Be still my heart.
Before we start, you might be wondering to yourself, damn, why is Daney writing a review for an indie game – wait not just an indie game, but a PLATFORMER?? It’s true – for anyone who listens to our cast or has seen my other lineup of reviews, you know I prefer AAA titles and that I am not very fond of most platformers. All I can say is WOW was Owlboy worth getting out of my shell for. This game is incredibly heartfelt, endearing, and fun to play.
The first thing that really amazed me was the artwork in the game – the pixel art is so gorgeous and beautiful, from the backgrounds to the character animations to the day and night cycles, seriously every detail of this game artistically was thought about and it shows. It’s incredible how the colors and lighting effects change from area to area, each effect and color palette chosen giving a distinct feel and mood to everywhere you travel. This game may honestly be some of the best looking pixel art I’ve ever seen.
You are Otis, a mute owl, struggling through the coming of age point in his life. The story gives off very studio-ghibli vibe, being overall very lighthearted with some dark undertones and heavy themes. Each character you are introduced to is exciting and facinating, and the story of the game really drew me in. The pacing is very good and the events feel epic and rewarding when complete. The gameplay weaves into the story in a very metroidvania-lite way, with new abilities unlocking new areas and ways to explore. The dungeons are challenging and large, with fun boss battles and nice puzzles to solve.
It’s hard to go wrong on a brilliant game that’s only $25. Honestly, my real only complaint was that I wish it had been longer! I really feel in love with the character and story, and MAN I could just watch the artwork all day long. Just gorgeous.
