Owlboy is a fantastically sculpted game that took a very long time to complete. For once it was worth the wait. The game follows the story of the mute Otus, a boy been berated by his terrible mentor all his life. Not that it stops the boy from becoming a hero when the wicked pirates attack. Along the ride, Otus gain several faithful companions. These delightfully colorful creatures are carried around by him.
But I can teleport them to my current location at any time. Naturally these characters I can also use these to solve puzzles and bypass certain obstacles, due to their unique abilities. They can also be hurled into walls and it’s very enjoyable to see them slide down the surface.
That being said, I found the start of Owlboy incredibly taxing, but that was mostly due to how terrible of a person Otus’s mentor is. It does not make the story bad, I just want to shoot the bastard. Story-wise the game is well told and has some really nicely drawn cutscenes. Which can be skipped. This is a very good thing since bosses do exist. Especially the giant mosquitos come to mind. Since I actually died to them at least once. The controls work quite well and are very intuitive to use.
The game is not very hard, but it can still be a challenge. Where restarting is quite fast and painless. Aside from a strew of Steam achievements, there is also an assortment of coins hidden in various maps, which unlocks nifty upgrades and some silly dialogue. Plus some conveniently hidden lore, that can be found here and there. Naturally, I had some issues actually finding all of them Since various abilities and a lot of exploring were required.
Graphically the game looks visually stunning and each sprite is well drawn and animated. Though I have to wonder why the logo on the main menu is rendered different style, then the rest of the game. It’s quite incredible how many feelings the sprites on the screen can show.
While fun and all, at times during boss fights and such the flying feels a little floaty. There is also the thing where the camera stops panning until you move to the next screen is a bit jarring. Not to mention having the screen flash during certain attack animations.
The music is also very good and the same goes for the sound effects. Naturally, the soundtrack can be bought separately, which is a very good thing, as some songs are worth listening to.
Keep in mind though, that Owlboy is a platform game, with flying and object lifting. I enjoy it quite much indeed. Not everyone will, unfortunately
Njål Sand is a Norwegian Cosplayer with opinions on video games, and a passionate for creating content on YouTube about living in Norway, and gaming!