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Of Bird and Cage

Of Bird and Cage has a couple concepts to respect in isolation, but that doesn’t disregard its head-banging assault on good taste.
Of Bird and Cage Game Cover
61%Game Brain Score
music, story
gameplay, graphics
77% User Score Based on 151 reviews
Critic Score 39%Based on 7 reviews

Platforms

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Of Bird and Cage Game Cover

About

Of Bird and Cage is a single player action adventure game. It was developed by Capricia Productions and was released on May 20, 2021. It received negative reviews from critics and mostly positive reviews from players.

"Of Bird and Cage" is a unique story-driven music game that uses symphonic metal music to guide players through a dark, mature narrative based on "Beauty and the Beast." As Gitta Barbot, a 25-year-old drug addict, players must make quick choices to escape her captor and confront the violence in her life, ultimately determining their own fate through their actions. The game features a star-studded lineup of artists, including former members of Guns N' Roses, Epica, and Within Temptation.

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Of Bird and Cage screenshot
Of Bird and Cage screenshot
Of Bird and Cage screenshot
Of Bird and Cage screenshot
Of Bird and Cage screenshot
Of Bird and Cage screenshot
Of Bird and Cage screenshot
Of Bird and Cage screenshot
Of Bird and Cage screenshot
Of Bird and Cage screenshot
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77%
Audience ScoreBased on 151 reviews
music84 positive mentions
gameplay25 negative mentions
  • The soundtrack is exceptional, featuring a variety of talented artists and enhancing the overall experience.
  • The story tackles dark and complex themes, providing an emotional and immersive narrative that resonates with players.
  • The unique concept of blending a musical album with interactive storytelling offers a fresh and innovative gaming experience.
  • Gameplay mechanics are clunky and frustrating, with poorly executed quick time events and time constraints that hinder exploration.
  • The graphics and animations are subpar, often feeling outdated and detracting from the overall presentation of the game.
  • The narrative can be confusing and disjointed, making it difficult for players to follow the story and fully engage with the characters.
  • music
    294 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in "Of Bird and Cage" is widely praised as its standout feature, showcasing a stellar symphonic metal soundtrack that effectively drives the narrative and enhances the emotional depth of the story. Many reviewers highlight the unique concept of experiencing a music album through gameplay, with tracks from notable artists that resonate well with the game's themes. However, while the music captivates players, the gameplay often falls short, leading to mixed feelings about the overall experience.

    • “The music score was stellar and fit the themes of the game well as was certainly intended.”
    • “The soundtrack itself is amazing! It features some of the biggest names in the metal genre, and it’s done so well.”
    • “The merge between the music and the game, the quality of the music, how the makers of the game have been able to build a story that is quite dark but also has light and how that story together with the music gives me goosebumps.”
    • “It's not the music, which is most of the time really very good, but everything else was really not so successful.”
    • “The gameplay itself was, because it was adapted to the music, often very stressful and I have often not even managed what was required by the game.”
    • “However, as much as it pains me to say, the music isn’t as emotionally gripping or compelling as I would have anticipated for the primary driver of the story’s throughline, and the songs won’t be ones I’ll be adding to my personal playlist.”
  • story
    184 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of *Of Bird and Cage* is a dark and immersive narrative that intertwines themes of trauma, addiction, and redemption, told through a unique musical format that combines symphonic metal with interactive storytelling. While many players appreciate the emotional depth and multiple endings, criticisms arise regarding the execution, pacing, and coherence of the plot, often feeling overwhelmed by its grim content and gameplay mechanics. Overall, the game is seen as a compelling but flawed experience, appealing primarily to fans of music-driven narratives and those willing to navigate its challenging gameplay.

    • “The story of the game is as immersive as it is heart-wrenching.”
    • “The merge between the music and the game, the quality of the music, how the makers of the game have been able to build a story that is quite dark but also has light and how that story together with the music gives me goosebumps.”
    • “What I really like is how this game covers multiple difficult-to-talk-about subjects, drug addiction, domestic violence, abusive relationships, and highlights them into an artful story that makes you really feel the physical and mental struggle she is going through.”
    • “The story is poor to okay at most.”
    • “The story is bad and told ass-backwards - as in, something happens, then the game goes 'five hours before', then something else happens and it's 'two hours before'.”
    • “I had high hopes for this one because the marriage of progressive metal and interactive storytelling would be right up my alley, but 'Of Bird and Cage' completely underwhelmed me.”
  • gameplay
    99 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many users describing it as clunky, unpolished, and frustrating, often hindered by poorly implemented mechanics and tight time constraints. While some appreciate the unique integration of music and narrative, they feel that the gameplay detracts significantly from the overall experience, making it difficult to enjoy despite the game's strong soundtrack and story elements. Overall, the gameplay is seen as a major flaw that overshadows the game's potential.

    • “The gameplay is a combination of quick time events and interacting with the environment, and in each chapter of the game, we have a certain amount of time to act.”
    • “Love the interactive controls and the way you are able to make your own choices that affect the gameplay completely.”
    • “But the combination of the music with the story plus the gameplay creates an overwhelming emotional experience, which made me make decisions in the game with pure excitement!”
    • “The gameplay itself was adapted to the music, often making it very stressful, and I frequently couldn't manage what was required by the game.”
    • “Meanwhile, the gameplay consists of some of the worst fighting and racing levels you've seen in decades, or just boring 'find the hidden object' segments, all on a tight time constraint to sync with the musical score.”
    • “The gameplay is bizarre and sometimes frustrating, but as expected, the soundtrack is the title's saving grace.”
  • graphics
    35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics in the game have received largely negative feedback, with many users describing them as subpar, dated, and reminiscent of low-budget productions. While some appreciate the artistic intent and integration with the story and music, the overall quality of character models and animations is criticized for being flat and unrefined. Despite occasional praise for environmental visuals, the consensus is that the graphics detract from the overall experience.

    • “The visuals and graphics are pretty good, which again reminds me of Life is Strange.”
    • “But the way how everything matches and plays together does turn this game into an artwork; an intense experience with lots of emotions involved.”
    • “Has everything, the great story, fantastic music, nice graphics.”
    • “The bad controls make all the action sequences look boring while the poor graphics make all the dramatic scenes look unintentionally funny, like a low-budget Saturday morning cartoon.”
    • “The graphics, 3D modeling, and texturing are so terrible that asset flips look better.”
    • “The graphics quality is perhaps not as high as it could have been for such an artistic endeavor in 2021, especially when considering the artistry frequently present in symphonic metal music videos.”
  • emotional
    13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by its immersive and heart-wrenching narrative, particularly the portrayal of domestic abuse through the eyes of a child, which evokes deep empathy. While the symphonic metal soundtrack enhances the emotional intensity, some players feel that the music lacks the compelling quality expected for such a story-driven experience. Overall, the game offers a powerful emotional journey, though some elements may detract from its depth, leaving players with mixed feelings about character development and narrative clarity.

    • “The story of the game is as immersive as it is heart-wrenching.”
    • “This makes the abuse her father causes to her mother all that much more heartbreaking when observant little Gitta thinks 'mommy and daddy are dancing' before he hits her and 'is it because of me' after the fight ends.”
    • “These types of dark and sad themes are common in video games, but 'Of Bird and Cage' takes it to a new level, especially with the symphonic metal soundtrack that complements the emotionally intense scenes of the game.”
  • replayability
    10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game excels in replayability, featuring multiple endings and branching paths that encourage players to explore different choices and outcomes. With a manageable playtime of about an hour to an hour and a half, players are motivated to replay the game to experience all the variations and immerse themselves in its engaging soundtrack. Overall, the combination of diverse decision-making and easy chapter replay options significantly enhances its replay value.

    • “After it was over, I was actually pretty interested in all the other choices I could have made and how things would have turned out, so I will probably end up running through it a couple more times just to find out. The game itself is the perfect length for that replayability... and just another great excuse to listen to that dope soundtrack again.”
    • “The story itself is interesting with multiple endings, so of course there is some replayability in unlocking and viewing them all.”
    • “The game itself is not too long (about an hour to an hour and a half depending on how well you do on the QTEs), but it offers a lot of replayability if you're willing to take some chances with your decisions.”
    • “With differing branching paths and an easy method to replay chapters, the option for replayability is high.”
  • stability
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is widely criticized, with reviewers highlighting numerous coding flaws, glitches, and frequent crashes, such as black screens and freezes. While some players find these issues add a certain charm, the overall consensus leans towards a preference for a more polished and functional experience.

    • “Sure you won't have as many features to the game, but I would greatly prefer a fully functional simpler game than this buggy crap (bug in this case meaning not ship-able quality).”
    • “It's just a clunky, buggy, glitchy mess.”
    • “I had frequent black screens and freezes, getting stuck in the environment, and dialogue not syncing up to lip movements.”
  • atmosphere
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere in the game is highly praised, with users highlighting the brilliant integration of music and level design that enhances the overall experience. The top-notch sound quality and visually appealing locations contribute significantly to creating an immersive environment that supports the narrative. Overall, the combination of excellent music and well-crafted settings effectively establishes a captivating atmosphere.

    • “The music is top-notch and level design really conveys the atmosphere of each song.”
    • “Great atmosphere, excellent sounds, and an amazing story!”
    • “We are used to music being a supportive element for video games, to add atmosphere and rhythm to the game, but with Bird and Cage, the roles have changed.”
    • “The music is top-notch and the level design really conveys the atmosphere of each song.”
    • “Locations all looked crisp and set the atmosphere needed to progress throughout the game.”
  • optimization
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's performance is solid, running smoothly on max settings with native ultrawide support, but the graphics and voice acting are underwhelming, with some side characters delivering stronger performances. Additionally, the controls are not well-optimized, which detracts from the overall experience.

    • “Performance is great, game runs on max settings fine along with native ultrawide support.”
    • “The graphics are mediocre at best, and the main character's voice acting sounds so flat, as if she's uninterested in what she is doing. Some of the side actors outshine her in their performance.”
    • “The controls aren't optimized.”
    • “There is some amazing music from talented artists included in this game; check out the videos on Steam to get a taste and even see a live performance.”
  • humor
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is largely unintentional, stemming from poor graphics and janky animations that evoke a low-budget cartoon feel. Players report finding amusement in the game's immature presentation and absurd minigames, though this often leads to a frustrating experience due to the bad controls and cringe-worthy dialogue. Overall, the humor elicits a mix of laughter and exasperation, making it a polarizing aspect of the game.

    • “Even when I find myself laughing at janky animations or ridiculous minigames, I am still thoroughly immersed in what might not have been a good metal album if it were a traditional release, but is an excellent metal album taken as a whole package.”
    • “It got a few unintentional laughs out of me with its immature presentation and hilariously impromptu boxing matches, but is that alone worth the price of admission?”
    • “Instead, it just made me jump back and forth between laughing, screaming at the ridiculous decisions, cringing at the dialogue, and wanting to throw my computer across the room because of shonky controls.”
  • grinding
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat tedious, with some describing it as occasionally excessive. Overall, while it can enhance progression, it may detract from the overall enjoyment for some users.

    • “The game can feel a bit grindy at times, but the rewards make it worth it.”
    • “Grinding is a necessary part of the experience, and it adds depth to character progression.”
    • “While there are moments of grinding, the sense of achievement when leveling up is incredibly satisfying.”
    • “The gameplay can be quite tedious at times.”
    • “It feels a bit grindy sometimes.”
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39%Critics’ scoreBased on 7 critic reviews
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5h Median play time
4h Average play time
2-6h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Of Bird and Cage is a action adventure game.

Of Bird and Cage is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 4 and others.

On average players spend around 4 hours playing Of Bird and Cage.

Of Bird and Cage was released on May 20, 2021.

Of Bird and Cage was developed by Capricia Productions.

Of Bird and Cage has received negative reviews from players and negative reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its music but disliked it for its gameplay.

Of Bird and Cage is a single player game.

Similar games include Karmaflow: The Rock Opera Videogame, Beyond: Two Souls, State of Mind, Blacksad: Under the Skin, The Shore and others.