Pro:
- Graphic
- Level design
- Easy but enjoyable puzzles
Contra:
- Story needs work
- Combat
- Incoonsistancy of tone
First, I want to clearly say that Project Songbird is not the worst game, and my review is simply my personal opinion as well as intended as constructive criticism.
Project Songbird is a game that, from the very beginning, left me with the feeling that it doesn’t even really know what it wants to be. It throws many themes, mechanics, and ideas into one pot, but instead of a coherent overall concept, it feels more like a patchwork. And that’s a shame, because you can tell that there is something personal behind it, no wonder, since you are immediately made aware of that when starting the game, on the Steam page, and again when restarting the game where the developer asks for a review and so on.
Heavy Story Spoilers ahead:
[spoiler]
The combat system is, for me, the best example of how unfocused the game feels. There are fights, there are weapon upgrades, there are two enemy types, but none of it feels like it has any real justification. It feels more like “We need gameplay,” rather than something that contributes to the story or atmosphere.
The music theme, which should actually be the core of the story, also remains surprisingly superficial. It is constantly mentioned, but in terms of gameplay it has practically no relevance. For a game about a musician, that is disappointing. It would have been much nicer to integrate music further into the game mechanics.
Let’s move on to the game’s character, Dakota.Dakota starts out likeable. But the further the game went on, the more unlikeable Dekota unfortunately became for me.
An example: Dekota experiences the first trip through the red door, sees absolute horror and comes back into "reality" like someone who just found the best inspiration of their life. Dakota tells another character over the radio that it all was real and Dakota could feel it, but that Dakota absolutely wants to find the red door again, that Dakota needs this experience and inspiration to get the Album done.
And then, as soon as Dakota finds the Red Door and ends up there again, Dakota suddenly is like “ Oh no I did not want this “ Yes, you did. Very clearly.
Then there’s Dakota everyday behavior: Right at the beginning Dakota is told that the owner of the cabin doesn’t like people going through his stuff. Dakota even finds a note that says exactly that and warns not to go into the Woods. And what does Dakota do?Takes the axe, smashes the barricade with the “Keep Out” sign, and simply walks into a deeper section of the forest, without any reason.
Later Dakota shoots a padlock off a church gate, digs up a grave, takes a revolver from a stranger’s chest without even looking for the key…It doesn’t feel like a complex character, it just makes Dakota more unlikeable piece by piece.And I’m not even talking about the way Dakota talks to the Dead Brother at the End.
The Witch as the “antagonist” is actually the most interesting part, but gets left behind. She confronts Dakota with Dakotas problems, the creative block and the death of Dakotas brother, but at the same time she protects Dakota. She doesn’t let Dakota die. She even gives Dakota the backpack back. She feels like someone who wants to help Dakota, just in a twisted, chaotic way.
For me, she is “chaotic good.” And yet the game never explains what she actually wants or why she does what she does. The potential would have been huge.
Then there is the Meta-Layer, the second game I didn’t order. What completely threw me out of the story were the meta elements surrounding the developer.
The beginning in the developer’s apartment, the textureless room with “Add Hunting Rifle,” a single glitching ashtray. At first, I hoped this might lead to a “game within a game” moment. Like: later we stand up from the developer’s desk and realize that the red door also exists in “reality,” and then we play as the developer dealing with it… but no, that didn’t happen. And the worst part: these moments lead absolutely nowhere. They add nothing to the story. In the end, they only pull you out of Dakota’s story without any benefit.
Then the live‑action segment at the end.It is long. And man… it feels even longer. And it feels more like a personal statement than part of the story. It feels like suddenly watching a documentary that has nothing to do with Dakota’s story anymore.
The scene where the developer looks at the negative reviews of his old game feels like personal processing, but unfortunately comes across a bit insincere and not really fitting, especially since “Summerland” actually has 91% positive reviews at the Moment. And the few negative reviews I did read were either performance issues or about the script/story. But even those were mostly written in a way that was clearly constructive criticism meant to help a new developer.
In the End the message is a missed opportunity. Dakota’s ending, that Dakota gives up performing music for others, doesn’t feel like character development, but like resignation. It would have been so much stronger if Dakota had learned to make music that Dakota wants and still had the courage to share it. Instead, it feels like: “Criticism hurts, so stop.”
That’s a shame. A missed chance to go through real character development and learn which criticism is helpful and which you shouldn’t let get to you. To learn that an artist should follow where their heart and inspiration lead them, but still be allowed to take their art out into the world.
[/spoiler]
My conclusion:
Project Songbird is not the worst game I’ve ever played, but unfortunately it’s also not a good one. It has ambition and a few truly beautiful moments. But I feel like it loses itself through the meta layer, which takes more away from the actual story than it adds and the story of Dakota could have used .. a bit refinement…
I wouldn’t recommend it at full price ( 14.79€]. But on sale, you should take a look and form your own opinion. In the end, this is just my perspective. And as I said: an artist should follow where their heart and inspiration lead them.
