Gibbon: Beyond the Trees Reviews
A 60-minute story bolstered by a moreish endless mode, Gibbon: Beyond The Trees rejoices in the physicality of its titular primates while telling an affecting, heartfelt story.
A noble environmental message provides the basis for this delightfully uncomplicated adventure, but elements of performance are amiss
Gibbon: Beyond the Trees is a fantastically paced game seemingly designed to be experienced in bite-sized chunks with challenging controls that could be mastered by those willing to put in the effort. With all the thought and care put into representing these beautiful creatures and their heartbreaking lives, the game’s issues appear to stem from a lack of resources, not passion. Despite the repetition and technical struggles, it’s a short, sweet experience whose positive elements are more memorable than its faults.
Gibbon: Beyond the Trees, like Old Man's Journey before it, is a tightly-packed, hour-long adventure that lays bare the eco-terrorism that continually threatens these titular primates. While it doesn't do anything particularly groundbreaking as a game, it's a brisk, beautiful and, at times, terribly sad game that moves along at a rate of knots, even if that places a strain on the now-aged Switch hardware.
A gorgeous 2D platformer dealing with a serious issue
Gibbon: Beyond the Trees has a noble cause, to bring attention to the issue of animal conservation and human impact on the planet. And while it looks fairly good in doing so, the repetitive gameplay and sluggish pacing prevents this adventure from making any big leaps.
undefined.Off-putting controls, repetitive gameplay, and some pretty rough performance make Gibbon: Beyond the Trees unfortunately not really a recommendation on Switch. While the visual style is truly gorgeous and you feel as if you're actually controlling a gibbon, the game just doesn't hold up even for the short time you'll spend with it. The danger gibbons face truly is an ecological crisis, but if you want to support that cause, a donation towards the Gibbon Conservation Society is far more satisfying than playing this game.
I thank the team at Broken Rules for delivering a well-crafted title with such attention to detail and applaud them for tackling topics that are not often highlighted in games. I look forward to seeing what they are working on next.
There's definitely something to be said for games that have their own unique style and point of view, and in those areas Gibbon does itself pretty proud...
Gibbon: Beyond The Trees is a short yet sweet experience. There has clearly been a lot of research and love poured into it. Creative liberties have been taken, but the subject matter has been respectfully handled through collaboration with locals and experts.
While It is refreshing to implement the movement of gibbons with simple controls, the game's short playtime and repetitive gameplay remains regrettable. Wouldn't it have been more efficient if the message was implemented as an animation using their fairy tale-like visuals?
Review in Korean | Read full review
Gibbon: Beyond the Trees tells a hugely important story wordlessly and effortlessly, combining the gameplay and story in ways that inspire both powerlessness and hope.
The true goal of the game – raising the plight of the gibbon as one of the most endangered primate species in the world – is admirable and touching. If anything, the simplicity in the game’s design only serves to stop this key message from being crowded out.
This is an amazing game that relies on great visuals, fluid movement, and mesmerizing sound to tell a story. The game’s goal is to spread awareness and let the people know about the struggles of Gibbon and other endangered species. I think the developers did well in this regard.
Gibbons is a game that really clicked with me from the moment I picked it up. I’ve reviewed many games for this wonderful website and lovely surprises like this keep me coming back to writing time and time again. I will add some caution that this game will not click with everyone. Some will likely see this as simply a Monkey swinging simulator, and the gameplay may not click. It’s rare to play a game where the developer’s message resonates so clearly and leaves me thinking for days, contemplating and inspired. I’m a huge supporter of animal charities myself, and this felt like such a good way to bring awareness to an overlooked issue. I am incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to cover this game. I sure hope you give it a chance too. If not, then please consider supporting a charity that speaks to you.