The Girl of Glass: A Summer Bird's Tale
- September 22, 2020
- Markus with friends
Get on Steam"The Girl of Glass: A Summer Bird's Tale" is an adventure game that tells the story of a young girl named Linnea, who has delicate glass skin. Players will explore a picturesque Scandinavian island, solve puzzles, and interact with various characters to uncover the mysteries of Linnea's past and the island's secrets. The game features a unique art style and atmospheric music that adds to its enchanting and emotional narrative.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features stunning hand-drawn art and a beautiful soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- The narrative is multi-layered and thought-provoking, exploring themes of self-discovery and societal issues, with memorable characters and multiple endings.
- The combination of point-and-click adventure and turn-based combat offers a unique gameplay experience, with engaging puzzles and a variety of fantastical creatures.
- The turn-based combat can be tedious and frustrating, often feeling slow and repetitive, with unskippable dialogue during battles that disrupts the flow.
- The story can become convoluted and inconsistent, with abrupt tonal shifts and heavy-handed political themes that may alienate some players.
- The point-and-click sections are often too easy, relying on fetch quests and lacking challenging puzzles, which may disappoint fans of the genre.
- story83 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 72 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's story is a mixed bag, featuring a moving narrative with memorable characters and multiple endings, but it suffers from convoluted plotlines and poorly integrated dialogue that detracts from the overall experience. While the hand-drawn art and soundtrack enhance the storytelling, the inconsistent tone—shifting between light-hearted and serious themes—leaves some players feeling frustrated and disengaged. Despite its flaws, the story's depth and emotional core resonate with many, making it a worthwhile experience for those who appreciate narrative-driven games.
“The hand-drawn art is fantastic across the board, with scenes often looking like something out of an animated film, and the soundtrack is beautiful; the story is moving and the characters, especially Kristal, are memorable.”
“It has a beautiful story, likable characters whose fates are in your hands, and three different endings.”
“The girl of glass is a beautiful and inspirational story that unfolds throughout the game with new perspectives and details developing the player's understanding of the narrative.”
“The dialogues that happen are kind of boring and often don't do much to carry the story forward; they usually feel like unnecessary filler.”
“The story in general seems really convoluted.”
“As a result, the story loses part of its emotional impact and becomes a convoluted mess and a chore to keep up with.”
- gameplay28 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 79 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game features a blend of light-hearted point-and-click puzzle solving and turn-based combat, which, while conceptually interesting, suffers from pacing issues and a lack of player-friendliness, particularly for newcomers. Players appreciate the variety introduced in mechanics and character abilities, but many find the combat repetitive and the overall execution inconsistent, leading to a mixed experience that may not appeal to everyone. Despite these criticisms, the engaging story and beautiful graphics help maintain interest throughout the gameplay.
“The two gameplay styles—light-hearted point-and-click puzzle solving and aggressive fantasy combat—don't always mesh perfectly, but for this story, at least, they make sense together.”
“Not only is the story a rollercoaster of side plots, but the gameplay itself is forever changing as well.”
“The combat is surprisingly varied – new mechanics are introduced in almost each battle up until the final battle.”
“The turn-based battle system has a few issues, primarily not being new player-friendly. While it does a decent job explaining its mechanics, the introduction of elemental strengths and weaknesses, along with more complex field abilities, can be overwhelming.”
“The gameplay is terrible.”
“The combat mechanics felt a bit repetitive, and while the story and beautiful graphics were present in the combat, it still made for a slow and boring experience overall.”
- graphics20 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful blend of 2D and 3D art styles, often compared to Studio Ghibli films, and are described as colorful, polished, and professional. Many reviewers appreciate the strong aesthetic appeal, noting that the visuals, along with the music and voiceover, significantly enhance the overall experience, despite some gameplay criticisms. Overall, the artwork is considered one of the game's standout features, contributing to its charm and engagement.
“The hand-painted art style reminds me of Studio Ghibli films!”
“This game's visuals are highly professional and polished and punch far above the game's indie weight class.”
“Having said that, the game is a delight to play from the very first minute thanks to the gorgeous artwork, music, and witty dialogue.”
“Despite the different art style, I think it's for people who are into animes: lengthy monologues full of self-exposition, edginess in every dialogue (with combats full of them), a cheesy ending with some corny music - you've got it all covered here.”
“This game does not really have a target audience -- it's more like a piece of artwork someone put out into the world.”
“I find it strange that the game often introduced character skills that became obsolete 30 minutes later; it's kind of like they added JRPG gameplay just for aesthetics.”
- music14 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and emotional depth, enhancing the overall experience with a moving soundtrack that complements the hand-drawn art style. Players appreciate the soundtrack's ability to evoke strong feelings during key moments, particularly in cinematic sequences and the final chapters. Overall, the combination of music, visuals, and character dialogue creates a captivating atmosphere that resonates with fans of the genre.
“The soundtrack is beautiful; the story is moving and the characters, especially Kristal, are memorable.”
“Similarly, the soundtrack is gorgeous and there are a handful of areas where a movie-like sequence will play with a poignant song in the background.”
“Despite the different art style, I think it's for people who are into animes: lengthy monologues full of self-exposition, edginess in every dialogue (with combats full of them), a cheesy ending with some corny music - you've got it all covered here.”
“The music and voiceover fit the game really well.”
“I just finished the game and I must admit: I really adore the strong message, the music, and the artwork.”
- grinding8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly in the turn-based combat system, which is described as slow and repetitive. This grind can detract significantly from the overall experience, even on easier difficulties, and is compounded by lengthy tutorials and excessive dialogue. While the narrative shows promise, the combat mechanics may hinder enjoyment for many players.
“I want to play this game, and it seems like the plot and narrative are promising, but the combat system is achingly slow and tedious with the worst repetitive dialogue.”
“However, if you hate this aspect of the game it will feel very tedious even on the easiest difficulty and may even completely ruin the rest of the game.”
“Girl of Glass is an extremely odd narrative, filled with excessive metaphors and tedious turn-based combat.”
- emotional5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game evokes a range of emotions, with some players finding it touching and reminiscent of heartfelt narratives like those in Ghibli films. However, the emotional impact is undermined by convoluted side plots and unexpected mature themes, leading to mixed feelings about its overall execution. While the core story offers moments of self-discovery and depth, the inclusion of darker elements may detract from its intended emotional resonance.
“A touching little game that reminded me a lot of the game 'The Whispered World'.”
“At its core, the story is emotional and filled with self-discovery, but it is sadly let down by its confusing side plots.”
“The story was cute and wholesome yet deep and mature, and I found it moving and thoughtful to think about even after playing the game.”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by witty dialogue and entertaining remarks, often addressing controversial and topical subjects. Players appreciate the clever references and the overall atmosphere, encouraging others not to skip the dialogues for a more enjoyable experience.
“They include a lot of funny remarks, but also touch on many controversial but topical subjects, which I found great.”
“I liked the atmosphere and the dialogue with its funny jokes and references.”
“Tip: don't skip the dialogues, they are very entertaining and I found them funny due to their wittiness.”
- character development2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's character development is highlighted by its inventive design, featuring a diverse range of fantastical creatures that both challenge and assist the protagonist, Kristal, during combat. This dynamic interaction enhances the overall gameplay experience and showcases the depth of character relationships within the game.
“The game's inventive character design really shines during the combat sections, featuring a whole array of fantastical creatures from golems to elementals to floating eyeballs that alternately oppose and aid Kristal in each battle.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is praised for its engaging dialogue, featuring humorous jokes and clever references that enhance the overall experience.
“I loved the atmosphere and the dialogue with its funny jokes and references.”
“The game's atmosphere is incredibly immersive, making you feel like you're truly part of the world.”
“The haunting soundtrack and detailed environments create a captivating atmosphere that draws you in.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -300 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the replayability of the game due to the varying dialogue options influenced by player choices, encouraging multiple playthroughs to explore different outcomes.
“I also liked the fact that the dialogue changes based on some choices, which adds a certain degree of replayability.”
“The game lacks significant changes in gameplay on subsequent playthroughs, making it feel repetitive.”
“Once you've completed the main story, there isn't much incentive to replay the game.”
“While there are some branching paths, the overall experience feels too linear to encourage multiple playthroughs.”
