Birthdays the Beginning Reviews
Birthdays The Beginning can be a very fun and addictive game if only for a short while, the ‘beginning’ in the title feels very apt as the game feels like the beginning of something much larger that we’re just not being given in this game. The gameplay is a bit of a mixed bag as some features work brilliantly within the setting while others are straight-up broken or extremely frustrating to use. The positives of the game outweigh the negatives, but there just isn't enough of it to keep you around for that long. *It's worth noting that Birthdays The Beginning has received a day-one patch which, according to the patch notes, should fix some of the issues that I have laid out in this review and aims to improve other aspects of the game.
The game is worth it if sandbox creation games are your thing. On the other hand, if you’re like me and felt you would get this game based on your love of Harvest Moon only, that would be like comparing apples and oranges, and this may be a skip.
Birthdays the Beginning is a really challenging game to describe in just a few sentences. It blends some genres and will undoubtedly be a divisive title as it is a slow burn that often provides more of a passive experience than an active one. The thing is - I find myself enjoying the time spent with it more often than not, despite some of its flaws.
Birthdays the Beginning looks promising but most of the expectations did not meet when you start playing. Being their God was not easy and for me that was the only thing keeping me alive in the game, I could have died from boredom later.
While Birthdays the Beginning isn’t the most hardcore god game out there, it’s still got plenty of merits. It’s a good game to chill out to, it makes you think, and its visual charms are undeniable.
Birthdays the Beginning stumbles on some aspects, but overall delivers an enjoyable "god sim" experience that I've been craving. While I did hope the PC port would have been better, the overall experience is enjoyable and recommendable to those with an interest in sandbox simulators.
This is for the simulation fan, or the gamer that has always had a desire to shape life and see what types of worlds they can create. Better yet, Birthdays the Beginning is perfect for anyone that has ever dreamt of visiting an alien world, and wondered just what it might like look. Because here, you have the power to make it look like anything you want. And the best part? No two worlds will ever look the same or have the same history.
Overall, Birthday’s the Beginnings is an interesting new IP from Wada-san. While it fails to capture the same magic as the “Story of Seasons” series has managed to, he was still able to create a game that could be seen as (almost) as relaxing. Despite some control issues and fighting with the game’s own mechanics, I found myself really enjoying this game.
If you're a fan of sandbox games, then you should definitely check out Birthdays the Beginning. It's a quirky, colorful and fun sandbox release with a ton of lifeforms to create and capture, giving you dozens of hours of gameplay for your purchase. There have been a couple of patches to the game to rebalance things, and the Platinum will take you “forever” since you'll need to basically keep your PS4 running for months, but don't let that get in your way since the overall experience is great.
For every novel aspect the game brings to the table it fumbles in delivering a meaningful and engaging experience. It is interesting to experiment around with the massive number of species and create a beautiful world but it all becomes repetitive rather quickly. Considering that the developers already planned out a sequel we can only hope they will be able iron out its issues and add everything they initially wanted.
Properly articulating what Birthdays means to me is difficult. It is the embodiment of the pure joy of gaming, where I can sit down and simply immerse myself within this space without feeling pressure or tension. There's nothing to "win," but everything to enjoy while, at the same time, the game is pointing out, in its very innocent and heartfelt way, a very simple but so important environmental message.
Birhdays: The beginning is an incredible game with many hours of fun to be had and a ton to see and do.
Birthdays the Beginning is highly recommendable as both edutainment and a god game. There are little issues that crop up that are annoying, but all in all, it's a great experience. There's a breadth of life to be created here, as long as you're going for what the game wants.
I'm tempted to describe the entirety of Birthdays the Beginning as ‘bittersweet'… it's equal parts massively addictive yet horrendously frustrating, but it somehow manages to always provide an enjoyable challenge.
Overall, Birthday the Beginnings is ok. The number of species you can create and manage promises a lot of gameplay, if you can get passed the poor pacing and intermittent gameplay. The cute animals (like that fish <3) makes the game pretty worthwhile, too.
Ironically, the only thing holding this game back is a lack of evolution.
Birthdays: The Beginning is a cute and clever world-builder where simple actions can have deep, complicated results.
Birthdays is a fantastic idea on paper, but suffers from some very poor execution that hinders the overall experience.
I wouldn't recommend Birthdays the Beginning to anyone. Its biggest problem is badly done tutorial, which doesn't help in understanding this complicated game. Beside original idea for gameplay, there is not much worth seeing.
Review in Polish | Read full review
Birthdays the Beginning begs to be enjoyed by a particular gamer, which could hold it back from non-simulation fans to give it a try. I would have enjoyed more interaction between me and my organisms, but the game draws the line of interaction with the world to merely altering the land. With that said, the systems introduced in the game work well for a game that is supposed to the “beginning” of a much larger idea. I'm excited to see where the series goes moving forward as well as the incredible environments that are sure to come from the community.