Back in 2015, IronFall: Invasion made its debut on the Nintendo 3DS, offering an experience reminiscent of Gears of War that was just impressive for a handheld device. I had the pleasure of reviewing it for an eShop site, 8-Worlds News, which, sadly, is no longer around. The technical prowess of the game at the time was astounding, bringing quality visuals and gameplay to a portable system. Fast forward nearly a decade, and now we have this remaster on the Switch. While you’ll occasionally notice reminders of its 3DS roots, there’s no denying the fun IronFall: Invasion brings, flaws and all.
As you dive into the game, you’ll find yourself engaged in a third-person cover shooter, drawing clear parallels to the famous Gears of War series. Approach a cover and hit the B button, and your character will snugly snap into place. You can then slide along the cover and lean out to fire with the ZL button. It sticks closely to the traditional shooter formula, even adopting a Gears-like reload mechanic that rewards you for perfect timing. Although it doesn’t push any gameplay boundaries like it did originally, it transitions smoother on the Switch. The proper dual-analog controls make a world’s difference compared to the 3DS’s circle pad pro or New 3DS C-nub. However, the Switch version faces some awkwardness with touchscreen puzzles. Initially designed for stylus input, these segments now lack touch functionality, making the controller options less intuitive.
IronFall: Invasion maintains its original mode options, featuring both a campaign and multiplayer. The campaign splits between Jim Woper, the hulking marine, and Sam Finch, your tech-savvy backup with a pistol. The narrative covers themes of alien invasions and questionable scientific pursuits, though it’s not particularly gripping. Jim’s missions provide a standard, if sometimes monotonous, corridor-shooter experience. Sam’s, on the other hand, attempt stealth without a proper stealth system, leaving you with similar corridors and limited firepower. Occasionally, you’re treated to set-piece moments like turret or sniper segments, which serve as pleasant diversions.
The multiplayer scene, unfortunately, feels a bit deserted at the moment. Attempts to find matches proved unsuccessful, although the survival mode offers an alternative, challenging players to handle waves of foes under a time constraint. It’s similar to the old 3DS demo, which used to inject life into the multiplayer experience. A comparable initiative could breathe life into its Switch counterpart as well.
Switch players will notice a visual treat with IronFall: Invasion’s makeover. VD-Dev, the brains behind the game’s development, have a track record for pushing hardware to its limits, and they don’t hold back here. Expect a crisp 1080p resolution when docked, 720p handheld, all running smoothly at 60fps. A handy option allows players to toggle between 90% and 100% resolution rendering. I opted for the full experience at 100%, and it performed admirably with only minor frame rate dips. The 90% setting should guarantee stable performance. The environments transition beautifully to the bigger screen, with VD-Dev reworking each texture for HD quality. While it doesn’t have the shock value that it did on the 3DS, it’s still visually impressive despite some rigid character animations.
In its 3DS debut, IronFall: Invasion stood out as a technically groundbreaking third-person shooter, holding its ground alongside giants like Resident Evil Revelations, Star Fox 64 3D, and Nano Assault. On the Switch, however, it settles comfortably into the realm of decent third-person shooters. It’s still a technical marvel but lacks the groundbreaking essence of its original release. For those looking for a Gears of War-style game crafted by a talented indie team, IronFall: Invasion remains a worthwhile exploration.
