Reviews: Owlboy

Spoiler free review of the game Owlboy played on the steam deck Oled.

About the game

Owlboy is a story-driven platform adventure game, where you can fly and explore a brand new world in the clouds! Pick up your friends, and bring them with you as you explore the open skies, in one of the most detailed adventures of this era.

Steam page

Margot’s stats

• Device: Steam Deck Oled

• Difficulty: One setting

• Completed: yes - main story

• Time: ~6 hours

• Summary: A pretty pixel art, sort of metroidvania game. The game mechanics left me cold and I didn't find them enjoyable. I also could not really get on with the side characters, and as you are a mute they do all the talking and it was in an to me annoying way.

• Score: 5/10

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I almost feel bad for disliking this game. When I first discovered the genre of “metroidvania” and looked for recommendations and diverse types of games, Owlboy kept coming up. Now fun fact about me, I love owls and foxes. So the story of an Owlboy trying to find his way in Owl society was very appealing to me. Have I mentioned that I love a game with anthropomorphism?

My main issues with this game were that the game mechanism and controls felt clumsy - at least on the steam deck. You essentially fly around, so there is essentially no platforming throughout the game. The developers try to add some in by setting some platforms around a waterfall through which you can’t fly but it felt forced and not challenging or fun.

To progress you make friends and pick them up, and then user their skills to unlock new areas in the game. As far as backtracking, this was not really part of the game, at leats not how I played. It felt pretty linear to me. But if you had a different experience I’d love to hear about it.

The dungeons were ok and the boss battles I did do were interesting enough. I really wanted to like this game and complete it but gave up after 6 hours.

This was partially due to the part I got to and how the puzzles and difficulty level seem to skyrocket. I was happy enough to progress with the uninteresting fighting style and non-platforming way of getting around to complete the story and see all the pixel art, but the spike in difficulty to get through a level made me put it down after several attempts and some tutorials.

Steam Deck with Owlboy title screen and the comics Bird Boy.

Narrative

Disclaimer: I have not completed the story and have not looked it up either.

The writing and story are well thought out and developed but the tone did not jell with me. I did not care for the characters. To me they felt very consistent, but maybe not complex, meaning I did not bond with them.

I was annoyed at how the characters spoke and interacted with each other. The fact you are mute and young meant people were speaking for you a lot and often you were mistreated or underestimated. It just made me uncomfortable. Maybe it just triggered me a bit. As a young teenager we moved country, and I am pretty tall for a girl/woman in the UK, so I stood out. Not speaking the language when we moved, did mean that I was treated as dumb and bullied a lot, so maybe that was actually why I did not get on with the story as such.
So I get what they were going for, an underestimated young boy, seen as other due to being mute, that then saves the day, but yeah - the tone was not for me.

The “friends” you make throughout the game get a bit flat after the first one. Apart from skills they don’t seem to really add to the story.

Now I have not finished the game so can’t comment on the ending and how things get wrapped up. I also don’t want to watch it incase I do go back. :)

What did help the narrative was the beautiful music. As you can see in the short clip below, it is atmospheric and lovely. The clip shows two of the things that I struggled with, the flying mechanic and the horrible way the characters talk to the main character. This is the very first step in the game, where you learn the mechanics and get an idea of how you are being treated.

Throughout the game the music continues to be appropriate and fitting for the game and is worth a listen if you like this sort of classical music ambiance.

Pixel Art

I am biased because I love pixel art, but this game does have some really beautiful area and lovely artwork throughout it. The cut scene are was some of my favourite and really set the scene a lot better for me than any of the interactions.

This is its biggest appeal to me, to see it for its artwork.

In game screenshot of owlboy

Verdict 5/10

Now would I recommend you play this game? If it is cheap and you want to take a gamble on the gameplay and fighting mechanics being a bit lackluster, and seeing if you enjoy the story then please give it a go. I do seem to be in the minority in not enjoying this game. Maybe watch a Let’s play, and see if the game appeals to you. Just be aware it definitely is not a platformer if you think that’s about dashing and jumping timings, and the fighting mechanic is picking someone up and they shoot. I think the fighting could have been more interesting with some Owlboy skill too.

Are you in camp love Owlboy or meh Owlboy?