A Bird Story

Nobody writes a story like Kan Reeves Gao. This is a very short game (even for this creator's palette), coming in at just over an hour. However, in it's very short lifespan, he has been able to convey the passage of time from the construct of a child's mind perfectly and say so much without saying a single word. Tell me, who else can state the emptiness of a home with just a pile of notes? Or, who else has programmed in fun like jumping into rain puddles simply for the sake of it? I had played this game long ago, and figured that I should come back to get the achievement. So much of it I had forgotten, and was pleasantly surprised at how much I missed. Gao truly is a storyteller. All of that being said, however, this is still very much like his earlier works in that the story is more concept than tale. Yes, it does have a beginning, middle, and end; however, it is clearly meant to be a hype piece for the next installment in the series (Finding Paradise). I would suggest it if you are a fan, but it is not paramount to Finding Paradise's story. Overall, I would consider it an 8/10.

Freebird never fails to make me cry, every single game is a masterpiece and they've done it yet again. I would not recommend reading anything about any of the games just go in blind its the best way to unravel the stories yourself.

A Bird Story is mostly a cinematic experience which you experience, not exactly your normal game. If you're looking for a true game - don't get this. That being said, this was an incredible experience for me as are all the games in the series. I cannot recommend this enough with the subtle emotional points that it hits which many can resonate with. This is labeled as a prologue of sorts to Finding Paradise and I did feel like it may have primed me to expect the twist in that one more, but it is still a great game which will tug on the heart strings! The music is also, as always, incredible!

This is a fairly short game/story. It is poignant story of a boy and a bird, and their adventures together. The music is lovely, game play is relaxing. There is no script, it is all managed through actions. I thought it was quite beautiful, and fun to spend an evening playing.

PROS: Very good narrative technique, telling the story without using a single word. Very remarkable Nice pixel art It has some really beautiful moments CONS: Maybe a little bit boring and slow at the beginning. I don't need to wait until the character brushes his teeth. Some ridiculous little tasks for you to remember this is a game

Cute short story about a boy and his bird. The story isn't anything too crazy, but that's not a bad thing. The gameplay is really calming and I think that's what the devs were going for. Overall, a nice game to just drift away for an hour.

This game is boring and completely disinteresting. It tries to be deep but there's no substance to it whatsoever. It's a sequence of random events. Dialogue-less games are a gimmick 99% of the time.

Excellent storytelling with clever transitions, color contrasts, and subtle expressions that make this game feel like watching a movie.

I did have a chuckle at the Copyright-Free Benny Hill section. It didn't waste too much of my time. I didn't realize this was a prequel until I finished it though. Get it on sale if you are still invested in the "To The Moon" franchise.

Calling this a game is a stretch at best. It is really a cutscene. Most of it has no interactive elements at all. As for the cutscene, it looks good and is decently scored, but it does not have anything else going for it. No dialogue, no plot, no characters, and no point. You watch a little kid adopt an injured bird and play with it. Then the bird heals and the kid gets all broken up about releasing it. This is an episode of children's television, and a rather dull and uninteresting one at that. It wasn't completely boring (I found the little scooby-doo chase scene briefly amusing), but I kept expecting it to get on with the interesting part only for it to end before it could go anywhere. I have yet to play the developer's other works, but I sincerely hope they are better than this.

[h2] Rating: ⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ [/h2] [b] ( 1 out of 5 – [u]Beyond Disappointed[/u] ) [/b] [h3] Let me preface this by saying: [/h3] [i] I don’t write game reviews. Ever. I usually just play, move on, and keep my peace.But [u] this[/u]? It dragged me to a point of such [b] profound disappointment [/b] - I couldn’t stand here and not say anything.[/i] [i]I love story-driven indie games. I crave emotional narratives wrapped in gorgeous visuals. And with a game developer like this - so poetic, so full of promise, the bar was automatically set high. Too high. In fact, the bar was launched straight “To the Moon.” And then this game… dropped it straight into the core of the Earth.[/i] [i] I gave it the benefit of the doubt. I finished the whole thing, hoping it would redeem itself. To my utter dismay, [b]it never did.[/b] [/i] [h3] Gameplay Breakdown [/h3] (if you can call it that): [list] [*] 70% Unskippable, meandering (forced watch) cut-scenes [*] 20% Flashbacks that feel like filler [*] 5% faceless or shadow-looking NPCs [*] 3% random moving trees [*] 2% speech bubble for a "?" or an "!" ————————————— [*] [b]100% [u] Draining, Empty, and Forgettable[/u] [/b] [/list] ✧˚ ༘ ⋆｡˚ ☽˚｡⋆ ✧˚ ༘ ⋆｡˚ ☽˚｡⋆ ✧˚ ༘ ⋆｡˚ ☽˚｡⋆ ✧˚ ༘ ⋆｡˚ ☽˚｡⋆ [i] This isn’t a slow-burn. [b]It’s a creative coma.[/b] [/i] ✧˚ ༘ ⋆｡˚ ☽˚｡⋆ ✧˚ ༘ ⋆｡˚ ☽˚｡⋆ ✧˚ ༘ ⋆｡˚ ☽˚｡⋆ ✧˚ ༘ ⋆｡˚ ☽˚｡⋆ [h3] Pros [/h3] (if we’re desperate): [olist] [*] It functions. [*] Pretty visuals. [*] Supporting an indie game developer is noble. [*] Might help you sleep. (Or rage-clean your room out of frustration.) [/olist] [h3] Cons [/h3] (Let’s get real): [olist] [*] [i]Snail-like Pacing[/i] – Every scene drags on like it’s allergic to progress. [*] [i]Pretentious Writing[/i] – It tries to be poetic but ends up embarrassingly shallow. [*] [i]No Real Gameplay[/i] – Interaction is nearly nonexistent. [*] [i]Emotionally Void[/b] – Not a single scene stirred any real feeling. [*] [i]Predictable Plot[/i] – Saw every “reveal” from a mile away. [*] [i]Shallow Characters[/i] – No development, no connection, no care. [*] [i]Looks Nice, Feels Empty[/i] – Style over substance to the extreme. [*] [i]Stress-Inducing Boredom[/i] – I literally stress-ate halfway through just to feel something. [*] [i]Leaves You Worse Off[/i] – Less hope. More crumbs. A vacant stare into the distance. [/olist] [h3] Burning Questions, Answered Coldly: [/h3] [list] [*] Worth the money? [b]No[/b] [*] Worth the time? [i] [b]No[/b] — not even during a blackout.[/i] [*] Story-rich? [i]Story-[b]flat.[/b] [/i] [*] Emotional impact? [i]Only if you count [b] regret.[/b] [/i] [*] Should I get a refund? [b] 100% yes. [/b] [*] Any joyful moment? [i]Only [b]when the end credits rolled[/b] and realised I was free.[/i] [/list] [h3] Final Words: [/h3] [i]I gave this game every chance to move me. I waited. I hoped. I finished it. But [b]all it gave me in return was a hollow experience[/b] buried under dreamy music and flowery nonsense. This isn’t a hidden gem. It’s [b]a shiny shell with nothing inside[/b].[/i] [i]You have another game "To The Moon" But instead, I got a [b]crater of disappointment[/b] with this, and a pile of snacks I didn’t mean to eat.[/i] [b] [u]Avoid it. You deserve better.[/u] [/b]

Short game but decent story. 6.5/10

I cry evrytim the prologue

I cried :(

❤︎