Falcon Age
- October 8, 2020
- Outerloop Games
- 3h median play time
The titular falcon in Falcon Age is awesome. Sadly, it's also about the only good thing the game has going for it.
In "Falcon Age," players are a falconer fighting against robotic colonizers on a distant planet. They’ll train and bond with their falcon, using it to explore, hunt, and take down enemy machines. The game features a compelling single-player story filled with adventure and creative problem-solving.
Reviews
- The falcon is adorable and the interactions with it are engaging, making for a unique gameplay experience.
- The art style is visually appealing, blending realistic and cartoon-like elements effectively.
- The game offers a fun and simple combat system that allows players to bond with their falcon while taking down enemies.
- The game is relatively short, with many players feeling the story is incomplete and lacking depth.
- There are numerous bugs and technical issues, including lag spikes and awkward controls, particularly in VR mode.
- Combat can become repetitive, with limited enemy variety and simplistic mechanics that may lead to boredom over time.
- story114 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally perceived as short and lacking depth, with many players feeling it is incomplete or rushed, often leaving them wanting more character development and a more engaging narrative. While some appreciate the cute premise involving a falcon and find the art style appealing, others criticize the writing and linearity, suggesting that the choices offered have little impact on the overall experience. Overall, the story is seen as a charming but ultimately forgettable aspect of the game, with potential for improvement in future installments.
“Amazing game with a storyline and many features and easter eggs, making this a great game.”
“The story is touching, taking over facilities honestly had my blood pumping sometimes, and I absolutely fell in love with my falcon!”
“The storyline was interesting and engaging, but short.”
“The plot implies a deep and storied world, but never fulfills its promise, leaving it feeling like a facade of a world.”
“The 'story' and dialogue is pretty lackluster as well, and even though you have choices to pick what to say, the game remains very linear.”
“I found this game's narrative-focused story a bit short and rushed, mostly the beginning and end. At the start, I expected a little more time with the little falcon and possibly to watch him grow over time, and in the end, I expected a bit more of a conclusion with a bigger finale.”
- gameplay78 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating the unique falcon mechanics and overall fun experience, particularly in VR. However, several users noted clunky controls, simplistic mechanics, and various bugs that detracted from the experience. While some found the gameplay enjoyable and engaging, others criticized it as mediocre and lacking depth, suggesting that it could benefit from further development and polish.
“The controls are easy to use and the mechanics for the most part are fun and not complicated.”
“An amazing story and great, fun gameplay for a VR title.”
“The gameplay is fun enough and makes playing through the game not become boring.”
“Mechanics are a bit clunky at times, e.g. you can't fall off anything, can't jump, and get stuck on terrain.”
“Gameplay is mediocre, the writing is bad at best, and it's very much one of those early 'how do VR?' games.”
“The gameplay is rather simplistic but quite effective; it mostly consists of telling your bird to attack something, stunning it with your baton, and then mindlessly beating it to death. This might have gotten old if the game was longer; however, in the time I played, I thought it was fine, as the game only features about 5 enemy types with some electrical variants.”
- graphics32 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game's graphics feature a charming and stylized art style that many players find appealing, particularly in VR, with highlights including an adorable falcon companion. However, the visuals are marred by issues such as low-resolution textures, graphical glitches, and some half-baked elements, which detract from the overall experience. While the graphics are not perfect, they are often considered one of the game's redeeming qualities.
“Great art style, adorable companion, nice customizable accessories, has a nice feel to it, and is overall just great.”
“Even though this is a game, the connection with this bird is something special and I love the graphics.”
“Pretty much the only redeemable aspects are the charming stylized graphics, and the ability to command your own falcon and fight alongside it.”
“But the graphics are broken, the controls awkward and items aren't attached to you.”
“Playing through the tutorial and all early game, graphical glitches seem to be fairly common (encountering one about every 15 mins) with texture surfaces being either missing or flipped the wrong way around making the object/environment see-through in certain places.”
“Graphically this game is simple but the art style helps hide or make up for this; however, I would have liked to see some higher resolution textures because even the highest option was quite blurry.”
- music16 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as enjoyable and atmospheric, though not particularly memorable, with some minor looping issues noted. While some players appreciate the sound design for enhancing the game's setting, others suggest turning off the music to better experience the environmental sounds. Overall, the music complements the appealing art style and characters, contributing to a visually and audibly engaging experience.
“I like the art style, the music is enjoyable, the bird is cute as a baby and badass looking as an adult.”
“The art style is also very appealing - I especially enjoyed the adorable baby falcon, auntie, and the robot overlords which feel like they're really there in front of you. The music and sound is also very intuitive, allowing you to sense where your falcon is even when you can't see her.”
“I really like the game world and recommend turning off the music right away as the sound really helps sell the windswept bareness of the setting, making it much more atmospheric.”
“The music, the characters, everything about this game is so stunning.”
“Sound effects and music:”
- stability12 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent lag spikes, graphical glitches, and bugs that disrupt gameplay, particularly in the VR experience. Players report encountering these problems regularly, which detracts from the overall enjoyment and can make completing quests challenging.
“This game is buggy, and overall not very fun.”
“The VR experience is way too buggy and clunky.”
“Playing through the tutorial and all early game, graphical glitches seem to be fairly common (encountering one about every 15 minutes) with texture surfaces being either missing or flipped the wrong way around, making the object/environment see-through in certain places.”
- optimization8 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game's engine is well-optimized, providing good visuals even on lower-end hardware like the GTX 1060, though players may need to adjust settings for optimal performance. However, it struggles with keyboard and mouse controls, making certain achievements difficult to achieve without VR. Additionally, the cooking system is restrictive, limiting players to recipes they have discovered rather than encouraging exploration.
“The game has a cooking system to collect animal meat and fruit to make treats that heal or improve the birds' performance (speed, stealth, defense, etc.), but what you can create is limited to recipes you have found, rather than allowing you to explore and discover them on your own.”
“I'm using a GTX 1060, baseline VR hardware, and I needed to tweak the options during the prologue to adjust the game's performance while compromising visual resolution.”
“The game also seems to not be optimized very well for keyboard and mouse (or PS4 controller) because some achievements are virtually impossible to get without VR controls.”
“Environments look good even if they are a bit lacking in details and the engine is very optimized.”
- emotional8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the game emotionally impactful, highlighting a touching story that evokes a range of feelings, from excitement to heartbreak. The connection with characters, particularly the falcon, enhances the emotional experience, culminating in a conclusion that leaves many in tears. Overall, the game successfully elicits deep emotional responses alongside its engaging mechanics and gameplay.
“The story is touching, taking over facilities honestly had my blood pumping sometimes, and I absolutely fell in love with my falcon!”
“An amazing game with great mechanics, fun gameplay, and a heartbreaking conclusion.”
“Ending made me cry.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience, with quests varying from engaging to monotonous. However, the inclusion of enjoyable side activities and a companion character adds a fun element, making it a suitable short game to complement longer, more demanding titles. Overall, it serves as a light-hearted break from more tedious gameplay.
“Quests range from intriguing to tedious, but overall a good game.”
“It's more of a fun short game you play alongside more lengthy and tedious games to have a break from.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game has limited replayability, primarily offering cosmetic and recipe collection that lacks meaningful impact on gameplay. Players feel that the absence of significant changes or engaging elements diminishes the incentive to replay, as most items are deemed unnecessary beyond a few essentials.
“Value & replayability: This game offers a wealth of content that encourages players to dive back in and explore different strategies and outcomes.”
“The replayability factor is impressive, with multiple paths and choices that make each playthrough feel unique and engaging.”
“I love how the game keeps me coming back for more, with new challenges and experiences that change every time I play.”
“Ultimately and unfortunately, this game offers little replayability. Sure, you can collect all the cosmetics and recipes, but there is not much point as you will probably have a few choice cosmetics. You won't need to gather the recipes as really only the healing ones are necessary.”
“But honestly, I would have given up half of them to see more playable elements and have the game reflect more how you were making a change in the world rather than being a mild annoyance to the uncaring corporate overlords.”
“Value & replayability:”
- character development2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is criticized for being minimal and lacking depth, particularly in the relationship between the main character and the aunt, which detracts from the emotional stakes of the story. The focus on the bird feels superficial, as the training process is skipped, leaving players feeling disconnected from both the bird and the narrative. Overall, the simplistic design and storytelling result in a lack of engagement with the characters.
“The character development felt lacking, especially in the relationship between the main character and the aunt. A deeper connection could have made the story more engaging and impactful.”
“I wish there had been more focus on character interactions, as it would have added depth to the narrative and made me more invested in the characters' fates.”
“The game could have benefited from a more thorough exploration of character relationships, which would have enhanced the emotional stakes of the story.”
“The game is more focused on the bird, and there's not really much to do. It's very simplistic in its design, and I tried to pay attention to the story but fell off in the first part. It seems like some better character development could've happened between the main character and the aunt, which probably would've made me care enough to go save her; now she is doomed forever.”
“The character development feels lacking, as the training process with the bird is skipped entirely. This makes the relationship between the main character and the supporting characters feel underdeveloped and unengaging.”
“I found the character development to be quite disappointing. The interactions felt superficial, and I didn't feel a connection to the characters, which made the story less impactful.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its immersive world, with players recommending the removal of music to enhance the natural sounds that emphasize the desolate beauty of the setting. This attention to sound design significantly contributes to the overall atmospheric experience.
“I really like the game world and recommend turning off the music right away, as the sound really helps convey the windswept bareness of the setting, making it much more atmospheric.”