Of Bird and Cage

 PC
Of Bird and Cage Image
Metascore
43

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 14 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
6.9

Mixed or average reviews- based on 15 Ratings

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  • Summary: Of Bird and Cage is a unique metal album presented through a two-hour-long story-driven game. Play music in a brand-new way. Featuring famous artists like Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (ex-Guns N' Roses), Rob van der Loo (Epica), Ruud Jolie (Within Temptation), and many others!

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 14
  3. Negative: 9 out of 14
  1. Vgames
    May 20, 2021
    85
    I applaud Capricia Productions, they have managed to capture exactly what they’ve wanted in this game and more. The soundtrack, which is the real highlight here, comes with some of the biggest names in the metal genre, and it’s done so well.
  2. Hey Poor Player
    May 26, 2021
    70
    This dark depiction of Beauty and the Beast works, but only if you recognize what you’re getting into: a musical experience focusing on an abused psyche desperately trying to break free from known shackles, only to fly right into a cage that represents both prison and freedom.
  3. Softpedia
    May 20, 2021
    60
    Of Bird and Cage is not a good game and I can only think of a small subset of people who might enjoy it: fans of progressive rock with a love of soapy narrative drive titles and an ability to ignore presentation issues. Anyone else should avoid playing the game, even if it is relatively short at around two hours. The developers are certainly attempting an ambitious mix and they should be applauded for that. But a lot more investment in coherent gameplay and a good story is required to make it a success. Get the soundtrack created for Of Bird and Cage if you love the artists involved because it really does not work as a video game.
  4. GameCritics
    Jul 15, 2021
    40
    In the end, Of Bird and Cage left me with a terrible taste in my mouth, and I wondered how it managed to get released today. In fact, it’s so bad that I would almost recommend it to connoisseurs of terrible games, but frankly, I’m not sure I could live with my conscience.
  5. Adventure Gamers
    Oct 25, 2022
    30
    Of Bird and Cage is an experimental music album that pairs interactive elements with the songs to create a unique experience. However, the game is plagued by bad mechanics and a story that is uninteresting and devoid of nuance.
  6. CD-Action
    Jul 23, 2021
    30
    The concept of an experimental, interactive music album was great, and the fact that musicians associated with Epica, Within Temptation, Kamelot or Asking Alexandria were involved, was very promising and impressive. Unfortunately, the game turned out to be an amateurish mess. The whole gameplay is very poorly executed, the story is cheap and approaches difficult subjects without a trace of finesse, and the voice acting is simply horrible. The worst part is, the music is okay at best. [08/2021, p.54]
    All this publication's reviews
  7. Screen Rant
    May 20, 2021
    20
    Of Bird and Cage is probably one of the most experimental video games to release in recent memory, but just because a game is unique doesn't necessarily mean that it's worth playing. Heavy metal fans are better off picking up an album from their favorite band, and those who love interactive story games should stick to the best of the Telltale games and their ilk. Of Bird and Cage struggles at nearly everything it sets out to do, and its few interesting songs can't save an ultimately disjointed and unremarkable experience.

See all 14 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 6
  3. Negative: 1 out of 6
  1. RutiNevon
    May 30, 2021
    10
    This is not exactly a video game.. this is a whole new experience - this is like the video clip of video games. I didn't think anything canThis is not exactly a video game.. this is a whole new experience - this is like the video clip of video games. I didn't think anything can surprise me in games anymore if I'm honest but this did. I have never played anything like this and as long as this is thought of as a whole new thing and not as a game, this is an unbelievable to to listen/experience music. I would recommend it a lot and say that I'm really not surprised the media doesn't think great things about it - when where they ever right about something entirely new?… Expand
  2. ArataLatam
    Jun 17, 2021
    9
    Conclusión
    Of Bird and Cage sin duda es una historia contada desde muchos puntos de vista, las decisiones son cruciales y en verdad que te    Conclusión
    Of Bird and Cage sin duda es una historia contada desde muchos puntos de vista, las decisiones son cruciales y en verdad que te enganchará desde el inicio y hará que te acomodes en tu asiento para seguir la trama, una joya que sin duda hará que te cuestiones cada decisión y vuelvas a intentarlo.

    Historia
    Desde una infancia destruida, hasta el consumo de drogas; la vida de Gitta no ha sido fácil y descubrirás pronto el porque. ¿Qué debes hacer? ¿será correcto ingerir eso? ¿Debes escapar o enfrentar las consecuencias?

    La trama de Of Bird and Cage gira en torno a la vida de Gitta, quien sin duda ha tenido una vida dura y difícil, pero que puedes ayudarla a arreglar, con muchas interacciones y eventos que guiarán la trama de esta historia de amor, traición y desamor. Sin duda es una historia profunda y que puede marcarnos.

    Jugabilidad
    El juego de inicio es relativamente corto, 3 horas aproximadamente; la ventaja es que tendremos múltiples finales y tendremos que descubrirlos todos, así como hallar todos los secretos que Of Bird and Cage nos guarda. Desde CDs musicales, hasta visiones del pasado de Gitta y de los demás personajes.

    Si bien el juego es de múltiples decisiones, y en algunas tendrás que estar muy alerta para lograrlas, he de decir que una parte de tu vida creará empatía con más de un personaje; y realmente habrá momentos donde dudarás de ti mismo por hacer ciertas elecciones, es difícil sin duda ponerte en la piel de alguien más y llevar el curso de su vida, tremendo impacto que te causará cada final eso si.

    He de decir que llegó un momento en el juego me causo estrés y tuve que parar a relajarme; realmente me conmocionaron algunos actos y me hizo darme cuenta hasta de mi existencia, han sido pocos los juegos que han logrado esto en mi. Y creo que esa es la intención de Of Bird and Cage, demostrarte que la vida puede tener decisiones buenas y malas y que debes escoger sabiamente, porque siempre habrá consecuencias.

    El juego aunque tiene unos ligeros bugs, en algunas acciones, creo que no afectan realmente la jugabilidad, espero pronto resuelvan estos casos.

    Música
    Of Bird and Cage nos trae un OST brutal, el cual realmente te mete en la piel de cada acto y de cada personaje, el uso de la música para crear este CD interactivo sin duda es un acierto de lo mas ecuánime, y hará que se te erice la piel.

    La actuación de voces de Kobra Paige como Gitta, y de Davidavi Dolev como Bres Lupus, sin duda fue un gran acierto, sus temas en conjunto son hermosos y transmiten esa nostalgia y desesperación de cada uno. Que claro los demás actores no se quedan atrás e interpretan muy bien a sus personajes.

    De los mejores OST que he escuchado en bastante tiempo.

    Aspecto Visual
    Quizás no es el mejor apartado del juego, pero los flashbacks y escenas importantes permiten ver ese trabajo artístico; que no escatimó en detalles para darle más realismo a la trama. Aunque considero que puede mejorar este aspecto.    … Expand
  4. ABJ
    May 31, 2021
    8
    A very enjoyable concept of a game with a sour bite on some aspects. Refreshing new/mix of genres with a lot of potential, and just imaginingA very enjoyable concept of a game with a sour bite on some aspects. Refreshing new/mix of genres with a lot of potential, and just imagining combinations of musicians/bands with different game worlds can give someone the chills.

    Most can argue that graphics and gameplay are very disappointing, though considering the seer amount of work organizing all of this from an indie team which is also their first game is just amazing, not to mention that the price is just right and not overselling it. Overall I would say, it will not be the best game you ever played but everything ties (story, music, etc) very well together and it will be a memorable journey to say the least.    … Expand
  5. huliolopez
    May 31, 2021
    8
    Actually quite good game concept - an interactive story-driven rock-opera with some variativity. The graphics and animations are often subpar,Actually quite good game concept - an interactive story-driven rock-opera with some variativity. The graphics and animations are often subpar, and some gameplay elements are very questionable - but otherwise it's still good experience. I don't remember having so much fun since "Brutal Legend" (and that game had very similar problems)… Expand
  6. SuperkenGaming
    Jun 6, 2021
    6
    Of Bird and Cage
    Drug dealer the musical
    Of Bird and Cage is probably one of the strangest and most unqiue games ive ever played… This is a    Of Bird and Cage
    Drug dealer the musical
    Of Bird and Cage is probably one of the strangest and most unqiue games ive ever played…
    This is a first person nearly 3 hour long innnteractive adventure game where you play as a girl struggling with addiction and life… and you go through her life in the form of a heavy metal musical… what I appreciate about this game is that it is delivered to youin such a unique way.. you have until the song is over in each area to complete whatever task it I youre completing.. and if you complete that task or not, fail the quick time events or not.. the story goes on as is.. really making me feel like my actions or lack of, really mattered here.. and there are multiple endings to search for… and I loved how varied the game felt, I rarely got bored of a section, always intrigued where it was going.. the biggest negative of Of Bird and Cage is just how awful and unpolished it feels to actually play.. it can be infuriating at times for the game to do what you want it to do… to the ppint where youll want to do a certain action and youll run out of time before you can get the game to trigger that event, or youll fail a fight because they feel more luck based than skill based, but thankfully the delivery of the game through music stopped this from getting frustrating to me.. I just moved on with the story n dealt with whatever it was throwing at me next for failing in that moment… and story wise, its super weird and all told through thoughts and the music playing in the background.. however going for this games different endings is when the whole unpolished feeling game part is really going to become a problem..
    Overal of Bird and Cage is weird.. its one of those games that are so bad its almost good..
    it didn’t pull me into its world enough for me to wnt to seek out its different endings.. but it was an entertaining and strange 2 and a half hours for sure.
    I give Of Bird and Cage
    a 6/10    … Expand
  7. ignoble
    Jun 1, 2021
    1
    A complete waste of time. There was a chance for it be "so bad it's good" kinda title, and I am a big fan of such pieces, but it fell shortA complete waste of time. There was a chance for it be "so bad it's good" kinda title, and I am a big fan of such pieces, but it fell short event in this category. I am also a big fan of metal and was lured by the names of musicians included in a project. But it's just bad in every aspect - the gameplay is clunky and makes you feel stuck ALL the time. They claim it's one of those "choices matter" games, but the gameplay mechanics are so riddiculously messy, sloppy and difficult (and I played games my entire life) that it was impossible for me to actually often execute the choices I wanted to make. Like the mechanics prevented it. Soooo frustrating.
    So like, if they wanted to make a game about feeling stuck, cool, they managed, but even in the dark, emotionally heavy games like TWOM there is a "fun factor". There is at least SOME tiny thing you can control or influence. Now, I don't see ANY fun factor here, unless it's fun for someone to watch abuse and feel helpless as a player about it.
    Now, about the themes... I have no idea what the authors are trying to say here. The whole story feels as if it was created by someone with emotional depth of a teaspoon. And to me as a person who has actually witnessed and been through some of the things portrayed it feels like a plain grotesque, a joke really. Again, they claim it's based on Beauty and the Beast and a theme of Stockholm Syndrome - and sorry, but no.
    Someone who wrote this didn't understand the first thing about the Stockholm Syndrome, nor did they do a critical, in-depth reading of the Beauty and the Beast as a cultural text with it's historical and socio-cultural references.
    And don't even mention the graphics and animations... Bioshock has better graphics...
    Just... Nope.
    Go find the music on Spotify, but don't waste your time on this frustrating experiment of a game.    … Expand

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