Aery - Sky Castle
- October 8, 2020
- EpiXR Games UG
"Aery - Sky Castle" is a serene flight game where you play as a little bird discovering a beautiful, dreamlike world filled with environmental puzzles and hidden treasures. With intuitive flight controls and a vibrant art style, explore ten unique landscapes, collect feathers to unlock new areas, and follow a charming story of discovery and rescue. The game encourages a relaxing pace, perfect for winding down after a long day.
Reviews
- The game is very relaxing, allowing players to explore colorful worlds and collect feathers without the pressure of time or enemies.
- The graphics and art style are visually appealing, creating a beautiful atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.
- The background music is calming and adds to the enjoyment of the game, making it a good choice for winding down after a long day.
- The controls can be frustrating, with limited speed and no camera control, making navigation difficult and sometimes leading to repeated restarts after collisions.
- The game lacks depth and meaningful objectives, often feeling like a collect-a-thon with little incentive to explore beyond gathering feathers.
- There are numerous bugs and design flaws, including issues with saving progress and broken achievements, which detract from the overall enjoyment.
- music30 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The music in the game is described as calm and enjoyable, contributing positively to the overall experience, though it suffers from a lack of variety with only three repeating tracks. Some players found the in-game music to be too overpowering, suggesting that it drowns out other important audio elements, and recommended turning it off in favor of personal soundtracks for a more relaxing experience. Overall, while the music is appreciated for its chill vibe, it is not considered particularly memorable or well-integrated with the gameplay.
“The background music was entertaining by itself and added enjoyment to the game.”
“Now, the music is really nice.”
“I will not say that the soundtrack was very memorable to me, but the music itself was quite calm and perfectly harmonized with the game.”
“The music is one level and drowns out the voice.”
“Music is only 3 tracks repeating itself.”
“Some controls like music volume don't even work.”
- graphics24 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are widely praised for their quality and artistic style, often compared to those of more serious projects. Reviewers highlight the vibrant and funky visuals, with particular appreciation for the detailed views and overall aesthetic appeal, although some note that the lighting can be overly bright at times. Overall, the graphics significantly enhance the gaming experience, making it visually engaging and enjoyable.
“An excellent indie game with decent graphics at the level of serious projects. I really liked the views that you can see, especially if you look closely.”
“Quite excellent graphics; it does not hurt the eyes.”
“The graphics are very cool; I would say funky, and the gameplay is convenient.”
“All three are basically exactly the same game with slightly different graphics.”
“Art style is great, levels are engaging, but the lighting is a little too bright.”
“Special attention is required for the graphics!”
- gameplay20 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The gameplay is primarily a collect-a-thon that some players find frustrating due to control issues, while others appreciate its simplicity and unique mechanics. Although the graphics are praised, many feel the game is too short and would benefit from additional levels or a sequel. Overall, opinions are mixed, with some enjoying the experience and others finding it lacking.
“The gameplay itself is pretty simple, and mastering the controls doesn't take long.”
“There are no complaints about the gameplay.”
“The graphics are very cool, I would say funky, and the gameplay is convenient.”
“The gameplay boils down to a collect-a-thon, which again would be fine, if the controls were not so frustrating.”
“Tldr: pretty game, broken gameplay.”
“If you've played other series in this game, you'll need to get used to the new mechanics.”
- story18 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as interesting but fragmented, providing only a thin motivation for the player's actions. While some players appreciate the relaxing music and engaging plot, others feel the overall narrative experience is lacking compared to similar titles, suggesting that the gameplay is too short and could benefit from expansion or a sequel.
“The plot is interesting and does not let the player get bored.”
“Great storyline, good music (it's relaxing).”
“Story is good but overall gameplay seemed too short; throw in a sequel as a bonus or expand this game to have more levels & you have a great game here :)”
“I love the idea of a flying style 'walking sim' that tells a story as you progress and collect items or something, but this just isn't it.”
“This game doesn't hold a candle to Aer; it lacks the good controls, the ability to land, fine-tuned music to fit the levels, and an actual story. The only thing it does better is adding collectibles.”
“During the game, we will be told a story in small fragments.”
- atmosphere14 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 21 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is generally praised for being beautiful and immersive, creating a relaxing experience that enhances gameplay. However, some players feel that the music does not always align with the level's atmosphere, leading to mixed feelings about the overall audio experience. Despite this, many recommend the game for its captivating ambiance, suggesting it is best enjoyed in a calm setting.
“Atmospheric, beautiful and attractive game!”
“Amazing and intriguing atmosphere.”
“But there ain't no atmosphere with that song. Gonna be honest, I couldn't play more of it listening to the feather collection noise; my eardrums are done.”
“Before you start playing, I highly recommend brewing some tea and grabbing some biscuits to get a feel for the atmosphere that has been very well portrayed here.”
“Songs were attached to specific levels and at least tried to match the atmosphere.”
- optimization8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's optimization appears to be inconsistent, with some users noting that it seems to be a port from Xbox that hasn't been fully optimized, while others report great performance even on weaker hardware. Overall, while there are no significant performance drops, the lack of optimization for certain platforms is a concern.
“Great performance”
“The game was ported from Xbox and hasn't quite been optimized, and it probably won't be.”
“There were no problems with a drop in performance, although I played on a rather weak video card for our time.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Players express that the game's replayability could be significantly improved with the addition of camera movement and a more forgiving life system, such as allowing multiple mistakes before being penalized. This suggests that current mechanics may hinder enjoyment and encourage less frequent playthroughs.
“If there were camera movement and a more forgiving 'life' system (maybe allow three bumps before teleporting you back), I feel like this would be a lot more playable.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users report significant stability issues, particularly with buggy achievements that may prevent players from unlocking them, which can be frustrating for those aiming to complete the game.
“Achievements are buggy, so you probably won't get any of them if that's a goal you have.”