Birds Watching

what the ♥♥♥♥

Studio di Torino , ambientato in Piemonte ... Gianni è il nome del mio vicino di casa che c'ha pure il frutteto. Il gioco è originale come trama, le meccaniche sono semplici ma non ne sono richieste in piu'. APPROVATO! Che dire... Support your local game developers !!

[b]My score: 6/10 ⭐ TL;DR:[/b] An original and atmospheric little horror experience held back by rough edges, bugs, and a relatively mild horror component. [h2]Overview[/h2] I'm no expert, so I have no idea how difficult it is to achieve something like this with [i]Godot[/i], but I have a feeling this game makes an impressive use of the engine. Credit where credit is due: the developer clearly knows what they're doing. The atmosphere is the real highlight. The idea of a safe haven in a world that has seemingly burned to ashes is conveyed through oppressive warm yellows, dark browns and a thick, hazy atmosphere that makes the air itself feel scorched and almost unbreathable. It's a distinctive setting, and the game does a good job of making it feel that way. There are some rough edges, though, including graphical issues, questionable collisions, and save/progression bugs. The horror component is also relatively mild and comes mostly through the written dialogue. Some of its themes are quite disturbing, and they can get under your skin if you allow yourself to immerse in the situation, but don't expect a particularly scary experience. [h2]One Thing I Liked / One Thing I Didn’t[/h2] ✔️ [b]Liked:[/b] How quickly you can start a new game and experiment with different dialogue choices and endings. ✖️ [b]Didn't:[/b] Some of the geometry is extremely basic, and graphical errors frequently break immersion and make the game look a little silly. [h2]Key Points[/h2] [*][h3]DIFFICULTY:[/h3] There isn't really any. You explore the small map and find everything there is to find. [*][h3]PRESENTATION:[/h3] A genuinely original atmosphere, complemented (or held back?) by rudimentary geometry. The sound design deserves a special mention, though: the effects are spot-on, and the developer even lists every bird species and corresponding sound effect used in the game in the credits, following extensive research. [*][h3]STORY:[/h3] Narrative-driven, with most of the horror coming from the written dialogue. Thankfully, the story rarely interrupts the action for more than a few seconds, so you're free to keep exploring. [*][h3]GAMEPLAY/GAMEPLAY LOOP:[/h3] Essentially a walking sim with a touch of photography game mechanics: you use binoculars to spot birds and then interact with them. [*][h3]TECHNICAL POLISH:[/h3] I encountered some graphical and collision issues. More seriously, there's a nasty save/progression bug: after saving and quitting, I returned to find the story reset to the beginning while my collected items remained in my inventory, leaving me unable to progress because previously completed missions couldn't be repeated. [*][h3]MONEYxCONTENT VALUE:[/h3] It comes pretty close to my €1 = 1 hour rule: I got around 3.5 hours out of it for €5 (got all the achievements, a minimum of three playthroughs are required). If this kind of horror is your thing, I can recommend it; otherwise, I'd wait for a sale. Thankfully, it goes on sale quite frequently. [/list]