Owlboy

Genre: Action-Platformer

Players: 1

.

Review:

Owlboy is in a way an action-platformer without the platforms. I say this because the game’s main character, Otus, can fly endlessly, although there are times when he might get knocked down to the ground. This game’s claim to fame is both that and its character-swapping system, where you can pick one of multiple buddy characters to carry around and assist you, swapping them in and out as needed.

I hesitate to call this game a Metroidvania, as it’s very linear in how the game’s progression, but the entire world is connected in a similar way so it can at times have that sort of feel. Mainly, though, this game is a pretty straightforward action-platformer with occasional puzzles and also occasional getting lost due to not knowing exactly where to go.

The actual action is pretty fun and the character-swapping makes for some fun strategic fights where you’ll swap back and forth while fighting a bunch of enemies or a boss so you can make use of each of their weapons or abilities in turn.

However, where the game really shines is its presentation. This game is absolutely gorgeous, with wonderfully expressive, well-animated characters, pretty scenery, and a truly beautiful soundtrack. And all of this is in service to an interesting story about a post-apocalyptic paradise in the sky that is dealing with internal struggles as greater disasters loom not far in the distance.

All in all, Owlboy is a joy to play, and although there are occasional frustrations that pop up on occasion, it’s well worth it to play through them for the wonderful presentation and story.

tl;dr – Owlboy is an action-platformer with an asterisk next to “platformer”, since much of the game takes place in the air. This game has Metroidvania elements but isn’t quite a Metroidvania, and while there are a few frustrations, by and large the game is fun to play, and the music and visuals are an absolute joy to experience.

Grade: B+

^{You can support eShopperReviews on Patreon! Please click HERE to become a Sponsor!}