Of Bird and Cage

59%
Game Brain Score Based on 110 reviews
  • music
  • story
  • gameplay
Of Bird and Cage Game Cover
Of Bird and Cage has a couple concepts to respect in isolation, but that doesn’t disregard its head-banging assault on good taste.
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"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.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

59%
Audience ScoreBased on 110 reviews
music52 positive mentions
gameplay10 negative mentions
  • The game features a unique concept that combines a music album with an interactive story, creating an immersive experience.
  • The soundtrack is highly praised, with many players enjoying the metal and symphonic rock elements that enhance the emotional depth of the narrative.
  • The story tackles dark and complex themes, engaging players and encouraging multiple playthroughs to explore different outcomes.
  • Gameplay mechanics, particularly the quick time events and controls, are often criticized for being clunky and frustrating, leading to a poor gaming experience.
  • The graphics and animations are considered subpar, detracting from the overall presentation and immersion of the game.
  • Many players feel that the story is incoherent or poorly executed, with limited player agency and confusing plot developments.
  • music150 mentions

    The music in "Of Bird and Cage" is widely praised for its quality, with many reviewers highlighting its metal and symphonic rock influences, which enhance the game's emotional storytelling. The soundtrack is described as a standout feature, intricately woven into the gameplay and environment, creating a unique interactive experience that resonates with players. However, some critiques mention that while the music is exceptional, the gameplay mechanics can detract from the overall experience, making it feel more like an interactive music album than a traditional game.

    • “The music score was stellar and fit the themes of the game well as was certainly intended.”
    • “The amazing soundtrack is very well woven into the story.”
    • “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.”
    • “The telltale-style quicktime events are disruptive and distract you from the music, which is why the lyrics are stupidly simplistic: they let you pick up on what's going on even while you're scrambling to accomplish the tasks you've been given.”
    • “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 which are all on a tight time constraint because the gameplay needs to sync with the musical score.”
    • “While the characters and the story might be good enough for a music video, it’s not good enough for a video game.”
  • story92 mentions

    The story of "Of Bird and Cage" is a unique blend of music and narrative, exploring dark themes and character development through interactive choices that influence the outcome. While some players appreciate the emotional depth and immersive experience, others criticize the storytelling for being convoluted and poorly executed, often overshadowed by frustrating gameplay mechanics. Overall, the game offers a compelling concept with a powerful soundtrack, but its narrative coherence and character exploration leave much to be desired.

    • “The story of the game is as immersive as it is heart-wrenching.”
    • “Of Bird and Cage is a unique game that has a sad and complicated story; the fascinating soundtrack makes it an experience that you would never forget.”
    • “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.”
    • “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.”
    • “Other than that: the graphics are bad, the story is uninteresting, whatever voice acting is present is mediocre, and the controls and gameplay are just terrible.”
  • gameplay47 mentions

    The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its clunky mechanics and frustrating quick time events, which can detract from the overall experience. While some appreciate the unique concept and the integration of music with gameplay, others criticize the lack of clarity in objectives and the outdated graphics. Overall, the gameplay is seen as needing significant improvement, but it still offers moments of enjoyment and replay value.

    • “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!”
    • “Love the interactive controls and the way you are able to make your own choices that affect the gameplay completely.”
    • “As such, there is almost too much to do, with all the different mechanics and quick time events, but it does allow for high replay value, with not only multiple endings, but also what seems to be multiple different paths to get there.”
    • “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 which are all on a tight time constraint because the gameplay needs to sync with the musical score.”
    • “It's absurd - even though I have only 3.2 hours of gameplay so far, I've spent so much time watching walkthrough videos and the game store's pre-recorded stream of Act I over and over again, listening to the music and learning how to complete the objectives.”
    • “The gameplay is a bit rough, and some of the animations are not that good.”
  • graphics17 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many users noting that while the environmental visuals are decent, character designs and animations are often poor and outdated. Overall, the graphics are described as lacking polish, contributing to a disjointed experience that detracts from the game's emotional impact, despite some players appreciating the synergy between the visuals and the music. Many reviewers rate the graphics poorly, highlighting significant issues that overshadow the game's strengths.

    • “The way the music goes along with the game and the visuals is just amazing!”
    • “Cool visuals really get you into the story.”
    • “But the way how everything matches and plays together does turn this game into an artwork; an intense experience with lots of emotions involved.”
    • “Other than that: the graphics are bad, the story is uninteresting, whatever voice acting is present is mediocre, and the controls and gameplay are just terrible.”
    • “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.”
    • “However, confusing and cringe gameplay, outdated graphics, and movements that cause slight motion sickness (something I rarely experienced in other games), the cons are just there.”
  • emotional6 mentions

    The game delivers a deeply immersive and heart-wrenching emotional experience, particularly through its poignant storytelling and impactful music, which evoke strong feelings during critical moments. However, some players feel that the emotional depth is occasionally undermined by clunky mechanics and the two-dimensional portrayal of characters. Overall, the combination of narrative and music creates a powerful emotional journey that surprises many players.

    • “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.”
    • “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!”
  • stability4 mentions

    Reviewers express a significant divide regarding the game's stability, with many citing numerous coding flaws and glitches that detract from the experience. Common issues include frequent black screens, freezes, and unsynchronized dialogue, leading some to prefer a simpler, more functional game over the current buggy state.

    • “This game has many coding flaws and glitches, but that's part of the charm.”
    • “I would greatly prefer a fully functional simpler game than this buggy experience.”
    • “I had frequent black screens and freezes, getting stuck in the environment, and dialogue not syncing up to lip movements.”
  • replayability3 mentions

    The game excels in replayability, offering multiple endings and various paths to explore, which encourages players to revisit it. The abundance of mechanics and quick time events adds depth, making each playthrough feel unique and immersive.

    • “As such, there is almost too much to do, with all the different mechanics and quick time events, but it does allow for high replay value, with not only multiple endings, but also what seems to be multiple different paths to get there.”
    • “It's the replayability where this game makes its mark.”
    • “Part of that seems to be purely for immersion -- fights that your player character just isn't equipped to win -- but I think part of it also is replayability.”
  • humor3 mentions

    The humor in the game is described as unintentional, stemming from poor graphics and janky animations that evoke laughter rather than intended comedic moments. Players find themselves oscillating between amusement and frustration due to the game's awkward controls and cringe-worthy dialogue, creating a chaotic experience that can be both entertaining and exasperating.

    • “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.”
    • “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.”
  • atmosphere3 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with users highlighting the exceptional music and level design that effectively enhance the overall experience. The combination of great sounds and an engaging story further contributes to a captivating ambiance.

    • “The music is top-notch and the level design really conveys the atmosphere of each song.”
    • “Great atmosphere, excellent sounds, and an amazing story!”
    • “Awesome music and a great atmosphere!”
  • character development1 mentions

    The reviews indicate that while the graphics of the game are generally satisfactory, there are notable issues with character design and animations that detract from the overall experience. However, the feedback does not specifically address character development, suggesting it may not be a standout feature.

  • optimization1 mentions

    The optimization of controls has been criticized, with users noting that they are not well-tuned for an optimal gaming experience.

    • “The controls aren't optimized.”
    • “The game suffers from poor optimization, leading to frequent frame drops.”
    • “I experienced significant lag and stuttering, indicating a lack of proper optimization.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

39% average critic score

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Play time

5hMedian play time
4hAverage play time
2-6hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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