Bird Watcher
- February 19, 2018
- First Game Studio
"Bird Watcher" is an interactive, first-person "walking simulator" centered around a poignant narrative. Players help Claire, a young girl living with a cruel aunt, find her freedom and solve the mystery of disappearing pigeons. The game features full voice narration, immersive sound design, and a calming autumn environment, with simple gameplay and realistic graphics.
Reviews
- The game features a beautiful and engaging story that is enjoyable to experience.
- The graphics are decent and the environment is visually interesting, enhancing the overall atmosphere.
- The music is relaxing and fits well with the game's theme, contributing to a pleasant experience.
- The voice acting is poor, with many mispronunciations and awkward pauses that detract from the narrative experience.
- The game is extremely short, lasting only about 15-30 minutes, which may leave players wanting more content.
- The translation issues lead to confusion in the story, making it difficult for players to fully engage with the plot.
- story22 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally seen as intriguing and touching, with a focus on atmosphere and exploration, but it suffers from poor translation and voice acting that detracts from the overall experience. While some players appreciate its simplicity and visual appeal, many find the dialogue confusing and the narrative lacking depth, leading to a mixed reception regarding its storytelling quality. Overall, it has potential but is hindered by execution issues.
“A beautiful short story game.”
“Intriguing story, beautiful graphics.”
“It's a nice, somewhat eye-opening story.”
“The English isn't great, the story isn't great, there's nothing to really see or do.”
“I could barely understand the plot through the broken English.”
“I found the story quite confusing because of the translation problems.”
- music8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The music in the game is consistently praised for its relaxing and enjoyable quality, effectively complementing the walking simulator experience. While it features a limited soundtrack, primarily a single track, it aligns well with the game's mood and enhances the overall atmosphere. Users appreciate the pleasant voiceover and the easy-to-understand subtitles, despite some quirky translation choices.
“The music is spot on and fits the mood I feel the game was trying to go for.”
“It is a short and sweet 15-30 minutes walking sim with very nice music, some simple interaction, and letters to be found and read.”
“+ enjoyable soundtrack”
“First of all, this game has not much to offer than just a walking simulator with a relaxing music theme.”
“It’s only a single track but given how short the game is, I understand why there isn’t much variation in a musical sense.”
“It is a short and sweet 15-30 minutes walking sim with very nice music, some simple interaction and letters to be found and read.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally described as decent to mediocre, with some reviewers noting a visually agreeable aesthetic and moments of originality. While the visuals contribute positively to the atmosphere, they are not enough to elevate the overall experience, especially when paired with subpar voice-over work. Overall, the graphics are seen as a mixed bag, fitting the game's style but lacking in polish.
“Intriguing story, beautiful graphics.”
“If these were corrected, I could easily recommend this on the visuals alone.”
“This is a Unity engine title, and that carries somewhat of a stigma in itself, but I can say it does seem like there’s at least some flair of originality here in some parts of the game when it comes to the graphics.”
“There's the semblance of an interesting story here, and a generally agreeable aesthetic both visually and aurally, but even the current asking price of two dollars isn't justified by the rather anaemic product on offer.”
“The graphics are mediocre but fit the game suitably.”
“This is a Unity engine title and that carries somewhat of a stigma in itself, but I can say it does seem like there’s at least some flair of originality here in some parts of the game when it comes to the graphics.”
- gameplay6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized as a linear walking simulator that offers enjoyable interactions, such as picking up notes and photos, but lacks depth and variety. While the graphics are decent and the game is affordable for a short experience, players desire more content and innovative mechanics to enhance the overall experience.
“The overall graphics are decent, and the gameplay is enjoyable.”
“As to the gameplay, this is a linear walking simulator at heart.”
“The bit of story the game has is all right; gameplay-wise, you pick up notes, photos, or interact with some items.”
“I would want more gameplay and more content. The price is very low, so if anyone wants to play something different for 30 minutes, they should buy it!”
“As to the gameplay, this is a linear walking simulator at heart. It does little to break free from the typical expectations and mechanics that are inherent to the genre.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features a potentially touching story that resonates emotionally, but its impact is diminished by poor translation and voice acting, particularly the lack of emotional depth in the character Claire's delivery.
“A good, touching story.”
“The story has the potential to be a nice, touching experience.”
“The emotional depth of the narrative truly resonates with players.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in "Bird Watcher" is highlighted as a key element, with users noting its strong narrative focus and immersive visuals typical of walking simulators. Overall, the game successfully creates an engaging environment that enhances the storytelling experience.
“Bird Watcher is a short narrative experience that focuses on the atmosphere and the story, akin to a walking simulator.”
“The game's atmosphere is incredibly immersive, drawing you into its beautifully crafted world.”
“Every detail in the environment contributes to a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere that lingers long after the game is over.”
“Bird Watcher was a short narrative experience that focused on the atmosphere and the story (aka walking simulator).”
“Otherwise, I think the game is not so bad when it comes to visuals and atmosphere.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Overall, users generally find the game to be well optimized, noting effective light effects and a satisfactory performance experience.
“The game seemed well optimized considering the decent light effects.”
“It seems optimized (for me at least).”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its charmingly quirky translations from Russian to English, which add a lighthearted touch to the experience. Players appreciate the pleasant voiceover and the overall whimsical tone, enhancing the game's short and engaging walking simulation.
“It is a short and sweet 15-30 minute walking sim with very nice music, some simple interactions, and letters to be found and read. The pleasant-sounding non-native English voiceover is easy to understand, despite some funny-sounding Russian to English translation choices.”
“The humor in the game is cleverly woven into the dialogue, making even the simplest interactions entertaining.”
“I found myself chuckling at the quirky character designs and their hilarious antics throughout the game.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -300 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players note that the game offers replayability primarily for those looking to complete all achievements, suggesting that multiple playthroughs may be necessary to fully experience the content.
“There's great replayability if you didn't unlock all the achievements on your first try.”
“The game offers multiple paths and choices, making each playthrough feel fresh and exciting.”
“With various character builds and strategies to explore, I find myself coming back for more.”
“But there's replayability if you didn't get all the achievements on the first try, I guess.”