The Iron Oath is a Beautiful Sandbox RPG About a Fantasy Mercenary Company 

Thanks so much for taking a final look, Splat (and for your support over these past years)! We still have a lot planned for the game now that the main campaign is completed (addressing some of the issues you mentioned being among them). Will definitely be more free updates coming in 2024, and hopefully beyond that if we're able :)

No need to apologize, you doing these "where are they nows" on early access games is part of why i watch. Keep it up big homie.

This game isn't wartales or battle brothers, despite the fact it has "mercenaries" in it - it's darkest dungeon with an isometric map and more RPG mechanics.

It’s good to see these closure videos. So much can change from when you first do an impressions video on an early release game to when the game actually goes gold. It’s good to see these types of videos

Glad I waited till 1.0 to jump into this, no need to stop part way through a campaign for the game to be finished. Having fun so far.

If yall love these types of games, Wartales is a fantastic title

Great game! Although I'd say the developers were inspired not only by Battle Brothers, but Darkest Dungeon too. And, boy, I love this mix!

"pinch off the loaf" 😭 2:22

Man it really seems like this is something that I would ALMOST like.

nice Manowar Lyrics ! "strike while the iron is hot" . Need to listen to Manowar now :)

Really digging the art in this game

I prefer something like this over any early access games. I really do not care about early access, since it is often up in the air if they actually fix the issues that are there (being an early access) and/or if they EVER get out of that stage. A review of an actually released game is so much more informing and helpful.

You had me at fantasy battle brothers. How does that meme go? SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY!

This looks really good. I'm a fan of battle brothers and always looking for more, even if I'm terrible at it.

‘Pinch off the loaf’ what a vile phrase

Glad to see you checked this game out. I'm actually enjoying it

Splatt, your expansive vocabulary and in depth descriptions and explanations of games never ceases to amaze me. Your ability to critique as well as be a neutral party is always a pleasure to witness. I've purchased a few games because of this. However, I am still wondering how much storage you have :D

In world map there is indeed similarity to battle brothers, but fight are completely different thing :D

Finally, something that is not in early access.

I've had Iron Oath since it first entered EA and it's really good but REALLY makes me want a more... casual or power fantasy focused merc company game. I couldn't get into Battle Brothers or Warband or this because it was just hella hard. Would LOVE a power fantasy Merc Company game but can't think of any that fit that description.

Interesting how you spared deamonds life and he gave you coin but then the battle starts anyway?! That's definitely a bug and I don't think you mentioned it. But after he gave you coin for sparing him you clicked on continue and then you had to fight him anyway... what a game :D

The music for this game is an often listen for me

Splat: "sorry for covering this game twice" The viewers: "can you please play a series" 😂 always makes me laugh

My big put off with so many of these kind of games is the bad guys will fight to the death regardless of the odds. In the first combat of this vid, why would a group of thugs fight until their last man and last breath? Just to screw the player for later. Seems like a weak way to ramp up the player wounds.

thats one of the best yt titles i've ever read. very precice, i like!

I see a lot of divinity influence here too

By enlarge is not a phrase and I wish you would stop using it, but so much love splat your videos are one of the few constants in my life the past couple years!

As a massive Battle Brothers fan (1700+ hours, played since vanilla) I feel a lot of your criticism is misplaced. This game just came out, BB was in development for many years and has 3 big DLCs. Comparing the current version of TIO to it does it a disservice. Can't talk about Wartales much, I stopped playing it in EA because it was not interesting to me. This game already has great fundamentals and combat mechanics. IMO, already a better level/class system than BB where every character is essentially the same just with different stats. This game has a bunch of classes all with unique abilities and are all viable. This makes combat a lot more interesting and open many more tactics/combinations. A lot of the things you mentioned such as custom item creation, late boss fights, things to spend money on etc.. I'm sure will be added over time. It is a lot easier to add overworld stuff than totally redesign and balance a whole TRPG combat mechanics. Anyways, thanks for the review, I may disagree with you on this one but I very much appreciate your hard work and you keeping us inform about these game. I absolutely recommend this one for anyone interested in the TRPG style, I been having a blast.

I don't mind reinforcements but than at least don't buff the hp, rather make tham hit harder or something not buff their defense

Good review. I've found that a bunch of yours have me picking up a game or two so glad you can give some nuanunce too.

I'm confused by that last fight? You chose to forgive the guy and let him live, he gave you some gold and you still fought him?

"pinch off the loaf" lol

Commentary aside, I'm really confused at the end of the video. He decided to spare the enemy, the dialogue ended peacefully, but then they still fought?

Solution, company game industries should hire people to do the youtube videos for their games, instead of having "free press" that causes everyone frustrations and too many videos on games that don't get noticed.

You spared the guy before the final combat...he was relieved, put down his bow, gave you money and then the battle started anyway?

Combat reminds me of the Legend of Heroes system with the casting.

Its a great game!!

Been playing Battle Brothers recently and finally "winning" on Veteran Ironmode. It's fun, but late game can be a bit boring, and I wish you can use magic and stuff for extra depth and to give better reasons to fight the tough/frustrating monsters like Hexen that's not just money.

It looks absolutely beautiful!

Playing it, love it :) 😀

I really like Low Magic Age. reminds me of that game, but more visual

Looks pretty awesome, I must admit.

With the comparison to Wartales - worth mentioning Wartales is on gamepass now.

Yah can't wait for the 9 November for Dungeons 4 seem to be some interesting stuff coming up November curious to see if Broken roads is going to be good too.

oooh, I wish I had the extra money for this. I liked this one last time you showed it

23:28 Thanks for reminding me that I own both of those!

I hate feeling rushed, hated it in mechanicus hated it here aswell.

Seems like a fair assessment. But there's room to grow as a new game, so it's not a biggie.

Pixel art is dope! And my dog is a nudist too…

Kinda reminds me of battle brothers except not as charming

Splat, you could record yourself watching paint dry and I'd watch it.

Thanks for the video.

I'm a Battle Brothers stan, but if I were to pick up next game in the genre it would be this over Wartales. I find lack of rng makes the games from tactical to puzzle, which is why I can't get into titles like Daemonhunters or Wartales. Wartales in addition is extremely repetitive in how you handle fights, because nothing can change the way you setup the combos. Also, I'm missing the procedural map from Battle Brothers in all those games.

I loved Battle Brothers especially because it was a no bs mercenary company. I liked it that magic was not available to players and it was considered something forbidden and evil that witches and necromancers would use. And that men did not have any superpowers and flashy abilities or even flawless heroic morals and good looks. They did not stand out and they could be cut down by an orc as if they were made of butter. I loved the grit, the brutality, the masculinity even that Battle Brothers exuded - but this game does not do that.

🖤

Overhype is making a new game, i hope you will cover it

Splat saying there are many games like battle brothers out there and I hardly can think of any turn based sandbox merc Sims X_x any ideas? I can think of wartales, battle brothers, battletech, dead monarchy and that's basically it. 😅

I don't like how the character portraits don't exactly match the models on the battlefield..

Nice content as always. Hope they get rid of the reinforcement system too.

Only issue, just the same missions over again and over again, fighting the same monsters.

Compared to Battle brothers and Wartales content wise where is it? This is what I am missing from BB and more content/diversity and depth Last time I tried it was too shallow and simple, too small battlefield to really implement strategy, too few characters.. Just lacking everywhere

It's so sad that for game so polished it gives out the vibe of "no depth found here". Not to criticize anyone, or give an informed opinion, but if you think of it: first look is all that matters. Unless you build a big community which carries the game forward. I can only guess that if the game looked way worse, with little plot/story line *BUT* with enough depth and things to do Splat would have rated it higher.

the mechanism of venture/expedition is like Darkest Dungeon 1, where upgrade town, resting heroes, bring stuff before going dungeon

is this like battle brothers but with magic?

Reinforments thrown at you and the addition of time is my least favorite thing. If it’s an action RPG - more mobs the better - it’s it’s turn based - don’t bog down my life and explode my brain over a never ending turn extension.

do indie devs have to keep up with quartely reports to investors?

It just looks like BB except more fruity.

How would you compare this with 'Wartales'?

Static cling. Most hoodies are not 100% cotton like 2 % ranon or polyester 98 %cotton. Drives me nuts. I got to take it off.

game is nice but i wish there was more freedom on world map

😊

850K ,voice changed wow. . long way from zomboid congrats

I couldn't get into the actual combat system, it just felt backwards to me.

Why did that last fight happen? I mean you/your party decided to spare the guy, got a bunch of money and then you fight anyway.

I'm of the opposite opinion when it comes to pixelart, I think it was a cute fad for a little bit but I'm way over it

I have always been interested in Battle Brothers, but it looked kind of meh, whereas this one has the fantasy and graphics I would enjoy more for hours on end. So if not this one, would Wartales be a good choice? I like the look of it more than BB, but I also want a game that will keep me interested.

Wartales?

Yeah..not a fan of games and devs that use inconsequential numbers for stats and abilities. When i look at a game it has like...at 2-4% modifier on something it tells that that the devs are noobs. I want, like you, impactful stuff. Why use 4% when you can be a normal human and use 5%? I dont want to be nickel and dimed for like, 5 days of grinding to get where i think im starting to get ahead of the curve. "Oh wow, i found an upgrade, its whole 2% better!" -F

Still no final look at Lunacid? Shameful

Ratopia is out

Game looks generally great but some of the graphics especially the character models are not my cup of tea at all. I don't mind the pixel stuff but looks a bit too japanese, anime style which is annoying to me.

So... You cant be a female monk. You cant be a male nun, or huntress. How unrealistic.

This game supports mentally ill pronouns. No buy.

No male huntress? Gamesbad.

Wait, didn't the dialog you chose say you were basically forgiving that Boss with the hounds and then you still had to fight him after he gave you his gold? Meh things like that drive me crazy in a game that and developers opening their mouths on main stream manufactured social issues that have nothing to do with gaming bugs me even more. Sorry Splat thanks for the revisit but this ones a hard pass from me. God Bless...

Not fun at all.

I thought you spared Daemond. Why the fight?

...a new game that looks like mindless fun is survivors of the dawn!