Momentum-Based Metroidvania Iron Bramble Builds Upon Rusted Moss’ Phenomenal Legacy

A few years ago, a small group of developers put together one of the most memorable metroidvanias in recent memory. Rusted Moss brought together twin-stick shooter gunplay and the familiar progression of metroidvanias with a movement mechanic that makes exploration and combat feel satisfying and frantic.

Now, the same, though slightly expanded, group of developers has announced a spiritual sequel in Iron Bramble. This title is a momentum-based metroidvania that brings more of that signature style to the forefront with gorgeous pixel graphics in a brand-new wrapper for us to explore.

Iron Bramble Is The Perfect Example Of What Makes Indie Experimentation So Much Fun To Be A Part Of

Right, let’s get one thing out of the way before this gets out of hand: I haven’t played Iron Bramble. What makes it such a perfect example of indie experimentation is the fact that it’s a continuation of a unique game style across multiple releases without them necessarily being directly linked.

Developers such as Housemarque and Remedy Entertainment do this on a much larger scale. However, seeing an indie do it and really lean into what the team loves brings me far more joy because it’s so much riskier for a smaller team to make this move.

In Iron Bramble, players master their elastic grappling hook to help them explore a cyber-gothic megastructure. If that doesn’t sound cool enough, you’re going to be battling robots that are piloted by souls of the dead. These souls are paying for their sins in death and seemingly have no end to their service in sight, save for a swift bullet through their systems from you.

While Rusted Moss bleeds into the game through its movement, systems have been improved to offer something fresh and just as exciting. For example, a rocket launcher is an effective weapon, but it’ll also boost you to reach new heights, from which you can grapple more of the environment and effectively break the game.

Games like Iron Bramble are built to have hard-to-reach secrets hidden within that players spend dozens of hours searching for. There’s little more satisfying than knowing you’ve seen everything a game has to offer, inside and out. Expect the unexpected in a game where your field of view is 360 degrees.

If, like me, you can’t wait to see more of what the developers behind Iron Bramble have to offer, follow all our socials and sign up for our free Patreon membership to get all our coverage sent directly to your feeds and email.

About the Author

Jamie Moorcroft Sharp

Editor

Jamie adores the indie games that you don’t hear about until you’re on a video essay binge at 3AM and suddenly the sound of them changes your life. He’s played games all his life and loves looking at the intricate details that make them magical and different. If there’s a wierd list, embarrassing feature, or something else far too out there on Bonus Action, there’s a good chance he wrote it. But that’s not all! He’s also an absolute fiend who never knows when to stop when he puts on his dirty robes and takes on his D&D persona as a Mud Warlock who acts on that tiny voice in your head when it wonders what would happen if you did something really dumb right now. He’s easy to beat in a TGC, though, just keep an eye out for his crazy card combos.

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