Owlboy Review - 9 Years Well Spent

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjxsFTDOIk4&feature=youtu.be

Owlboy Review (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjxsFTDOIk4&feature=youtu.be)

This is a review coupled with a supplemental video review. You can watch the video review above, or read the full review of the game below.

Owlboy
Developer: D-Pad Studio
Publisher: D-Pad Studio
Platform: PC November 1, 2016
Players: 1
MSRP: $24.99 (Review Copy Recieved)

D-Pad Studio spent a decade bringing us, what can only be described as a labor of love. Many have raved about this game on mainstream gaming sites, but does it hold up to they hype?

Fans of pixel art be ready for a visual feast. The art in this game is phenomenal and I can’t stress that enough. Everything from character design to the world you explore has so much amazing detail, that you will actually not notice everything on a quick first glance. Character expressions and animation are so well done that it’s hard not empathise with our hero, Otus, and the characters surrounding him.

The world is so bright and colorful, that it contrastes perfectly with the darker elements of the game. It is simply gorgeous and well intertwined with some of the bigger thematic set pieces the game has to offer, something I might add, that many games in today age of ultra realistic graphics seem to fail at time and time again.

A big stand out among all of these is the boss battles you encounter throughout various areas in the world. They are designed with purpose and have a level of polish that makes their artwork really stand out, among the world, without breaking that world. Which is something that someone who plays video games more then they sleep will really appreciate.

At first glance the game would be written off as a metroidvania style of game, but as the player dives deeper into the game you will see that there is much more going on. A major element of the game is flight, leaving the player the free range to explore and master their movements in the game world. You will always have a consistent set of maneuverability skills, which you need to progressively get stronger at handling as you play through the world.

When it comes to puzzle solving and interacting with the world, Otus can pick up many object throughout the game’s world and just carry them with him as he pleases, using them to solve puzzles or to attack with. This also applies to the 3 companions(technically 4) you will befriend along the way, who also server as alternating range attacks. At first, this system feels odd, but quickly becomes not only easy to use but impressively implemented into all aspects of the game.

The world they present the player feels very expansive and fun to explore, which is good, because you will want to explore every inch to collect all the hidden coins throughout the game, which server to help upgrade a hand full of abilities or receive a hat corresponding with companions and some funny dialog. Some of the hidden locations took some time to figure out, but most players will be able to do so, as long as they remember to huge the walls of the game.

One issue I had was, there was no map. They actually talk about how Owls are excellent map makers, yet you never get one of your own, now obviously you do not need it as there are many signs and pointing you around the world, but it would have been nice for those who are completionist minded.

There was one glaring issue with gameplay, and that was the crashes. There seems to be an issue that would crash the game on death over and over again to the tune of a 50% chance on death of crashing. Now this is a game where you most likely won’t die a lot but it is a noticeable issue that effected my time playing the game, and is counted as such.

Music in this game, while cute and reminiscent of some of the best 8 to 16 bit games around, it’s nothing amazing. It does well with the game overall but it heavily relies on placing and story to make it impactful, which shows more that there is a lot of talent here when looking at the big picture. On the other hand sound design of enemies and characters is a bit stronger, and is not only well done but well placed and timed. Something a bit harder to do on games of this nature. Overall this is the weakest part of the game, but it is by no means bad.

The story is simply amazing, with characters populating the world that are expressive and impressive written. To describe everything they did just so right with this game would be to spoil the entire game.

One major issue with games that explore sad or serious subject that affect an entire game’s world is that they tend to become something over brooding with no relatability but pure depression and emo angst. But this is where Owlboy just blows it out of the water, as it does none of that when exploring these subjects. There are happy times, angry times, sad times, and times of relief. I would argue that Owlboy expresses better character development and storytelling in its 8-10 hours of gameplay then 70% of the 40 hours JRPGs released in the last 20 years.

Characters within the story are vastly different from each other and feel like they have there own motivations, personalities, and goals. Nothing is 2 dimensional in this 2D world. And it’s really refreshing to experience a game like this. I would go so far as to say it could be a teaching aid for people developing games and stories in the future.

Owlboy is an extremely impressive game, that puts most other video game stories to shame. It’s visually impressive, extremely fun, and amazingly entertaining.

Between its cute exterior, D-Pad Studio created a complex game that tackles serious subjects with a level of finesse that is so rare it makes you question just what the hell are other story tellers doing with a $50 Million budget.

Owlboy was reviewed on PC using a digital copy provided by D-Pad Studio. You can find additional information about Niche Gamer’s review/ethics policy here.

The Verdict: 9.5

The Good: