Anyone with a penchant for narrative-driven video games should check out Aether & Iron: the captivating setting, the criminal undertones, and the wide variety of characters encountered and locations visited guarantee entertainment. Furthermore, there's the tactical component, which, without overdoing it, manages to offer a satisfying challenge. Seismic Squirrel's offering is certainly not without its flaws—at times it's a bit too textual and not visual—but it will win over those willing to immerse themselves in its story.

Aether & Iron is a very promising title that tells a highly compelling story of power and class, and is crowned with one of the most clever SRPG battle systems on the market. However, it is full of disruptive glitches and bugs that rear their heads far too frequently, which prevent the mind from fully engaging with the wonderful story. Signs indicate that the developers are quick to fix issues as they arise, so there is reason to believe they will get fixed over time. However, at the moment of writing, the flaws are too numerous to overlook. This makes it difficult to fully recommend the game to a wider audience than hardcore SRPG and aetherpunk dystopia fans. For those that love these aspects, though, there are few titles on the market that will scratch that itch as well as Aether & Iron.

Aether & Iron takes immense joy messing around in the noir decopunk playground it has constructed, and that joy is often infectious. Some polish, mechanical depth and omissions aside, Aether & Iron’s world and characters monologued their way into my heart, and the inventive tactical car combat, charming indulgence of tropes, and overall direction make for a glamorous and gold-embellished package that deserves to have its name in lights for a time.