrative they were in.

Hello Darkness, my old friend...

Would I recommend this game to you? I was originally hooked by the trailer's happy-go-lucky nature and the promise of Metroid-like gameplay. What I got was an adventure that had difficulty not taking itself too seriously and gameplay that was shallower than it could have been. If it comes down a little from its main price or even becomes one of the PS+ games down the line, then yes. But for now, there are probably a few other titles that could use your attention.

Again, I laughed before it got way serious damn fast

Iconoclasts is (currently) available for download from PSN for £15.99 or Steam for £17.49.