Owlboy — Review
by D-Pad Studios
review copy provided by itsgime.tv
Inspiration is something that no one is foreign to. There are key differences between AAA and Indie Development however when it comes to the way they wear their inspiration. In many cases, Indies tend to bank on their inspiration, as that funnel of passion provides the jumping off point in their building cycle. Being that they are made by smaller–arguably far more in-sync than bigger studios–and often times younger teams, games like Owlboy are painfully (in a good way) obvious in their inspiration.
Younger devs are always looking for that “thing”. The resurgence or reincarnation of the types of games they grew up playing. The type of experience that is so far gone in AAA titles. Much like the Indie craft in any medium, there’s a succinct newness with an old flavor.
Beginning in 2007–yes, I said nine years ago–Owlboy creator Simon Andersen wanted to dive into a meaningful experience that would help showcase 2D gameplay. Shortly after the conception, the team (consisting of just four people) dropped development of the RPG they had been previously working on, to craft Owlboy.
Once something playable was beginning to make its rounds, Owlboy caught the eye of anyone in the press, and everyone in the awards system.
Owlboy is something on an anomaly, however, as it doesn’t conjure a single human emotion and attempt to exploit it for player attachment as much as it possibly can. Which is a premier tool used by games, and makes a lasting impression on the player, instead, Owlboy toys with nearly every type of emotion you could possibly have.
It’s a simple side-scrolling, 2D, highly stylised world. But is it? Simple is a poor word to use for Owlboy, which is confusing at first because everything about the way you play the game is kind of simple. The mechanics for flying, healing, gathering coins, and fighting enemies, are all nearly as simple as they can get. Yet, the world around you breathes so much life into the experience.
It’s the type of package that once encapsulated into a single experience, is beyond all else that is available to you right now–especially in comparison to the AAA market. But regardless of your desire to play it over again, the overall flow is rather linear, and might make for a stilted second play through. The first, however, will satisfy any craving you have.
I don’t want to get into to much detail about emotion, or the roller-coaster that is the experience of playing through this game, because I believe that anyone who takes the time to sit down with Owlboy will be better for doing so, and I’d hate to take anything away from that by over analyzing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9VwGaycmCQ&feature=emb_title
Owlboy might be the best amalgamation of every amazing game you’ve played during your time on earth. With a protagonist you can’t help but feel a connection to, to a dire situation that you have urgency to solve, and an absolutely stunning (I cannot even begin to properly describe how jaw-dropping this game is visually) universe to soar around in; Owlboy is the best 2D Indie game I’ve played in the last decade.
It’s a must play. A must buy. And I can’t wait to talk to you all about it once you have!
