Of Bird and Cage

 PC
User Score
6.9

Mixed or average reviews- based on 15 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 15
  3. Negative: 3 out of 15

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  1. 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 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 "choicesA 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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
43

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 14 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 14
  3. Negative: 9 out of 14
  1. 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.
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  2. 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]
  3. Hooked Gamers
    Jul 20, 2021
    40
    Writing a negative review can feel cathartic when it’s in response to lazy, sleazy, or greedy game design, but this isn’t one of those reviews. Of Bird and Cage is very clearly a passion project that aims to do something new and exciting, and, while it does a few things very well, it just doesn’t have a solid enough foundation to make it fun to play. I love the music and I like the story that they were trying to tell, but sloppy game mechanics, poorly developed narrative beats, and disappointing visuals make this a game I can’t recommend for most.
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