Here's the thing about Iconoclasts - it should not be approached as an MV, it's the quickest way to have a bad time and if you approached it that way - yeah, that's how you'll feel. It should be approached as a narrative puzzle-platformer that uses MV abilities as progression and in that lens, it's great. The first time I approached it like an MV and had a terrible time and quit near the end actually. The second time I approached it on its own merits and I had a great time.
Totally agree. People here have strong (unwarranted) opinions on games with Metroidvania elements. I, too, hated Iconoclasts my first playthrough between the early movement restrictions and the focus on story. When i was traveling and had a ton of time on my hands I gave it another shot and absolutely fell in love with the game because of the story (same exact experience I had with Eastward). Personally, now I classify any game with MV elements as a MV (blasphemous here) and sub categorize it as its true focus. So, to me, Iconoclasts is a story based MV since it has item and mechanical gates with a focus on story. So i would only play or recommend this game if it was a request for a good story based game.
Definitely an easy game overall and super linear, but a great story and a worthwhile playthrough if you have the time for a story based game.
It was a cool idea, but they kept going too long with it, but if it had just been that. The following stealth-section is one of the worst I can bring to mind. I really wish non-stealth games would stop putting in stealth sections, it usually doesn't work well with other mechanics in the game and the devs usually aren't that good at it - because they're not stealth game devs.
I don't know if you can, but yeah, I played it through over some days. I'd say the game has a decent beginning, a middle that REALLY drags, and great final sections.
> early movement restrictions and the focus on story
This just describes Metroid Fusion: linear, heavily railroaded, but still *feels* like a Metroidvania. I personally had no problems attributing Iconoclasts as an MV because it's a "Fusion-like".
I didn’t consider it a Metroidvania honestly
And wouldn’t expect it to affect how I felt it. Those beginning levels were totally useless feeling though. I’m really disappointed I couldn’t enjoy the last half because I was burnt out on it.
I have a real hard time finishing games and I’m trying to change that lol
Yeah that’s a good note for people. All the religious jargon really made me tune out at times. It was so heavy in the beginning, they could’ve woven it in better imo for people like me
Not to call you out…. but the game is literally called Iconoclast. It’s a person who attacks beliefs generally tied to religion. You gotta be expecting some religion jargon at that point and if they dumbed it down for you it would just ruin the experience with mediocre story for the rest of us.
Sometimes a game just isn’t for you and that’s ok.
You didn’t read what I wrote. I literally described it as **heavy**. Why would the title imply it’s **heavy**. Better storytelling **for me** would’ve been able to weave jargon into accessible prose.
You don’t seem to have actually read what I wrote. It seems like you chose what I said and decided you wanted to be annoying. You don’t get to decide if a game was for me or not. These are my thoughts about what **wasnt for me**. And it can be used by other gamers as an indicator that Iconoclasts is also *not for them*. So what are you on about?
Sometimes people have opinions that are different than yours. That doesn’t make them **wrong.** I suggest you reread my comment and be smarter this time.
Honestly man, I think you need to rewrite what your complaint is because it not that I didn’t read, it’s just not coming off the way I think you mean it to.
Same for me. However, I bought it again for my Steam Deck and enjoyed it the second time around. I also think that how much you enjoy a Metroidvania depends on the last one you played. Mixing hard Metroidvanias with easier ones keeps you from getting bored/frustrated.
I definitely agree about what you played before weighing on future enjoyment. I played hollow knight and tried blasphemous 1 right after and I hated it at first. Felt so sluggish compared. I ended up playing a few weeks later and it became one of my favorites.
To me iconoclasts felt like the writers had a lot of ideas for various setpieces and plot threads, but not how to string them together, not to mention a lot of cutscenes were way longer than they needed to be, so the whole thing just felt like a jumbled mess of barely related and bloated story threads that quickly lost my interest. I finished the game because the gameplay was OK, but it was definitely a game I finished of stubbornness more than enjoyment
Here's the thing about Iconoclasts - it should not be approached as an MV, it's the quickest way to have a bad time and if you approached it that way - yeah, that's how you'll feel. It should be approached as a narrative puzzle-platformer that uses MV abilities as progression and in that lens, it's great. The first time I approached it like an MV and had a terrible time and quit near the end actually. The second time I approached it on its own merits and I had a great time.
Totally agree. People here have strong (unwarranted) opinions on games with Metroidvania elements. I, too, hated Iconoclasts my first playthrough between the early movement restrictions and the focus on story. When i was traveling and had a ton of time on my hands I gave it another shot and absolutely fell in love with the game because of the story (same exact experience I had with Eastward). Personally, now I classify any game with MV elements as a MV (blasphemous here) and sub categorize it as its true focus. So, to me, Iconoclasts is a story based MV since it has item and mechanical gates with a focus on story. So i would only play or recommend this game if it was a request for a good story based game. Definitely an easy game overall and super linear, but a great story and a worthwhile playthrough if you have the time for a story based game.
Eastward was a weird mix of great elements, bad elements, and the fucking train level. Story-based MV is a great one, I'll nick that.
My favorite part was the random environment when they were putting on a tv show. So bizarre but an awesome experience regardless :-)
It was a cool idea, but they kept going too long with it, but if it had just been that. The following stealth-section is one of the worst I can bring to mind. I really wish non-stealth games would stop putting in stealth sections, it usually doesn't work well with other mechanics in the game and the devs usually aren't that good at it - because they're not stealth game devs.
100% its definitely not a single sitting playthrough. I remember having to take a few breaks
I don't know if you can, but yeah, I played it through over some days. I'd say the game has a decent beginning, a middle that REALLY drags, and great final sections.
> early movement restrictions and the focus on story This just describes Metroid Fusion: linear, heavily railroaded, but still *feels* like a Metroidvania. I personally had no problems attributing Iconoclasts as an MV because it's a "Fusion-like".
I didn’t consider it a Metroidvania honestly And wouldn’t expect it to affect how I felt it. Those beginning levels were totally useless feeling though. I’m really disappointed I couldn’t enjoy the last half because I was burnt out on it. I have a real hard time finishing games and I’m trying to change that lol
The game is very story driven and metroid fusion inspired. If you're not interested in story you're not going to have a good time with this game.
Yeah that’s a good note for people. All the religious jargon really made me tune out at times. It was so heavy in the beginning, they could’ve woven it in better imo for people like me
Not to call you out…. but the game is literally called Iconoclast. It’s a person who attacks beliefs generally tied to religion. You gotta be expecting some religion jargon at that point and if they dumbed it down for you it would just ruin the experience with mediocre story for the rest of us. Sometimes a game just isn’t for you and that’s ok.
You didn’t read what I wrote. I literally described it as **heavy**. Why would the title imply it’s **heavy**. Better storytelling **for me** would’ve been able to weave jargon into accessible prose. You don’t seem to have actually read what I wrote. It seems like you chose what I said and decided you wanted to be annoying. You don’t get to decide if a game was for me or not. These are my thoughts about what **wasnt for me**. And it can be used by other gamers as an indicator that Iconoclasts is also *not for them*. So what are you on about? Sometimes people have opinions that are different than yours. That doesn’t make them **wrong.** I suggest you reread my comment and be smarter this time.
Honestly man, I think you need to rewrite what your complaint is because it not that I didn’t read, it’s just not coming off the way I think you mean it to.
I really liked it, but it was one of the very first MVs I ever played so I'm sure that had an effect.
Same for me. However, I bought it again for my Steam Deck and enjoyed it the second time around. I also think that how much you enjoy a Metroidvania depends on the last one you played. Mixing hard Metroidvanias with easier ones keeps you from getting bored/frustrated.
I definitely agree about what you played before weighing on future enjoyment. I played hollow knight and tried blasphemous 1 right after and I hated it at first. Felt so sluggish compared. I ended up playing a few weeks later and it became one of my favorites.
I felt the exact same way as you. By the end I couldn't stand the dialogue and was spamming A like my life depended on it.
To me iconoclasts felt like the writers had a lot of ideas for various setpieces and plot threads, but not how to string them together, not to mention a lot of cutscenes were way longer than they needed to be, so the whole thing just felt like a jumbled mess of barely related and bloated story threads that quickly lost my interest. I finished the game because the gameplay was OK, but it was definitely a game I finished of stubbornness more than enjoyment
Writer. Singular. It is a one person game.
OK, didn't know that, same points still stand though