The Falconeer is about riding a giant bird into battle and firing guns from its back. Why, for weeks before release, did I always think of something else when hearing that title? With every trailer that I’d seen before its release, it was very much focused on the action of falcon-based battles in the sky. In a gloomy and furious fantasy setting that is needlessly redundant with writing, it elongates every detail to draw out what is simply: “You are good, they are bad, go fight.” Creating a world greater than itself.

I don’t think poorly of The Falconeer; it is, in fact, quite satisfying once you get into battles. Ultimately, the context makes a little more sense, though it still adds fluff text where it is not needed. The flying and shooting from the back of a magnificent bird feels good, though it lacks a proper punch to display feedback. It is the bits between that which makes the game rather dull overall. Often it is said that Ubisoft games can be unrelentingly shoehorned into open-worlds, though what I think they have done is make their downtimes, at least, interesting. The Falconeer is set between a sparse archipelago and large seas; there is emptiness between travel and thus it is less fun.

Those lengthy few moments of travel get very monotonous. By the time you are in battle, you are just grateful for the action. Getting a handle on it is also quite… odd? Targeting (for example) asks you to set a target and then hold another to keep that target in focus. Now you can’t see where you are flying, and when you aren’t focusing on your target, you have no idea what and where you are being shot from, so neither is the preferred option. It’s another plague of modern gaming, an aversion to having UI on the screen.

That’s where I think the game shines though, as it was developed by one man named Tomas Sala. It has a gorgeous, very child-friendly art style that stands at the forefront alongside the simple photo mode. I am a sucker for a photo mode, and it is a good one with stunning shots left, right, and center. That is what is selling the game the most: the striking action shots, the falcon stopping in mid-air fluttering its wings forward and diving headfirst into the water. Between battles and a beautiful style, a game developed by a lone man stands out against the background that is filled with Assassin’s Creed, Call of Duty, and others.

For every little detail I pick apart from The Falconeer, there is one thing that sticks in my mind: Why am I forgetting what I’d crossed it over with before launch? I can begrudge the length of the context that is only a backdrop for epic battles. However, at the end of the day, I get to ride into a conflict on a falcon! It is a bird version of How To Train Your Dragon. If I can’t have a dragon, I’ll take a massive bird and call it awesome.

Yes, I find the UI less than perfect, as contextual prompts sit out of direct eye line. There is also the aforementioned combat issues. After a while, there becomes a much more enjoyable experience; though that beginning can, and will, put a few off of for clear reasons. Lacking the perfect polish we’re used to with larger studios doing the same thing, it shines through with a crystal clear vision of one developer’s vision.

An Xbox One review copy of The Falconeer was provided by Wired productions for the purposes of this review.

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The Falconeer

$29.99

7

Score

7.0/10

Pros

• Epic falcon-riding battles.
• I am a sucker for a photo mode.

Cons

• Often a lack of UI.
• Very boring moments between epic fights.