Developer: Roach Interactive
Publisher:Roach Interactive
Platform: PC
Tested on: PC
Bird of Light – Review
Bird of Light by Roach Interactive has traveled quite a long way to get to this point, as it originally was intended to be a mobile game. Having a nearly finished game, they searched for a good publisher. Having problems finding the right one (who was willing to leave them enough freedom in the further development), they moved over to PC through Steam and eventually they want to port the game back to mobile one day. Luckily for us, this all resulted in a fun and unique game which is also endlessly replay-able.
Story
You’re playing as Tara, a girl who’s moving to the country with her family. After meeting and becoming friends with the animals, she discovers that the animals have disappeared one day and in order to find them, she has to seek out the bird of light. After tagging along and traveling with this new friend she gets closer and closer to her goal of rescuing her friends and through exploring her dreams, she will slowly discover the whole truth. The story starts of a little vague and slow, because the story is slowly uncovered by your progress. The story itself is shown by some static, but interactive, 3D screens.
Graphics
This game is running steady on 60 FPS, with no lags or noticed bugs, making this game playable on pretty much ‘every’ PC. Don’t expect high-end graphics, as the game is designed in a low poly 3D art style, reminiscent of the PlayStation 1 days. The graphical art is rather simple and childish, designed in a quite cartoon-like style. That being said, it’s clear the developers placed their focus on the actual gameplay portion of the game, but the retro-ish visuals still have a certain charm, probably thanks to the very colorful environments.
Sound
Bird of Light has a very happy soundtracj, playing a cartoon-ish but very pleasant tune, which is properly in sync with the lighthearted theme of the game. that being said, the music is never really intrusive, as you’ll be able to properly focus on the game, which is certainly needed if you wish to plow through this title. For a game that was initially planned as a mobile title, the developers did a proper job in providing a proper theme for their PC release.
Gameplay
The game is a so-called runner game, which means that Tara is always moving forward and you can only control her position on the track and you can jump over the upcoming obstacles. Running into something or falling off will cost you a restart either at the beginning of that level or at a checkpoint. Bird of Light is less focused on real action, as it lays his focus on finding the best/fastest way through the level and despite his unique way of storytelling, Bird of Light has also a very unique game play. Each of the levels take place on islands put in a grid-formation. Having a set number of platforms to set up in the empty field, you’ll have to find yourself a way to the end of the level. To beat the level, you also have to pick up the key along the way.
The game isn’t too hard to beat, but you can always try to unlock all of the achievements, like being the fastest among your friends. Also, you can try to earn all of the medals. Each level has three different medals to earn, all based on a different skill like a medal for finding the collectibles (eggs, feathers, etc.), beating the set time and a medal for not dying during the level and using a checkpoint. But don’t think this all is too easy, as the levels are designed to be a challenge for literally every gamer. Even a true expert will be challenged if he wants to collect all of the medals.
To conclude all of this, let’s mention one more-or-less negative point: as mentioned before, Bird of Light was originally intended for android and iOS, which is slightly noticeable in the controls. They feel like they are all over the screen and not really where you really want them to be. The best option here, is to connect a gamepad. After connecting one correctly, the controls will get a lot easier to master and the fun is even more enhanced.
Conclusion
Bird of Light is the ‘living’ proof that porting a game, that was originally intended for mobile platforms, to PC actually worked in the company’s advantage and allowed them to release a fun and quirky title. While showing off a lot of potential, this one offers a lot of fun, combining a great gameplay with simple, yet comical and fun graphics, makes this game a really time-stealing addiction. One negative point, perhaps, is that the game is rather short. But thanks to the added medals and extra speed-run challenges, Bird of Light guarantees a lot of replay possibilities making this game a great addition to every gamer’s collection.
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