Falcon Age Reviews
The concept of taking care of a bird of prey during a rebellion is highly appealing for bird lovers. Unfortunately most expectations of bird care and the intriguing story of Falcon Age were not met. What could have been an immersive game ported smoothly from VR, was the exact opposite with poor game mechanics, a weak ending that made playing this feel pointless and a complete waste of time. What works in VR does not always translate into an ordinary non-VR title, and Falcon Age should have remained a VR exclusive and not be released on the Nintendo Switch.
Falcon Age is a quaint tale of tradition being overtaken by progress with a bittersweet ending. It's $19.99, which isn't that bad of a price, yet the game feels slightly short with its cliffhanger ending.
I have to admit, whilst some of the combat would leave me stumped and a little frustrated, there is plenty of humour laced throughout Falcon Age. And the adorable moments with your feathered friend are brilliant. Bonding has never been more wholesome I managed to complete the game in around 15 hours. I got stuck a few times, went the wrong way more often than I like to admit. It is a cute game to play, and if it’s looking good already, wait until you play Falcon Age.
On its own, Falcon Age for the Switch is still a fun experience, but when held up against its VR sibling, it’s an objectively lesser game. Nevertheless, we’d still recommend giving it a shot if only for its remarkably unique premise; after all, it’s probably the closest most of us will get to owning a pet falcon.
Novelty in games is always a good thing, new experiences are welcome and you never know what may become a break out hit or revelatory gameplay experience...
Overlooking my issue with the narrative for Falcon Age, this single-player roleplaying action game has a pretty decent adventure with a relatable main character. Players will have a blast raising and bonding with their own falcon, and the combat feels very intuitive with the use of different items and snacks that you can feed your falcon. If you’re looking for something different, Falcon Age is definitely a game to add to your library.
Falcon Age spreads its wings and flies on to Nintendo Switch, inviting new players to share the desolate wasteland with their feathered friend. As Ara, a young woman who breaks free from prison, players will help liberate their community. But how well does a title designed for virtual reality work on Nintendo's handheld?
Falcon Age is visually stunning. It is very obvious a lot of this games focus has gone into animating the falcons movements while still and in flight. Everything about this beautiful pixel bird is incredible however the game play and world lacks that same attention to detail. So if you enjoy straight forward story that has little distraction or just love the idea of having your own faithful companion I highly recommend Falcon Age.
Charming to the end, there is so much to love about Falcon Age, but none more so than your falcon.
There's a good game lurking somewhere within Falcon Age. Interacting with your pet falcon in VR is an enchanting joy, so it's a shame that it's surrounded by a repetitive game structure, lacklustre visuals, and controls that are neither here nor there.
While some will tout Falcon Age as the next great VR game, it is much more than that. I recommend it even for those without a PSVR headset. It is charming, compelling, and most of all enjoyable. I loved my time in this world and I look forward to whatever the team at Outerloop does next. This is a showpiece for many reason, but let’s be fair, it is mostly for the falcon. Now I want one in real life.
Falcon Age offers a rich and refreshing experience that focuses on a few key elements and nails them precisely. While the experience certainly feels more tailored to VR, it's still a wonderful journey on a normal TV screen. A wonderful world and egregious art style make for an engaging playthrough, despite some overly-simple combat mechanics.
Falcon Age is a game with so much potential that doesn't quite do everything it could have. Still, it's a fantastic, fun, story driven-experience and a must-play with PlayStation VR.
First-person adventure Falcon Age was built with love but has some oddities more noticeable when not played with the PSVR headset.
Falcon Age is a first-person adventure game developed by the small, Seattle-based studio Outerloop. Your journey begins by awaking in a prison cell on a fictitious planet, colonised by an organisation known as the Outer Ring Community (ORC). ORC has stationed robots to farm the planet for resources and uses its inhabitants for manual labour. You play as one of these inhabitants, Ara, whose days consist of monotonous material gathering under the watchful eye of the enslavers. A chance encounter with a baby falcon allows you to escape from the regime and begin your training as a falcon hunter. Fighting alongside her people, Ara plots a rebellion against ORC to reclaim the land that was once theirs.
Falcon Age has some extremely interesting ideas at its core, but never gives them the chance to shine. It tells the story of an indigenous woman fighting back against colonial oppression by training a falcon in line with her cultural traditions, but hides the best parts of its premise behind repetitive combat and boring presentation. There are moments when Falcon Age let me feel the bond between my character and her bird or see the culture she was fighting for, but never enough to be satisfying.
Falcon Age is far from perfect but its charming interactions with the falcon and the fairly easy to understand gameplay makes it an easy recommendation for PSVR owners.
Falcon Age makes good use of the unique features of VR and conveys a very special feeling thanks to the relationship with the falcon, but the gameplay has more shadows than lights.
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As it stands though, Falcon Age is easily one of the more memorable PlayStation VR games I’ve played and I highly recommend you get a virtual pet falcon of your own.
Overloop's Falcon Age is a compelling action-adventure game and highly original, deeply satisfying falconry simulator, making it a feather in the cap for PlayStation VR.