User Reviews

'Iconoclasts (2018)' is a 2D, metroidvanian side-scroller developed independently by one man, Joakim Sandberg, over an eight year period. It's an ambitious title for an indie studio of any size, let alone one comprised of a single developer. The game is much more story-focused than you might imagine. It tells the tale of a mechanic living withing a religiously led society that punishes people for committing apparent sins, one of which happens to be unlicensed mechanic work. The narrative starts out small but soon expands into a 'save the world' sort of thing, with a ton of lore and metaphor. Its pacing is very uneven and some of its beats aren't too clear, with both these issues getting worse as it nears its conclusion, but it is engaging and well-written throughout. It even has a couple of genuinely emotional moments. The game is presented with some downright beautiful pixel art and simplistic but effective animations. Sometimes, the enemies don't quite telegraph their attacks enough but, for the most part, everything is snappy and satisfying. The gameplay revolves around traversing a series of interconnected screens, returning to previously explored environments as new weapons and tweaks (perks, essentially) are unlocked. There are a good variety of tools at your disposal and the game has a good amount of challenge to it. Sometimes, it doesn't exactly feel fair, though. That's because some of its puzzles rely on previously unexplored mechanics and purposefully hidden segments of the level. How are you supposed to know there's a hidden vent you can jump to when the game gives you no indication it even exists? Some of its puzzles are also vexing because they require extremely precise timing or movement combinations. You can be doing the right thing for ages with no result, leading you to believe you're doing the wrong thing even though you aren't. Needless to say, this is frustrating. Still, the game is pretty much always fun. It's an entertaining time despite its issues. It's even more impressive when you learn the circumstances of its creation, as it feels every bit as polished as similar efforts from fully fledged studios. It may not be perfect, but it's a more-than-decent effort. 7/10