Tails of Iron – Bright Fir Forest DLC Spoiler-Free Review: Time for Revenge

Revenge, oh my sweet dear revenge!

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the Ratdom, the ancient land of legends, where brave little heroes hunt for justice under the reign of the great King Redgi, descendant of the noble King Rattus, the only one to dethrone the dreadful Warchief Green Wart from his foul throne.

In this review, let’s revisit Tails of Iron: Bright Fir Forest, the first story expansion, completely free and the second DLC after Bloody Whiskers, dedicated to the rodent Action RPG developed by Odd Bug Studio and published by United Label and CI Games.

So, without further ado, let’s journey with Redgi to the borders of Leafs Fall Festival and discover if Odd Bug Studio’s new mini-adventure has managed to impress us!

Trouble on the Horizon

We left off in 2021 with Bloody Whiskers, the first DLC dedicated to Tails of Iron, a product certainly well-crafted and entertaining on the gameplay and combat system fronts. However, it was rather lacking in terms of narrative depth, aside from an intriguing final twist—a feature that, as we know, was one of the major strengths of Odd Bug Studio’s video game.

Fast forward over 2 years since the release of the first DLC, and Odd Bug Studio’s team is back into the spotlight with Bright Fir Forest, Tails of Iron’s first end-game story expansion. This product is decidedly more complex and substantial, expanding Redgi’s narrative arc and definitively concluding the seemingly endless conflict between rats and frogs, as well as the saga of Green Wart’s dynasty.

The expansion, lasting approximately 2 and a half hours (about 4 hours if you aim to achieve all the trophies), is a DLC that continues Redgi’s story at the end-game, picking up exactly where we left off last time, at our impregnable Crimson Keep, the stronghold where our beloved rats and the protagonist and sovereign King Redgi reside.

If you haven’t yet finished the previous DLC, there’s no need to worry. Both Bloody Whiskers and Bright Fir Forest are entirely optional DLCs, meaning you can tackle them in any order you prefer. However, it’s advisable to follow them in sequence, for the sake of maintaining chronological consistency and to avoid missing out on an intriguing secret about the history of the former King Rattus, Redgi’s father, by skipping Bloody Whiskers. Therefore, our recommendation is to complete Bloody Whiskers and all related quests first before delving into the expansion. This approach ensures a seamless narrative flow and helps prepare you for the heightened challenges awaiting in Bright Fir Forest, where the boss fights are notably tougher.

Furthermore, not following this order and immediately diving into the main story, then circling back to tackle the side quests of the two DLCs, could potentially result in a loss of interest and may even prompt you to abandon them altogether. Hence, we strongly recommend following this suggested order and maintaining a balanced approach to your progression in Bright Fir Forest.

The story of the DLC begins in our stronghold, the Crimson Keep, a special host to the traveling Squirrelfolk during their annual pilgrimage to Bright Fir. A special guest awaits us there, the squirrel guide Zazu, presenting us with an official invitation from her clan to the king himself at the Leafs Fall Festival. It’s a perfect opportunity for King Redgi to take a break from his battles and enjoy the beauty of the Golden Woods, this exquisite land enveloped in pristine nature he had heard so much about.

However, as the saying goes, appearances can often be deceiving. The splendid light that was supposed to illuminate and bring the forest to life had vanished, overshadowed by giant mushrooms and their spores that covered the forest with their pestilent air. A dire sign that boded ill.

Accompanied by Zazu, Redgi was taken aback, to say the least, upon reaching the presence of the Squirrelfolk. Fear and concern permeated the air, and the scene before him felt anything but festive. With embarrassed reluctance, Zazu explained the true reason why the clan had requested assistance: the Squirrel Elder and a Priest of the Bright Fir had disappeared after venturing into the abandoned Glimmer Mines to harvest bright moss, but had not returned.

Thus begins Redgi’s new thrilling adventure—a brief journey that will lead him to explore the new region of Bright Fir, to root out the evil lurking in its depths, and ultimately confront the larger, more pressing issues: the unwelcome return of the Green Wart army, now fiercer than ever, determined to avenge their fallen leader and mount Redgi’s head on a pike.

Bright Fir Forest is a tale of anger, revenge, hatred, redemption, but also of brotherhood and family. It’s difficult to describe in simple words or label with few adjectives, precisely because of the complex themes it delves into, which go far beyond the crude language of war. It’s a continuous climax of emotions and moods, with a storyline, characters, and antagonists that have nothing to envy to those of the base game, to be experienced strictly firsthand, without any spoilers or anticipations.

For this reason as well, we believe it’s best to conclude here in narrating the story and allow the DLC to speak for itself.

Tails of Iron has always been synonymous with epic battles and wholesome fun

Months go by, years pass, yet the gameplay of Tails of Iron doesn’t seem to have aged a day, and it entertains us just as much as when we first tried it!

As you might guess, in Bright Fir Forest, the beloved gameplay formula of Tails of Iron hasn’t been revolutionized, nor have any particular novelties been introduced in the game mechanics. Instead, the Odd Bug Studio team has focused more on filling the DLC with smart additions that enhance the combat system, exploration, and base-building without compromising the game’s original structure.

The first thing that catches the eye is the setting of the DLC, the Bright Fir Forest, a brand-new region on the map dotted with new deadly areas, from the deep Abandoned Glimmer Mines to The Shrine of the Tapped Root, all the way to the heights of Castle Drey, the ancestral home of the traveling Squirrelfolk, now under the dominion of the Frog army.

Players will be free to choose whether to focus exclusively on the 4 missions that make up the main quest or to delve into the 9 side missions scattered throughout the entire game world (necessary to obtain all the DLC trophies), 3 of which will bring you back as celebrities to the Moletown Arena, where 3 new fierce challengers await you.

And if you thought the combat system was challenging, wait until you face the new enemies in the expansion. Victims of the same infestation plaguing the vegetation, these enemies appear transformed, more aggressive, and, above all, unpredictable—a truly outstanding result, reflecting the excellent work done by Odd Bug Studio on enemy design.

Despite the lack of significant innovations in Redgi’s combat abilities and skill set, we found the team’s new approaches to diversifying the combat system particularly commendable, especially within the frog clan. An army that found itself in disarray after the death of its clan leader and had to reinvent itself militarily, which in the DLC we see as much more versatile than in the past, with the introduction of a new cadre of ruthless generals and the training of their new battle beasts, the completely rideable beetle mounts. Another addition that we particularly appreciated is the introduction of a new animal species, even more lethal than those encountered in the base game: the rootworms, the new aggressive inhabitants of the subsurface.

If instead you’re looking to take a small break between battles, pay a visit to Zazu, who will offer you new aesthetic modifications and cosmetic items at modest prices that you can purchase to further beautify the Crimson Keep.

And, as the cherry on top, the traditional, fantastic themed quests that the Odd Bug Studio team had accustomed us to in the base game couldn’t be missing, with references to history, music, and popular culture, which will enhance your stay in the Bright Fir Forest.

The only, if we can call it, off-key note we found is in the considerable expansion of Redgi’s arsenal, which now boasts a total of 96 new weapons and armor options for the protagonist. At first glance, it seems like a plethora of of new choices at their disposal, including armor, helmets, shields, one-handed weapons, two-handed weapons, and ranged weapons. However, many of them unfortunately bring “only” purely cosmetic changes without offering particularly beneficial buffs. In fact, they risk weighing down Redgi’s loadout and forcing you into battles with a fat roll that will make you predictable and a bit clumsy.

Details make the difference

It may sound like a cliché, but it’s true. In many video games today, it’s the details, those small nuances, that truly make the difference.

There are two particular details, two little things, that do a great job and make the expansion, in our opinion, an excellent product. The first, or rather, the firsts; the sound design and the OST, two aspects already particularly successful in the base game that in this DLC are at their best. In Bright Fir Forest, music is not just a simple component of the game, but one of the main elements through which the expansion comes to life.

It is perhaps the aspect of the title in which Odd Bug Studio has carried out the most experimentation, boasting a scheme totally different from the base game, starting from the specific choices made on the sound design, the choice of musical instruments used, and the sounds that have been reproduced, almost as if to represent the various moods of the creatures within the game. An example of this is the splendid main theme of Bright Fir Forest, the beautiful melody arranged by the traveling Squirrelfolk during the Leafs Fall Festival.

The second detail, no less important, repeats the goodness achieved in the previous DLC, Bloody Whiskers, and in Redgi’s main adventure, which is the extraordinary storytelling ability of the actor, voice director, and American voice actor Doug Cockle, who plays the role of the omniscient narrator in Tails of Iron. A masterful performance that makes every moment, every small step taken by Redgi in Bright Fir, magical, and every battle of ours more epic than ever!

Does Bright Fir Forest mark the end of Redgi’s saga?

Well, yes, Bright Fir Forest, barring any stunning plot twists, was the splendid epilogue to his majesty Redgi’s saga, the final act that definitively closed the feud between rats and frogs.

As we reach the end of this review, we do so feeling satisfied, happy, and, to be honest, even with a slight tear in our eyes, aware that we’ve truly experienced a beautiful journey, full of epic battles, old enemies, and many new friends, which made our hours spent with the DLC really enjoyable and all too swift.

Bright Fir Forest is undoubtedly the expansion that does the most justice to Redgi’s saga and writes the final page of our stay in Crimson Keep. A journey that, despite some minor hiccups and slight imperfections inherited from the base game, offers excellent storytelling and fun gameplay, challenging but never truly frustrating, which encourages players to hone their reflexes and attention, enhanced by breathtaking landscapes and truly high-level sound design.

While waiting for the sequel, Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter, the new rat-adventure where we’ll journey through the Northern lands as the brave rat Arlo (you can find all the information about it here), if you haven’t already, do yourself a favor and play this little gem. Redgi will be waiting for you at the pub inside Crimson Keep, sipping on a good frosty mug of beer!

The Bright Fir Forest expansion is available for free on digital stores for Nintendo Switch, PC (via Steam), PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One.

For further information on all Tails of Iron content, keep following us and don’t forget to visit Odd Bug Studio and United Label websites to stay updated on all sequel news.

That’s all for today. Until the next review!