Falcon Age
Falcon Age is about more than the bond between you and your (adorable) bird. It’s about reclaiming your culture, and it’s a story told beautifully.
animate being - lover know what it ’s like to have a exceptional alliance with a furry ( or feather ) friend . Whether they own a Chihuahua or a Furby , they work up a connection to this puppet , one that surpass the boundaries of language . In far rare cases , the friendship operate even further , seeing the animal and human work as one ; two sides of the same tone . Instances of this may be strictly fancied , but they ’re the form of bond certificate that is explored inFalcon Age , one that connects the player to their falcon , and through that fosters an intellect of culture and story .
There are unnumberable games that feature animate being fellow traveller . There ’s Rush fromMega Man , Epona fromOcarina of Time , and of course the Pokemon fromPokemon . But while the idea of having a virtual " favourite " is nothing new , Falcon Agegoes much further to acknowledging the truth of the bond between histrion and creature . It ’s not just about watch your Pokemon fight while you sit down back and roll up Gym Badges , or riding your horse and feed them now and then . Your falcon is a wild animal , and the creed of " Falcon Hunter " is an ancient custom of your people .
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Falcon Ageis a first - person dangerous undertaking secret plan ( in optional VR ) where the player takes on the role of Ara . She ’s a young girl with a set to rise to her Aunt , her people , and herself . After bind with a baby falcon in prison house , they cover ( paronomasia - think ) an leakage plan and journey out into the destitute earth of their world . With the guidance of other members of the Resistance , Ara will regenerate her people ’s estate from the tyrannous automaton government and discover more about the traditions that have been destroyed .
One of these traditions , of course , is that of the Falcon Hunter . With the especial shackle Ara form with the baby wench , she will hone her skills and train to become the very dear ( that no one ever was … etc . ) . As it is made for VR and the basic PS4 set up , thankfully the game control famously and the camera movement can be modify to achieve the perfect look for any specs . The gameplay inFalcon Ageis very simple . With the click of a clit , players can institutionalize their falcon to attack different key points like robot enemies or rabbits to hunt . Players can also whistle for their Bronx cheer to landed estate on their hand where a number of action at law can take place . They can give them with craft solid food , fit dissimilar items , or pet them .
This can not be accentuate enough : petting them is the most adorable thing , and players are recommend to do it often . There ’s a practical reason of trend , as petting your falcon can mend them if they have been damaged from fighting robots . But even if they are at full health , it ’s voiceless to resist desire to give them a fist bump , do the thing where you make a affection with your hands and they put their brain through , and more ! This may seem like an odd shop mechanic to dwell on , but for a biz about the bond between champion across species ' boundaries , it ’s vital ( and cute ) .
Falcon Ageinvolves more than just telling your falcon to do things ; you have oeuvre to do as well . Ara must sail the land , completing relatively basic objectives to help the growing ohmic resistance . The map is n’t mammoth , but it feels big enough for the short campaign and is filled with a short ton of beautiful imagery in a unique artistic fashion . Most of the deputation imply using Ara ’s handy whip / truncheon to defeat batches of enemies , while guiding her falcon to assist in the skies . The way the game makes the jazz group of Ara ’s attacks necessary with the falcons in order for neither to get anguish is wonderfully done . The scrap is never gainsay ( the plot even offers " Imprint Mode " where combat is optional ) but it still remain fulfil .
The biz also does a great line of breach up the ( occasionally ) monotonous hack - n - slash with play side pursuit and mini - game . There ’s hunt of course , which is n’t super " convoluted , " though it is always fun to watch over your falcon nosedive from the paradise on to her quarry . Falcon Agealso has a minor - favorable crafting system , where meat collected from hunting is processed in a liquidizer to make comestible pellets for your bird bud . There are a lot of different recipe , and plenty of open areas to search to recover the next repast . There ’s also a very goofy futurist " golf " game regard the Ara ’s party whip , where the ball is rap towards the trap using the momentum of the swing .
ButFalcon Agewouldn’t be perfect without the power to commute your falcon ’s kit . player can give her plenteousness of different hats , including one that construct her depend like a chick again even when she is all grown up . Upgrades can also be made like the accession of sonar and armour , to give players an edge up in their fight . As Auntie order early on in the game , " it ’s not about you . " The story is about the chemical bond you create with your falcon , so it ’s understandable that they get all the accessories .
ThoughFalcon Ageembraces the friendly relationship of human and beast in a way few game have done ( The Last Guardiancomes to listen as this game ’s adequate ) , that ’s not all that set it apart . Through all the bonding the player does with their bird , they also grow closer to the civilization their world abandoned . There ’s a potent instant in the biz where Ara allow in her name was shorten by the government because the robots could n’t pronounce it correctly . Her Aunt replies " because they were n’t built by people who care . " These endemic people whose land and traditions were stolen from them lead a rejoicing narrative of self - discovery and technological shock . In the end , players will have made an lovely bird Quaker , but the bond with a forgotten culture is even more memorable .
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Falcon Ageis out now on PS4 and PSVR for $ 19.99 . Screen Rant was provide with a digital PS4 re-create for the purposes of this reassessment .
