Ironcast (Nintendo Switch) Review

When thinking about matching puzzle games, the first thing to come to mind is not Victorian steampunk warfare, with roguelike elements such as permadeath and semi-randomized encounters and power-up systems. Here it is, though. Ironcast does exactly this, and in a wonderful way that feels natural.

The gameplay is really simple and will be familiar to many puzzle fans. The aim is to match up items of the same colour next to each other by drawing a line to get increased rewards depending on the length of the match. The point where Ironcast separates itself from most games in the genre is how the rewards are handled. Each colour corresponds to a different resource used during the battle in widely different ways, making the game about more than just finding the longest match, but finding exactly the one you want, or a move that will lead to this match.

One resource, for example, gives ammo used to deal damage, while another is used to cool the systems preventing overheat, while yet another gives money to be used to upgrade your mech after the battle. This creates a very interesting system that adds a further layer of strategic thinking over what is normal in the genre, and uses the theme and its "rules" that normally make people question if a game of this genre can take place in this setting in surprisingly enjoyable ways. It is difficult to not pick up the game after dying and say, "Just one more time."

It is also a game that is a perfect match for its system. While Ironcast was first released on PC in 2015, this is a title that is hampered by being stuck on a bigger, less portable device, as it is one that benefits greatly from playing on the go. It fits both for couch play and bus play, and this strength is truly allowed to shine on the Nintendo Switch.

It is always enjoyable to see games attempting to tread new ground, and it is even more so when they do a great job of it. Everything in Ironcast is well done, from the Victorian steampunk aesthetics to the sometimes very clever and conscious background stories about the characters that few will read. To see the developer putting such effort into small details like this while still delivering big time on the bigger parts shows dedication, and the Switch really makes this gem shine brighter, giving it the portable release it should maybe have had in the first place.