Described as a love letter to the pixelated platformers of old, Owlboy instantly grabbed my attention. Whether it be taking on flying as a platforming mechanic, utilizing the speed and precision of 2D shooters, or just simple puzzle solving, it’s clear the attention to detail present is second to none.

Owlboy starts out simple enough with an introduction to its game mechanics and our titular hero Otus. Our protagonist is portrayed as a clumsy mute with promise, but also inept at the higher teachings of greater owls. Simple controls allow Otus to fly, roll, jump, spin attack, and mid-air dash around the screen. Everything is smooth and crisp when using an Xbox One controller on PC. After some brief exploration and some conversations that push the story forward, Otus makes his first friend in the town’s defense mechanic, Geddy. Geddy serves as the first actual weapon in the game, shooting his blaster while being carried during flight. The blaster is very effective on the outset, utilizing 360 degree targeting via the right analog control stick or mouse. Additionally, Geddy’s blaster is utilized to destroy barriers and allow progression through the first area temple.

I want to stop right here and, before going further, would point out the pixel art in this game, which is practically unrivaled in the industry today. Though I have played through hundreds of video games spanning decades of consoles, I feel that Owlboy is the best looking 2D pixel game ever created. Titles like Ori and the Blind Forest and Axiom Verge pushed the boundaries of what could be done without console limitations, and Owlboy continues this trend. Character models breathe, grass blows in the wind, and even candles flicker against the walls. Each area has no less than four distinct layers. It truly is astounding how much attention to detail has been put into this game. Over the eight or so hours that encompass this truly incredible experience, I never once felt like any part of this game wasn’t alive.

Owlboy Gif Collection

Progressing further into Owlboy, our protagonist Otus finds himself periodically stunted from proceeding. When this happens, a new shooter character is implemented as both a companion and a source of commentary. Following the beam blaster character Geddy, Alphonse and his leaf-burning shotgun is also available. This shotgun is utilized to traverse obstacles and deal with larger enemies. Finally, the stickbug Twig rounds out the trio of companions available to Otus. Twig acts as a web slinger, shooting his web at various hinges and slinging Otus across the screen. Switching weapons can be done with the press of a button, allowing for various battle scenarios. Further bosses utilize this strategy by requiring the player to switch back and forth between guns to do proper damage. Though it made sense in my playthrough, first time fights with different enemies may require a little bit of practice.

Owlboy tells the story of a quiet but goodhearted protagonist that wants to help the world he is part of. Otus, a kindhearted and truly gentle character, is intent on helping his friends. In doing so, the experience goes to floating sky cities, space pirate ships, lava caverns, snowy mountains, radioactive plants, and even outer space. The progression throughout the game is well-balanced, and it’s hard to not just want to get lost in its world. Various areas also expand slightly with hidden pathways leading to hidden treasures and collectibles. The only real drawback that occurred during my playthrough was in the technical window settings. When shifting between full screen and windowed mode, the sound sometimes dropped out. However, a menu that restores the audio is present. Additionally, the soundtrack throughout the game gave way to wonder and joy at times while also conveying desperation and suspense for a world that wants to exist. Each area is truly alive, and that is represented in all aspects throughout the game.

Games created with this level of attention to detail are hard to find. Throughout the past decade we can each pinpoint various favorite titles that truly touched our hearts and minds, but Owlboy stands at the top or near it. This is the kind of game that transcends time as its art, gameplay, story and music truly should be heralded as a shining example for developers to aspire towards. Whether this is something that can be duplicated remains to be seen as this title is a true labor of love and passion. Every frame in the shows the deep level of love that is only possible by withholding a game until perfection. I’ve only played a handful of games that could be considered perfect in my time and this stands among them. Congratulations go to the developers for creating a masterpiece.

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Batman – The Telltale Series Episode One Review

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ci31KnWjF8E

I remember a time when Batman games didn’t hold the luster or metacritic that current Batman games hold. In fact growing up games like Batman Forever on Genesis or Batman and Robin on PSX respectively, barely hit 5/10 or better. With Rocksteady averaging an astounding 91.3% across their Batman trilogy, its needless to say that anyone following up a game with our Caped Crusader has big shoes to fill. And let me tell you, Batman The Telltale Series Episode One “Realm of Shadows” does just that.

Can I just say how much I loved the intro to this game. It was so classy to see the hand drawn comic book variant from Batmans past featuring various incarnations in different times (and suits!) even going all the way back to Detective Comics Number 27, the first Batman Comic. It felt like a great nod to the source material and as a fan made me appreciate that Telltale took the time to say it first. Making first impressions only continues with a BANG once you start the game, as you are dropped right into the action of a Burglary in progress and let me just say playing as Batman starts off pretty friggin fun actually. Sure its simple Up, Down or A, B but after a little bit their are combinations of A and Right or moving a reticle and clicking Right Trigger to complete an action during the fight. It really felt like playing a Batman Cartoon complete with the taking down of Catwoman in a fight where neither of them pull their punches.

Where this game may stumble just a little bit is in its small talk. Only occurring for maybe 30 to 45 minutes of the total 2 Hour and 30 minute playtime, small talk was kind of boring with what felt like a few characters just adding to back story or to set up future content. Oswald Cobblepot makes a small appearance as Bruces childhood friend only to hint at tidbits for future episodes while Bruce mixes it up with Harvey Dent on an election campaign. It played like plot fill at this point since we only have episode one to play right now and its all foreshadowing. On the other hand one of the more memorable sequences took place between unmasked Catwoman/Selina Kyle and a similarly unmasked Batmam/Bruce Wayne. Somehow these two characters always mix up the pot with their sexual tension and mental chess and I can’t wait to see how it turns out.

The central theme of Episode One follows a fairly straight forward plot line of Corruption and Gothams #1 Crime Lord Carmine Falcone. I think ever since Batman Begins Carmine Falcone is the first fall guy go to, so it should be pretty obvious what direction this was taking. What made it cool was how they employed it. Utilizing Selina Kyle as the source of info on a buyer of illegal goods, Batman is able to Investigate a crime scene in order to produce evidence and leads towards taking down Falcone. Here Telltale has Batman play the Detective by linking clues to piece the story together. Once you actually link different clues to their correct corresponding story point, Batman is able to piece together what happens and move the plot forward. I found it fun and I really liked how they actually have Batman the Detective in the game. It wasn’t anything where you could effect the outcome of anything but it was satisfying.

Without Spoiling the end, Batman – The Telltale Series Episode One has you put everything you’ve learned into a final conflict with Falcone. Utilizing the same Clue Linking mechanic learned previously, Batman puts together a plan of attack that is really fun to setup and then play. It felt like playing what Guy Ritchie did with Sherlock Holmes where he visualized the attack then employed it, only here you get to choose how you attack and then actually get to do it. The results led to a very satisfying Batman scene that flows straight into the final conflict. Not gonna lie, I kinda want to play just the Batman parts again to see the different play style choices.

While there were a couple key choices throughout the episode, the game played mostly like an overarching story with different dialogue options. With what appears like 4 more episodes, we have yet to see any real game changing plot options but I still think there is plenty of time and this was an incredible start. What it truly needed was more of that friggin Batmobile. Seriously, How cool was the Batmobile Lambo? The thing friggin went from Red to Black with camouflage tech then Armored up while also opening the back for jets. LAMBO BATMOBILE GG Telltale. Click HERE to see the GIF

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