"Song of Steel" is an impressive solo work by game developer Joe Winter, who used his loneliness to make this game-even though the gorgeous Viking score is by Will Go Created by Will Goss.

This is a beautiful-looking and sound-sounding game, even if the edges are a bit rough. Action platform games may lack the polish of a large team, but this is part of its charm.

You play as an unknown warrior (you can choose male or female, but this is your only choice), his village is burned by the enemy, and he begins to explore an amazing world cave with a wide view, dark forest and even darker.

In the process, you will gain new strength and abilities to help you navigate the dangerous world. You will face countless enemies, from human warriors to orcs to giant trolls.

Song of Steel is mainly an action game. No upgrades, no character customization. You can pick up different weapons, from hand axes to broadswords, but there is no indication of how much damage each weapon does. Some are two-handed; otherwise you will slant the sword.

The fight is decent, but sometimes it feels clunky and a little awkward-maybe unresponsive is a better word. Hitting the enemy lacks charm, and it is easy to turn around. But once you get used to it, you will find the rhythm, and it's very interesting.

You can also use bows and arrows to shoot enemies from a distance or throw any melee weapon you carry. Enemies will always lose their weapons, so if you lose your weapon or your shield breaks, there are many things that can be saved.

As you progress, you will unlock magical powers to enhance your arsenal. You can inject fire or lightning into your weapon, accelerate your speed and release powerful stomping.

Outside of battle, you will solve puzzles, cross levels full of traps and try to find your own way. The last one occupies most of my time.

The game is "old school" because it doesn't tell you where to go. There is no map, no dashed lines or hover arrows, and no target markers. You just need to look around until you find the path, which is sometimes not easy to find.

I just want to say that I found myself stuck several times. Although I was a bit frustrated, I also realized that it might be more about me than the game. I'm used to games telling me where to go, and it's almost rare if you don't tell me where to go. Being frustrated while searching is not a bad thing.

The puzzles are very simple. Sometimes you just need to figure out where to drag a large block to reach an unreachable area. Sometimes you have to find little runes and light them to open the door. Something like this-although it's not difficult anymore, you have to figure it out without guidance.

Platform games are as frustrating as combat. There are all kinds of traps that can kill you in one blow, cracks can drop straight down, etc., except for some unstable controls, everything is fine. (I completely use the gamepad on the PC to play games, because the keyboard and mouse don't feel good to me).

Perhaps my biggest dissatisfaction with the platform is the left joystick. The right joystick controls to avoid rolling. The left joystick controls the movement. But if you double-click the left joystick, it will also dodge. This happens frequently, completely accidentally, and it has caused me to roll off a cliff or fall into a swinging hammer trap too many times to count. Platform games require flexible reflexes, but if control breaks you when you try to be fast, you may take the fun directly from the game.

Song of Steel is a minimalist game. The story is stark. This is a 2D side-scrolling game that may last four to five hours, depending on how fast you find your direction and your ability to handle battles. It has a lot of correctness, but its edges are absolutely rough, and anyone considering buying it should know this.

Nonetheless, there are many things to admire about this single-player effort. I like the way the enemy comes from the background and foreground before entering the 2D plane. I like the power of the soundtrack and the realness and vividness of the environment. The game is moody, evocative and rich, and once I put down the controls, I won't be bothered by clumsy controls — or at least not so many.

The last chapter of the game caused a considerable turning point, and I will not break it here. I just want to say that things have become very strange. This is a bit shocking and is definitely for the sequel.

All in all, "Song of Steel" is a rough but fascinating game. It caught my attention in the first confrontation and made me happily stick to the end. Hope that future patches will enhance the experience.

A Steam code is provided to review the game. You can find the Song of Steel on Steam.

Check out my video review of the game, which includes a lot of game footage, as shown below:

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