Owlboy

 PC
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 273 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 182 out of 273
  2. Mixed: 60 out of 273
  3. Negative: 31 out of 273
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  1. globogim
    Nov 12, 2016
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Alright, I just beat Owlboy after 7 hours of play (too much of which was cutscenes for my taste). I did not 100% it, though I did do some of the extra content.. It was alright, but highly disappointing. Wait for a sale.

    George Weidman (Super Bunnyhop on Youtube) described this game best: "I love you, but sometimes you're a piece of ****

    TECHNICAL PERFORMANCE:

    I believe the game at on point exited to desktop suddenly without warning. However, I can't replicate this. What I'm certain it did was minimize itself at points without warning, despite me only using a 360 controller. This happened a couple of times, and may have something to do with using a second monitor.

    There were a couple of framerate hiccups that frankly shouldn't have been there considering the style of game, but it wasn't anything harmful to the experience.

    You have some options for graphical settings, though not many. Understandable for the style of game.

    PRESENTATION:

    Lots of wonderful, stunning pixel art that I appreciate thoroughly. Animations are also nice, though there are unfortunately not many of them to see. Characters can emote, and Otus is a precious cinnamon bun, but after the 50th time he gets spooked or looks dead-eyed you kinda wish there were more things they could do. However, what's there is very nice.

    Menus worked alright, UI was fairly minimal and unintrusive. You have options to change parts of the UI, which is appreciated.

    There was a surprising amount of the screen going a single colour (white or red) due to shooting an enemy or something, and I found that pretty jarring.

    GAMEPLAY:

    This is where Owlboy just tanked for me. The first couple of hours were enjoyable, even if largely scripted. The ability to fly is nice, though it ultimately may have done the game more harm than good. In Owlboy you can fly indefinitely without consequence, which must have posed many problems for level designers trying to make a challenging 2D "platformer".

    It is more of an exploration-based game like Zelda or Metroid, but the only real exploration is done in the game's dungeons. There's some rudimentary puzzle solving, stealth sections, and shooting enemies, standard stuff. However, I never got into a flow like you might in a Zelda dungeon, where you start being unable to do very little to progress and by the end, can do everything in it. It didn't feel like Metroid either; I never felt lost, I never felt I had to explore much more than one or two screens over to find my next path to progress. The level design isn't particularly complex or elegant.

    Case-in-point, there was a section where you pass some deadly moving blocks into a room with a giant screw blocking your path. I'd never seen anything like it prior, and couldn't figure out the solution. There was a terminal window in the room, but all it said was a bunch of vague stuff about the story. I tried to leave the area, but found the deadly moving blocks would kill you no matter what timing you used, so all I could do was try the screw again. I did end up progressing, but from what I could tell, nothing prior taught you how to do it, and the solution was not even slightly in-line with anything shown before. That's poor level design, even if I'm just bad at puzzles.

    The real boss fights, while good when present, were far too scarce. Several "boss fights" were nothing more than waves of common enemies thrown at you, which was disappointing. This also exacerbated what I feel was the absolute biggest problem: the shooting. It's laid out like a twin-stick shooter, but the weapons at your disposal either don't feel remotely satisfying to use, taking far too many shots to kill, or are just impractical for combat. A shotgun you get halfway through has a preposterous cooldown, which is awful when it's used for several repetitive puzzles. Most of the game you'll be mashing a single button to shoot, just because they found it necessary to give your gun a 3-shot burst if you don't do that.

    Combat isn't just repetitive and time-consuming, it's also frustrating. When you get hit, the whole screen stops moving for a fraction of a second and you get flung in a seemingly random direction. If you hit a wall or an enemy, you also slide along that wall for a period of time. This looks good to a viewer, but when you're playing, it just feels like the controls are being yanked from your hand.

    CLOSING:

    I'm sure you can get something like double the time I spent out of this game, but I'd never want to do so. The game works fundamentally, but it's just not very fun after a while. The art is beautiful, but the game lags behind, trying to compensate by shoving story beats in your face.

    If you want pretty art and a bland game that might have you dying more than you expected, but not because it's difficult, go for it. I'd wait for a sale.    … Expand
  2. Thirty2
    Nov 18, 2016
    7
    It's too short, the sense of exploration you get early on is quickly canned, the side characters are very underdone, and the story is a bit weak in a lot of places (Advent especially).
    Nonetheless, it looks great, sounds great, plays great, has mostly good level design, and fantastic bosses. It's good, but not as great as it could have been with a bit more innovation and care.
  3. lhmtgame
    Mar 7, 2017
    5
    Owlboy has a gentle story (I mean boring)! But there is something make me disappointed.

    The graphics were made to be pixelated, but there is no Changing Resolution Option for big Monitor.

    Game-play is just normal and poor from start to end. It does not have much tool, skill or ability to mesh with.

    You know... I've just play the game once and do not want to replay it anymore.
  4. phildog
    Jul 14, 2017
    3
    I gave this game 3 out of ten for good reason. The game may be beautiful, but it's painful to play. Literally and figuratively. My hands hurt and the **** game-play is no fun at all. The characters blend to well into their backgrounds so much that it's often hard to see what is happening, and that just get's WORSE.

    When a game leaves you as angry after playing it as this did, its time    I gave this game 3 out of ten for good reason. The game may be beautiful, but it's painful to play. Literally and figuratively. My hands hurt and the **** game-play is no fun at all. The characters blend to well into their backgrounds so much that it's often hard to see what is happening, and that just get's WORSE.

    When a game leaves you as angry after playing it as this did, its time to toss it in the garbage and never play it again.    … Expand
  5. SebboBastian
    Dec 24, 2018
    5
    I really wanted to like this game. But as for many others the main sellingpoint was the gorgeous pixel art.
    The things that made me to not recommend this game was:
    * The gamedesign: Boring puzzles and leveldesign. * To much dialogue: Don´t get me wrong, I love when the charaters is giving some personality, but not when I have to pause time after time to wait for the characters to say    I really wanted to like this game. But as for many others the main sellingpoint was the gorgeous pixel art.
    The things that made me to not recommend this game was:

    * The gamedesign: Boring puzzles and leveldesign.
    * To much dialogue: Don´t get me wrong, I love when the charaters is giving some personality, but not when I have to pause time after time to wait for the characters to say something none important stuffs when I am right in a good flow.
    * To much effects on the screen. Lovely pixel effects and animations but to much, makes the combat to messy. Weapons that makes the whole screen red.
    * The hit system. When the player is hit he usully hits the ground and looses so much flow in the gameplay that its just gets annoying.    … Expand
  6. ManoLima
    Sep 12, 2018
    3
    The biggest misleading advertisement I've fallen into.
    Seriously ... so much propaganda, so many positive comments ... for a simple game, annoying, boring and short.
    Idiot characters, even for children, history too ... bah, there are many games that are much better than this, what a regret. BUT THE WORST OF EVERYTHING IS THAT IF YOU LOOK FOR ANALYSIS OF THE GAME, SAY IT'S GOOD ... IN    The biggest misleading advertisement I've fallen into.
    Seriously ... so much propaganda, so many positive comments ... for a simple game, annoying, boring and short.
    Idiot characters, even for children, history too ... bah, there are many games that are much better than this, what a regret.
    BUT THE WORST OF EVERYTHING IS THAT IF YOU LOOK FOR ANALYSIS OF THE GAME, SAY IT'S GOOD ... IN GOOD, IT'S NOT GOOD NO.    … Expand
  7. Guishu
    Apr 25, 2018
    4
    I wanted so much to like this game, I tried so hard. I am so sorry but sincerely I couldn't bring myself to even finish it. Beautiful graphics don't necessarily make a good game. I really can't say why I didn't like this game exactly, but it was a mix of everything. First of all: Characters, most of them are boring stereotypes which would be fine if you had something to drive my attentionI wanted so much to like this game, I tried so hard. I am so sorry but sincerely I couldn't bring myself to even finish it. Beautiful graphics don't necessarily make a good game. I really can't say why I didn't like this game exactly, but it was a mix of everything. First of all: Characters, most of them are boring stereotypes which would be fine if you had something to drive my attention towards so I wouldn't care about that too much. Then the game-play; it felt bland, boring, just not what I expected I guess. I don't know how to fix this game, and that is what bothers me the most. Please do not think that because I didn't enjoy it, you won't. But it is true that this could have been so much more. The potential was there, it just falls way too short to be actually good. Maybe just not my cup of tea.… Expand
  8. Tubey
    Nov 15, 2016
    5
    So much time and attention has been spent making this game visually gorgeous, with an impeccable pixel art design. Mechanically, it's OK too - solid controls on offer with varied and somewhat unique ideas.

    The problem is the game forgets to be the one thing any game NEEDS to be at its' core to be a success - and that is actually fun to play. Too many levels are the same thing - pick    So much time and attention has been spent making this game visually gorgeous, with an impeccable pixel art design. Mechanically, it's OK too - solid controls on offer with varied and somewhat unique ideas.

    The problem is the game forgets to be the one thing any game NEEDS to be at its' core to be a success - and that is actually fun to play.

    Too many levels are the same thing - pick up a friend, shoot a few things or whatever, and solve puzzles. The combat barely ever changes, and the puzzles all seem samey with each stage having one puzzle that sets it out, but you then do that like ten times in the space of fifteen minutes.

    Everything just feels far too confined - there's only one way to do anything in the whole game, and you do it over and over again. It reminds me strongly at the faults in Final Fantasy 13 - one massive, visually impressive corridor that you trundle along doing the same things time and time again.

    It's irritating too, as I really wanted to like this title. As it stands, it's one of those that's worth a punt if it ever drops down to around a fiver at most.    … Expand
  9. Fuz
    Nov 14, 2016
    8
    Game is, overall, pretty good.
    The graphic style is absolutely wonderful, ut's gorgeous and a feast for the eyes. One of the best pixel arts I've seen in those last years. The main character is adorable, the story and setting very interesting.
    Too bad it falls short on the gameplay part. First of all, the flying mechanic isn't really great on a metroidvania. Makes exploration too    Game is, overall, pretty good.
    The graphic style is absolutely wonderful, ut's gorgeous and a feast for the eyes. One of the best pixel arts I've seen in those last years. The main character is adorable, the story and setting very interesting.
    Too bad it falls short on the gameplay part.
    First of all, the flying mechanic isn't really great on a metroidvania. Makes exploration too simplicistic and it's not really fun overall. Should have been better with classic platform mechanics... but, well, he's an owlboy, after all.
    Keyboard controls are thight and responsive, and THANK GOD you can rebind every single key, a feature too often overlooked by bad games with terrible UIs, but there are too many actions bound to a single key. The right mouse click can: grab something, let you fall from flying, use/read... which means that you'll often fall by mistake or do the wrong action by mistake. It's really, really annoying. Why not allow us to bind those actions to different keys?
    Combat is meh. Shooting isn't very precise and the "spin" attack is horrible: no range, too much inertia. Basically unusable. Also, why the throw trajectory is different from the actual throw? It's dumb.
    The cutscenes. Oh god. Probably the worst flaw. They interrupt the gameplay CONSTANTLY and they often last too long without adding any meaningful information. Let me play, goddammit, stop interrupting me!
    Overall a pretty decent game who fall short on stupid, easily avoidable, issues.
    I really hope for a sequel to fix the problems.    … Expand
  10. zatta
    Nov 8, 2016
    5
    The game plays well and is mechanically consistent, and the graphics are superb. The main problem with this game is the action is stopped far too much to watch boring dialogue and in-game cut-scenes. The game holds your hand too much, and it is too linear. There's a lot of running to new locations killing some enemies on the way, then stopping to watch boring cut-scene, repeat over andThe game plays well and is mechanically consistent, and the graphics are superb. The main problem with this game is the action is stopped far too much to watch boring dialogue and in-game cut-scenes. The game holds your hand too much, and it is too linear. There's a lot of running to new locations killing some enemies on the way, then stopping to watch boring cut-scene, repeat over and over.. There are cool boss fights, but they're not exciting enough to merit all of the forced dialogue you have to slog through. The story is alright but the characters are not interesting. There's too much story and not enough actual game. The developer designed a game for people that like story-driven experiences with minimal effort to complete. Owlboy is exactly what I do not want my 2D games to play like, too easy and boring. If you grew up on Nes/Snes/Genesis games, and you like games like Super Metroid and Castlevania: SOTN, chances are you're gonna be bored. It looks pretty, and some people (casual gamers) are going to love it _because_ it's easy and hand-held, but I personally want to play games, not watch them.… Expand
  11. CriticoDubioso
    Nov 5, 2016
    6
    The individual elements of the game are well done, but ultimately the game just isn't very fun. There are maybe two spots that feel legitimately challenging, one stretch which is frustratingly annoying (due to fighting with the controls rather than demonstrating a mastery of them to overcome the challenge) and the rest which is ultimately just moving from point A to point B.

    One of the    The individual elements of the game are well done, but ultimately the game just isn't very fun. There are maybe two spots that feel legitimately challenging, one stretch which is frustratingly annoying (due to fighting with the controls rather than demonstrating a mastery of them to overcome the challenge) and the rest which is ultimately just moving from point A to point B.

    One of the things that interested me at the outset was the idea that you carry a companion with a weapon instead of using one yourself. The mechanic ends up underutilized and generally plays as if you just carried a weapon yourself. It might have been cool if companions had health and could fend for themselves or they couldn't just teleport to your location or you couldn't switch between them so easily. Anything to make the experience more than just swapping through an equipped weapon. But as it's implemented, the companions have little character and end up just feeling like weapons that talk and occasionally leave your inventory.

    The pixel art is well done. The music is very well made but occasionally feels off and sets the wrong feeling for the scene.

    Overall, not bad, but not great. Not worth the $25 sticker price in my opinion.    … Expand
  12. Brousitch
    Dec 31, 2016
    3
    Pixel art gem, but mechanically and dynamically so un-intuitive, cumbersome and clumsy, it just cannot work for me ever. I will always put gameplay first and unfortunately among those amazing animations, parallaxes and vistas, there wasn't much of that fun and enjoyable gameplay to be found.
  13. 10001110101
    Dec 7, 2016
    5
    Highly overrated. I signed up for a metacritic account just to review overhyped game. Everybody seems to rave about it, but as someone who's played video games for 30 years, aside from pretty pixel art graphics,I find that the game has twitchy, annoying controls, a big, empty world to explore, overly easy and boring puzzles, a lackluster upgrade system, unengaging characters, and horriblyHighly overrated. I signed up for a metacritic account just to review overhyped game. Everybody seems to rave about it, but as someone who's played video games for 30 years, aside from pretty pixel art graphics,I find that the game has twitchy, annoying controls, a big, empty world to explore, overly easy and boring puzzles, a lackluster upgrade system, unengaging characters, and horribly inconsistent difficulty that ranges from a walk in the park to frustrating as hell. After breezing through the first 80% of the game, I found the last couple areas of the game suddenly no longer give any health powerups, and there are a few sections that are downright irritating. There's no sense of wonder in exploring the game's world like you'd find in any Metroid/Castlevania style game. Oooh, I can collect coins. Wheee. The only reason I'm giving this game even a 5 is because the graphics and especially music are superb. If you like exploration games, this isn't for you. If you like even challenge, stay clear of this game. If you like tight, precise controls, forget it. I was highly disappointed with this title.… Expand
  14. everin
    Feb 6, 2017
    6
    TIER 3

    + Simply and obviously beautiful, with a unique world and style.
    ? Simple mechanics that are serviceable but don't feel particularly well-executed or fun.
    - Severe lack of compelling gameplay, short, and with a lot of tedious elements.
    - Massive focus on collectibles, but doesn't make back-tracking easy a lot of the time.
  15. testuser-1
    Dec 7, 2016
    7
    "testuser-1"
    has been spent making this game visually gorgeous, with an impeccable pixel art design. Mechanically, it's OK too - solid controls on offer with varied and somewhat unique ideas.
    The problem is the game forgets to be the one thing any game NEEDS to be at its' core to be a success - and that is actually fun to play. Too many levels are the same thing - pick up a friend,    "testuser-1"
    has been spent making this game visually gorgeous, with an impeccable pixel art design. Mechanically, it's OK too - solid controls on offer with varied and somewhat unique ideas.

    The problem is the game forgets to be the one thing any game NEEDS to be at its' core to be a success - and that is actually fun to play.

    Too many levels are the same thing - pick up a friend, shoot a few things or whatever, and solve puzzles. The combat barely ever changes, and the puzzles all seem samey with each stage having one puzzle that sets it out, but you then do that like ten times in the space of fifteen minutes.

    Everything just feels far too confined - there's only one way to do anything in the whole game, and you do it over and over again. It reminds me strongly at the faults in Final Fantasy 13 - one massive, visually impressive corridor that you trundle along doing the same things time and time again.    … Expand
  16. TheBlondeBass
    Nov 4, 2016
    4
    Unfortunately, Owlboy didn't deliver as much as I hoped it would based on the hype. I have completed the game, including collecting the three owl medallions. My verdict? The graphics are definitely top class, but otherwise the game has many issues.

    For starters, let's talk about stability. The game crashed twice, and soft-locked once... For a game that lasts around 10 hours to complete    Unfortunately, Owlboy didn't deliver as much as I hoped it would based on the hype. I have completed the game, including collecting the three owl medallions. My verdict? The graphics are definitely top class, but otherwise the game has many issues.

    For starters, let's talk about stability. The game crashed twice, and soft-locked once... For a game that lasts around 10 hours to complete all the way through, that's not very good. The steam achievements are also buggy, locking me out of tasks that I clearly completed.

    Now, the controls. While I can't comment on the game when played with a controller, I can say that the mouse and keyboard controls are awkward to get used to. The game definitely isn't difficult outside of a monkey boss and the boss right before the final battle, but despite being generally not difficult the game was still frustrating when the controls didn't behave the way I expected them to. The right mouse button in particular is used for too many moves. You use it to stop flying, to grab onto things (And for some reason these things have different priorities, you don't just grab to the nearest thing), to aim something, to throw something, to go through doors... When you're in one of the two challenging battles I mention and you want the game to respond as well as you want, that's a bit unfortunate. Other perplexing control choices are using the same left click button for a shotgun blast (that takes 5 seconds or so to recharge) and a harmless flame with one character. Meaning, if you have to burn something you end up wasting that character's attack. That shotgun blast is also used for padding when putting multiple ice walls in a row, for example, that can be only destroyed with the shotgun blast. You must wait multiple times for a recharge despite there being no danger in sight. In general, the game attempts to "correct" the player's input way too much, which can be frustrating. For example, I wanted to make a sweet zip-line from one end of the room to the other in a stealth section, but it was impossible to make the line I wanted without the cursor locking into place into a vent... Removing said vents alerts the enemies, so this was frustrating to deal with.

    Other game design oddities:
    - An underground section where 97% of your screen is pitch black, making traversal pointlessly annoying until you find light berries, torches or a flaming lamp dude.
    - A poorly designed section where a ship shoots at you, and you need to hide behind rocks to avoid being one hit killed. These rocks are destroyed in a single shot too. Unfortunately, the ship's laser aim and shots go through geometry that aren't on the screen, which could have been prevented with tighter level design. As it is now, the laser could be pointing at a rock right in front of you, but as you get closer to the rock the laser aim shifts to the rock in front of it that just barely appears on the screen... Destroying your next cover that just materialized.
    - The throwing arc shown on the screen being completely different than the actual throwing arc.
    - Regular enemies posing more of a threat than most bosses, to the point where two bosses in a row are 21 copies of a regular enemy followed by a larger version of a regular enemy.

    The story was fine, if not a bit simple. It's similar to a CliffsNotes' version of Golden Sun. The game starts off with the player being forced to act stupidly, and then the game repeats a structure of:
    a) Attempt to do something
    b) Do that thing
    c) That thing didn't matter
    From start to finish. It's one of those games where the end result would have been the same if the player character just slept through the entire thing... Which isn't necessarily inherently bad, but it didn't feel like a strong narrative to compensate for the gameplay shortcomings.    … Expand
  17. MrStu
    Nov 4, 2016
    4
    I really wanted to like this game. I remember loving The Legend of Zelda and Metroid and I hoped it would be a similar experience, but it’s not. In my opinion, Owlboy barely qualifies as a game. It feels more like an interactive story that leads you around by the nose through various set pieces. I’m about half-way through and there's been no more than one or two fun scenes. It’s tooI really wanted to like this game. I remember loving The Legend of Zelda and Metroid and I hoped it would be a similar experience, but it’s not. In my opinion, Owlboy barely qualifies as a game. It feels more like an interactive story that leads you around by the nose through various set pieces. I’m about half-way through and there's been no more than one or two fun scenes. It’s too easy –as an example, it’s almost impossible to take a wrong turn. When you’re finished with an area the game often literally closes a door behind you as if to say there's nothing you missed, just keep moving – way to kill the mystery. The puzzles are simple and the clues to solving them are telegraphed. The retro Art and Music are great but the gameplay is boring.… Expand
  18. r3tr0
    Nov 19, 2016
    7
    Owl Boy is great looking (if you appreciate pixel art), you can see a lot of effort went into this side of the game.

    The story is fine with an minimalist style and some good characters. As a platform game Owl Boy requires very little skill or brain power to sus out the few puzzles or traverse the levels. Owl Boy is great if you don#t want to think too much about what you are doing.    Owl Boy is great looking (if you appreciate pixel art), you can see a lot of effort went into this side of the game.

    The story is fine with an minimalist style and some good characters.

    As a platform game Owl Boy requires very little skill or brain power to sus out the few puzzles or traverse the levels. Owl Boy is great if you don#t want to think too much about what you are doing.

    Great looking, good story, not hard enough for my liking.

    I prefer both Unepic and Ori but worth a look.    … Expand
  19. Sjalka
    Nov 2, 2016
    8
    The visuals are great. UI and controls are crisp - and so far ( a few hours into the game without haste ) .. gameplay is very fair. ( with good pacing of challenging sections and relaxing sections every now and then )This is what hand-drawn graphics should look like... vibrant and colourful, detailed and well animated.

    The story is lovely and fits the design style perfectly. The player    The visuals are great. UI and controls are crisp - and so far ( a few hours into the game without haste ) .. gameplay is very fair. ( with good pacing of challenging sections and relaxing sections every now and then )This is what hand-drawn graphics should look like... vibrant and colourful, detailed and well animated.

    The story is lovely and fits the design style perfectly. The player character is charming and one might instantly want him to succeed. The game also features good music (..mind you, i am one of those players that usually turns off in-game music by default... with rare exceptions like Transistor or Bioshock)

    The game mechanics are rather easy to learn but can still be challenging when being forced to use those mechanics in a frantic move or in rapid combos.

    The only "problem" i experienced was subtle (and rarely not so subtle) pop-ins ... as well as sometimes strange collision detection.

    All in all i can fully recommend that game for people that like a casual adventure with light puzzles and a little bit of action.    … Expand
  20. Kvr
    Nov 2, 2016
    9
    This captures the spirit of Zelda. Everything in this game breaths adventure. Graphics are so stylish and everything seems so alive. And then the music, so epic. Don't waste your time, this is why I still play games.
  21. Amano_Ginji
    Nov 4, 2016
    10
    Awesome game. Awesome music, game-play, plot. Real adventure. This game will not give you time think about anything else. The amount of love put in this game will amaze you.
  22. SOLIDSNAKEN64
    Mar 3, 2017
    7
    A gorgeous nod to the 16 bit era of games. Fun Platformer that made me smile. the 8bit track is amazing and adds to the gameplay. Story was interesting enough to keep my attention. Could of used more variety in level design and enemies. I played this on PC and finished within 8-9 hours. You should definitely pick this up if you grew up in the 90s and need a hit of nostalgia or if youA gorgeous nod to the 16 bit era of games. Fun Platformer that made me smile. the 8bit track is amazing and adds to the gameplay. Story was interesting enough to keep my attention. Could of used more variety in level design and enemies. I played this on PC and finished within 8-9 hours. You should definitely pick this up if you grew up in the 90s and need a hit of nostalgia or if you just enjoy great gaming.… Expand
  23. hugopro4
    Dec 15, 2017
    7
    The art is beautiful, but you may find it boring if you're used to playing action loaded games. The gameplay is a bit lacking, it's not hard, not interesting, neither is it new. it feels like it's just there to have something to do while looking at the beautiful graphics and enjoying the music.
  24. Habbsinator
    Nov 2, 2016
    10
    I LOVE Owlboy!! I'm only a few hours into this gorgeous adventure, but Otus stole my heart with the first flap of his capewings. The pickup/throw/teleport mechanic is incredibly clever, and gives it a hint of puzzler feel on top of the incredible story telling. The dialogue is witty yet doesnt try to be something it isnt. The controls are intuitive and a breeze to grasp, yet it doesntI LOVE Owlboy!! I'm only a few hours into this gorgeous adventure, but Otus stole my heart with the first flap of his capewings. The pickup/throw/teleport mechanic is incredibly clever, and gives it a hint of puzzler feel on top of the incredible story telling. The dialogue is witty yet doesnt try to be something it isnt. The controls are intuitive and a breeze to grasp, yet it doesnt feel like I've already mastered everything it can throw at me. If you have any sort of light in your soul, and love a good soundtrack behind an amazing adventure, you cant pick up Owlboy fast enough!!… Expand
  25. szarkam
    Nov 4, 2016
    10
    You know that feeling of disappointment you get when something you've been waiting for, for a very long time is finally released and it's bad? It might not even be objectively bad, but it gets crushed under the weight of its own hype, and is ultimately a disappointment. Owlboy does not suffer that fate; this game is absolutely unreal.

    Only a few hours in and I am so invested in Otus    You know that feeling of disappointment you get when something you've been waiting for, for a very long time is finally released and it's bad? It might not even be objectively bad, but it gets crushed under the weight of its own hype, and is ultimately a disappointment. Owlboy does not suffer that fate; this game is absolutely unreal.

    Only a few hours in and I am so invested in Otus and his friends, and where their story is going that the game is taunting me when I have to go to work. I don't want to spoil anything for anyone, so I'll keep it very simple in my praise. The flying mechanic feels perfect, the platforming is fun and occasionally challenging, the story is beautifully well written, and this game is just flat out fun.

    Don't complain about price (a minimum of 10 hours of fun for $25 is pretty damn good) just buy it and enjoy.    … Expand
  26. stop9091
    Nov 16, 2016
    0
    Imagine:

    - a Metroidvania with a straight, linear, structure - a platform without challenging screens - an adventure without puzzles - a walking simulator without a compelling story put those all together, and there you go, you have Owlboy. for the first 4/5 minutes of the game, the only thing you do is: - click space for 50/60 times - walk around one screen on the right    Imagine:

    - a Metroidvania with a straight, linear, structure
    - a platform without challenging screens
    - an adventure without puzzles
    - a walking simulator without a compelling story

    put those all together, and there you go, you have Owlboy.

    for the first 4/5 minutes of the game, the only thing you do is:

    - click space for 50/60 times
    - walk around one screen on the right

    while listening to a cliched and depressing story about the main character being a complete disaster.

    This game will probably appeal the same audience who likes typical Disney stories of loser-turns-hero, and/or maybe those ones who feel warm and fuzzy when they see pixelated graphics; the problem is that there are much much better games for every single genre you can frame this game to be.

    Owlboy fails to be anything, because it doesn't try to be be anything.

    It's definitely one of the most overrated games I've ever played.    … Expand
  27. Derf3L
    Nov 12, 2016
    7
    Owlboy is a nice little game. It has a good story, focused on friendship and simple genuine values. It will make you smile and sometimes get a little emotional.
    The music is very good, almost one of the best sides of the game.
    The game itself is rather simple, gameplay wise there isn't really much to praise, it doesn't have any personalization/rpg elements that, in my opinion, would have    Owlboy is a nice little game. It has a good story, focused on friendship and simple genuine values. It will make you smile and sometimes get a little emotional.
    The music is very good, almost one of the best sides of the game.
    The game itself is rather simple, gameplay wise there isn't really much to praise, it doesn't have any personalization/rpg elements that, in my opinion, would have greatly improved the game.
    The graphics are for nostalgic pixel lovers. Honestly I think they are terrible, there is nothing attractive there and are purposely forced to look like a game from 30 years ago. There are better indie (and non indie) platform games that managed to create awesome graphics (Inside, Limbo, Ori and the B.F., Child of Light, etc.) on a 2D gameplay.
    For me not really worth the price.    … Expand
  28. JLK88
    Nov 6, 2016
    9
    Very well made story driven adventure game. Whether the game is at full price or on sale snatch it up and give it a run. Recommended to those that could use an old school type game in a modernized package.
  29. shaoran2
    Nov 3, 2016
    9
    Owlboy is unforgettable, a mix of zelda and metroidvania .
    one of the best games of 2016 Very balanced gameplay very convenient controls and some endearing characters.
  30. Underpants158
    Nov 18, 2016
    9
    PROS:
    -Great characters and story
    -Nice art style and charming tone. -Great boss fights. Seriously, some of the most fun boss fights I have had in a long time. OKS!: -Your 3 "weapons" that are acually people you carry aren't as interesting or game changing ast hey could have been. You have a pistol, a shotgun, and a guy who can sling you across obstacles. The sling guy is utilized    PROS:
    -Great characters and story
    -Nice art style and charming tone.
    -Great boss fights. Seriously, some of the most fun boss fights I have had in a long time.

    OKS!:
    -Your 3 "weapons" that are acually people you carry aren't as interesting or game changing ast hey could have been. You have a pistol, a shotgun, and a guy who can sling you across obstacles. The sling guy is utilized well in boss fights but in the levels not so much.
    -A few times I questioned the design choices for instance in one scene you are riding something (not gonna give it away) and you control the vehicle only using up and down but the camera angle keeps changing and the controls don't so you are constantly having to readjust mentally. It was a small part but eh, I didn't care for it.
    -7 hours long. I like that personally but just something I figure people should know

    CONS!:
    -None really.

    Conclusion: Boss fights and the charm of the characters and story really drive it home for me and make the game great even if I have criticisms.    … Expand
  31. KyleS
    Jan 6, 2017
    10
    Wonderful game with a beautiful nostalgic look. If you enjoy games like Fez and Shovel Knight you'll love this game! I wish there were a map, that's my only gripe about this game. Besides that, it's a great game. Very relaxing and enjoyable.
  32. Steeldude
    Apr 27, 2017
    8
    A nice platformer with fun flying mechanics. The graphics looks nice and the sound is also good. But I had the feeling that the story could have been deeper and more characters could have been further developed throughout the game. Other than that, I recommend this title.
  33. AzurealZX
    Jan 6, 2017
    10
    Unforgettable adventure and will definetely remain a cult classic.
    Graphically, it's the best looking hi-bit game to date. It's gorgeous and it's soundtrack really fits it's visuals both in in terms of setting an atmosphere for the gorgeous world and in quality.
    Gameplay : Flying is extremely fun, level design fits the gameplay and is not cheap at all. For a metroidvania, there    Unforgettable adventure and will definetely remain a cult classic.
    Graphically, it's the best looking hi-bit game to date. It's gorgeous and it's soundtrack really fits it's visuals both in in terms of setting an atmosphere for the gorgeous world and in quality.

    Gameplay :
    Flying is extremely fun, level design fits the gameplay and is not cheap at all.
    For a metroidvania, there really isn't that much exploration but it's nonetheless fun to explore.
    It's the really open ended levels that stand out. There are usually lots of ways to tackle a screen, at certain places your path is blocked by enemies and at others by dangerous stage hazards like thorns. You decide how you will overcome the screen.
    The friend mechanic is really good and fun to use. Quickly shifting between friends and dashing across the screen because your character's pretty fast can be really fun.    … Expand
  34. takethembowling
    Dec 26, 2016
    9
    Beautifully drawn pixel art style and great soundtrack. A likable cast of characters give the story surprising emotional depth. Gameplay is solid though a bit short. The game feels hand crafted, lots of work and attention to detail went into it.
  35. Neper
    Nov 15, 2016
    9
    I had so much fun with this game. The platforming action has the perfect pace for my taste, and I really dig the flying twist, and the art style is just lovely.
  36. Nathurior
    Jan 9, 2017
    9
    10/10 ign lolololololololololololololololololollolololololololololollol ol ol o lo lo l ol o lo lo lo l ol ol o lo lo l ol o lo l ol o l lo lo ll o lo l o
  37. TikiTy
    May 30, 2017
    10
    Owlboy is a masterpiece. I started thinking this around 3-4 hours in. The pacing is fantastic, the environments are varied and never get stale. The story is deep enough and dialogue isn't drawn out so the action is never bogged down. There is also quite a bit of humor with the little penguin henchmen who work for the shopkeep. Had me laughing more than most games.
    Combat for the    Owlboy is a masterpiece. I started thinking this around 3-4 hours in. The pacing is fantastic, the environments are varied and never get stale. The story is deep enough and dialogue isn't drawn out so the action is never bogged down. There is also quite a bit of humor with the little penguin henchmen who work for the shopkeep. Had me laughing more than most games.
    Combat for the first few hours of the game wasn't very difficult though it was still very enjoyable and from then on it ramps up in difficulty. The gradual difficulty curve I found to be very smooth so no fight ever really felt out of place. There are zones where you can't just rush through or you will be punished for sure (enemies chase you outside of their screen).
    My only gripe is the "twist" in the very end is a bit silly and left me thinking a majority of this conflict could have been resolved much earlier if the characters would have communicated better.
    Great game, I played through it in one day which is very uncommon for me. The last game I spent a whole Sunday playing was Breath of the Wild and before that... who knows.    … Expand
  38. bancandrei
    Jan 24, 2021
    5
    Absolutely beautiful graphics, but the gameplay just didn't do it for me, got bored pretty quickly. Would be absolutely forgettable if not for the art direction.
  39. jokerdeus
    Dec 29, 2017
    10
    I can't believe how beautiful this game is !!!
    On top of that, the adventure is just so sweet to do. It's never boring, always things are happening and the story goes on. Characters are really well designed and there are tons of beautiful and expressive animations.
    I absolutely love the atmosphere and the story is also good and original. To me this is definitely the best adventure    I can't believe how beautiful this game is !!!
    On top of that, the adventure is just so sweet to do. It's never boring, always things are happening and the story goes on. Characters are really well designed and there are tons of beautiful and expressive animations.
    I absolutely love the atmosphere and the story is also good and original. To me this is definitely the best adventure platformer of 2016.    … Expand
  40. robomartion
    Jul 28, 2022
    9
    Owlboy captures what gaming is all about - being immersed in another world. It harkens back to the golden days of getting cosy and playing Zelda.
  41. SuperkenGaming
    Jun 4, 2018
    8
    Owlboy
    ridiculous heart
    Youre a young mute owl that everybody underestimates reguarded as unworthy and a disappointment by your villiage but you set out to prove yourself with your best friend geddy and take down the pirates that are out here tryna collect some relics and use their power for evil Owlboy is a very unique 12 hour long platformer like game wit ha ridiculous amount of    Owlboy
    ridiculous heart
    Youre a young mute owl that everybody underestimates
    reguarded as unworthy and a disappointment by your villiage
    but you set out to prove yourself with your best friend geddy and take down the pirates that are out here tryna collect some relics and use their power for evil
    Owlboy is a very unique 12 hour long platformer like game wit ha ridiculous amount of heart put into it.
    There is so much charm and care put into the pixilated annimations, in the characters you meet throughout your journey both in their personality and their diolog…
    this is basically a platformer where youll be flying and shooting instead of jumping..
    at first you have your best friend geddy with you..
    you can carry him and use him to help you shoot through obstacles and shoot enemies in your way as you make it through this games different levels, doing small puzzles and throwing switches, collecting as many coins as you can to spend on upgrades..
    and as the game goes on youll unlock more characters to handle other obstacles, and you can switch through these characters freely,
    The level design here starts out really charming but for me I liked the game less and less as it went on..
    levels stopped feeling like a treat to get through and more like a chore…
    they just drag on forever..
    all of them containing multiple boss fights which are the most frustrating but most satisfying aspect of this game..
    regular enemies are challenging enough.. though there are fruits you can grab to refill your health.. in boss fights theres no fruit grabbing, you gotta beat them with the health that you have at that point… all of them taking multiple tries for me to defeat… some of them making me want to stop the game.. but at the same time fair enough to make me feel like im losing because of me.. its my fault,, I can get back in there and beat this boss and once I did it was a great feeling of relief getting to continue through the level or go onto the next…
    The charm of the characters and the challenge of the boss fights waiting for me is what really pulled me through this game as after about the 2nd level things started to feel like your pretty standard platforming levels… I felt the heart draining the deeper the game got and I feel it over stays its welcome a bit…
    my biggest issue with this game though is its current stability problems…
    the game crashed on me more than 5 times.. theres one spot towards the end where if you die in that spot the game crashes every time without fail, but the most heartbreaking crash was after a hard boss fight that I was on like try number 12, I finnaly beat the boss trophy pops and crash, I have to do it all over again..
    having beat them before beating them again was nothing.. but it was still annoying..
    Owlboy is worth pushing through its crashes and late game level design just for the heart put into its story characters and world…
    it’s a shame I stopped having fun playing the game.. but I never stopped enjoying it…
    I give Owlboy an 8/10    … Expand
  42. Melgacius
    Jun 18, 2018
    9
    Owlboy was released recently for XBox and PS4, which made me go search in my game library to see if I already own it. I found it and spent 10 hours delighted with the game. Simply gorgeous.

    I think the introduction says it all, but I suspect you're expecting to listen a few more lines. Owlboy has been in development for almost 10 years and went almost unnoticed when it was released on    Owlboy was released recently for XBox and PS4, which made me go search in my game library to see if I already own it. I found it and spent 10 hours delighted with the game. Simply gorgeous.

    I think the introduction says it all, but I suspect you're expecting to listen a few more lines. Owlboy has been in development for almost 10 years and went almost unnoticed when it was released on PC. It is a puzzle platformer in which we solve some relatively easy puzzles to advance. Otus, our main character, sees his land attacked by pirates and creates a group of friends, consisting of characters once devalued by their peers, to try to save their world. It has to be said that it is a very well written story, with well characterized characters, each one with its own history, more or less detailed to the point that we sincerely care about all of them. Even some of the side characters or villains are extremely well represented. It's a linear story, with a small twist at the end, but very well set and explained. My only problem with the story, and not wanting to spoil it, is the final battle. In addition some of the dialogues become rather extense, although I believe that little or nothing could be excluded from the final product.
    Graphically the game was a surprise. I expected a Shovel Knight-like artstyle but the way they used the pixelart in this game, combining it with high-resolution graphics, immense details on the movements and expressions. The construction of worlds and scenarios goes far beyond the games that try emulate retro games. For example Otus does not speak but the facial and body expressions details are more than enough to perceive all their emotions and we can even imagine a whole dialogue just with them. Recently I spoke about the attention given to detail in Sea of Thieves and Owlboy is another great example of how to build a world and how to use art to do something well made.
    The game soundtrack does not disappoint and remarkably follows the tone of each. When we are quietly exploring the world the music is calm and relaxing, and when we are in a fighting section or when we need to do fast movements the music becomes more intense and dynamic. I liked the sound effects for each one of the movements and actions of the characters and even the sounds for the dialog boxes, and although nothing is extraordinary, undoubtedly a competent job was made.

    How do you play this? I tried to play it as a twin stick shooter, but at one point I got tired of it because it's so much easier to simply use keyboard and mouse. There was nothing fundamentally wrong with the configuration of the controller, but when the game reached a difficulty spike, I did not have enough skill to overcome a boss or a more demanding section, so I choose for the easier solution... change the controller.

    In this game we control Otus which as a standalone character does very little. He flies, twirls, and spins. The secret and charm of the game is that he can pick up any of his three friends and take advantage of their different abilities to progress through levels or areas that we would not have access to without them.

    Although the amount of enemies is not great, combat rarely seems repetitive because the way they appear, leads us to use different techniques to overcome them in each of those moments.
    The puzzles are relatively simple and often obvious, which means that you have the feeling that boss battles have a remarkable difficulty spike and required me numerous attempts to outcome most of them. The fact that the controls were somewhat confusing, which made me do multiple mistakes also did not help. In sections where we have time to think there was no big problem other than the frequent annoyance of picking up the friend rather than picking up an item or picking the wrong character, but during quick sequences a mistake ruins everything and in those times it becomes frequent.
    There are lots of collectibles and hidden areas that reward both exploration and the repetition of some of the areas when we gain access to new characters. Defeating enemies in a certain way also gives you access to new items.

    In a nutshell the game is this. A lovely world with characters with whom we can easily create a relationship. Graphically it managed to impress me by the way they included so many detail in the pixel art. A very engaging story. A game and also an experience that I highly recommend. Now available on all platforms, if you have the opportunity to play it do not discard this game.    … Expand
  43. SrFabricius
    Sep 13, 2017
    9
    Such a wonderful time playing this game. Like a lot of reviewers are saying, its a nostalgia trip. The controls are so delightful, the story so warm hearted. My only problem with it is kinda of short, but probably not a bad thing, it gives me the sensation of "i want it more".
  44. aditya1101
    Oct 5, 2017
    9
    I really loved this game. The graphics are great, the OST is one of the best I've heard in a while, and the characters are excellent. My only criticism is that I never truly felt like I was able to master the controls - it never felt 100% intuitive in the way that a game like hollow knight or transistor does.
  45. savvym
    May 10, 2020
    8
    Owlboy is a story adventure taking place in cloudy world with cave systems.

    Story 4.5/5 From the small owl we have a teacher who has despised us, soon enough the first problems appear and we'll coop with one of our friends. There are some surprising parts of story, turns and we'll get engaged with well done characters. It's not only serious and there are some funny moments. Lastly very    Owlboy is a story adventure taking place in cloudy world with cave systems.

    Story 4.5/5
    From the small owl we have a teacher who has despised us, soon enough the first problems appear and we'll coop with one of our friends. There are some surprising parts of story, turns and we'll get engaged with well done characters. It's not only serious and there are some funny moments. Lastly very interesting history of owls and enemies.

    Gameplay 4.5/5
    It has pretty big world, however there's no map in game. We'll be using 3 different companions and encounter challenging bosses who act in patterns. We'll have 4 different weapons or tools to beat various opponents and bosses, at some point we'll need each of them at once. There's a bonus level for finding lost creatures.

    Replay value 3/5
    This bonus mini game is quite challenging. We'll be collecting coins for special items and content which we can do after finishing main game. As mentioned, enemies are predictable once we figure out their patterns but they pose challenge at first encounter.

    Graphics 3.5/5
    Characters and environments are lively. There are traps and dangerous objects.

    How many hours?
    10-19.

    Hardware requirements?
    Low gaming.

    How difficult?
    Hard.

    Games similar to Owlboy?
    Gameplay: Yoku’s Island Express
    Graphically: Keep Me Burning

    Verdict
    8/10

    Interesting story-driven adventure. It has really cool characters and dialogues, though not voiced. Going through various cages and overcoming challenges is fun.

    Boss fights are hard at first, but every enemy is moving in same patterns. We are using our friends for solving certain puzzles or getting rid of different enemy types and obstacles. It is very well done.    … Expand
  46. RealNova
    Aug 18, 2020
    7
    The plot is nice as it is the gameplay but never revolutionary or noteworthy, it's a short story full with puzzle and platforming, which are never challeging but always rewarding, the bosses are not the best part of the game but at least they are not annoying. It is a 7/10 surely not more than that.
  47. NightGeisha
    Jan 2, 2019
    8
    Owlboy is a fantastic platform adventure game.
    The game is really unusual experience. An awesome platform game which leads us into a vast and rich world. It's a "breath of fresh air" in the genre and it has a very peculiar art style.
    The history is nice and the soundtrack is also pretty good. But what I like most was the awesome "retro" pixel graphic looks. Overall it's a "must have"    Owlboy is a fantastic platform adventure game.
    The game is really unusual experience. An awesome platform game which leads us into a vast and rich world. It's a "breath of fresh air" in the genre and it has a very peculiar art style.

    The history is nice and the soundtrack is also pretty good. But what I like most was the awesome "retro" pixel graphic looks. Overall it's a "must have" to any fan of the platform games genre.    … Expand
  48. SilverOrlov
    Feb 5, 2019
    10
    I would like to express my gratitude to this game studio for the OwlBoy. This game was the first in which I played, acquiring a gamepad for my PC. For me, it was a great revelation that a simple graphics platform could turn out to be a beautiful atmospheric world with a deep and interesting plot. OwlBoy gave the first impression of this genre of games. I would like to tell for people thatI would like to express my gratitude to this game studio for the OwlBoy. This game was the first in which I played, acquiring a gamepad for my PC. For me, it was a great revelation that a simple graphics platform could turn out to be a beautiful atmospheric world with a deep and interesting plot. OwlBoy gave the first impression of this genre of games. I would like to tell for people that made this game "Thank you very much for this generous gift to me as a player".… Expand
  49. hoanns
    Jun 5, 2020
    4
    Too many dumb bossfights, lost my interest after that . aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
  50. masterclock
    May 11, 2021
    8
    great start bad ending
    game starts with a really cool story and great art i was hyped to see the ending but the game makes 2 fatal mistakes 1.ending is somewhat not good since i was expecting a better and more complex story it get predictable in the end.2.the gameplay gets boring late game it was ok in the begging but it the late game it is really boring(not bad boring)puzzles are easy    great start bad ending
    game starts with a really cool story and great art i was hyped to see the ending but the game makes 2 fatal mistakes 1.ending is somewhat not good since i was expecting a better and more complex story it get predictable in the end.2.the gameplay gets boring late game it was ok in the begging but it the late game it is really boring(not bad boring)puzzles are easy the only good thing about it was boss fights those were fun

    overall what makes this game good is it's art it ROCKS and the main reason i gave it 8 not 7    … Expand
  51. Chompeldino
    Apr 9, 2021
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Me gusta mucho, la historia la jugabilidad es muy buena, volar es muy satisfactorio, les recomiendo mucho el juego, la historia, jugabilidad y personajes hacen al juego único… Expand
  52. turgaysenturk
    Jul 13, 2023
    7
    Though it's been a while, I can't recall all the specifics, but I do remember having a great time playing this game. It had a nostalgic charm that reminded me of classic titles, even though I can't quite pinpoint which ones. The storyline was easy to follow yet intriguing, and the gameplay was satisfactory. The challenging boss fights provided a thrilling experience, and overall, I had aThough it's been a while, I can't recall all the specifics, but I do remember having a great time playing this game. It had a nostalgic charm that reminded me of classic titles, even though I can't quite pinpoint which ones. The storyline was easy to follow yet intriguing, and the gameplay was satisfactory. The challenging boss fights provided a thrilling experience, and overall, I had a lot of fun with this game. I would definitely recommend it!… Expand
  53. ErdemCBC
    Apr 25, 2023
    8
    Gayet iyi oyun kısa ve eğlenceli, hikayesi güzel , açık dünya oyunlardan kusmaya başladığım 2023 senesinde bana ilaç gibi geldi

Awards & Rankings

13
#13 Best PC Game of 2016
66
#66 Most Discussed PC Game of 2016
57
#57 Most Shared PC Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
88

Generally favorable reviews - based on 47 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 44 out of 47
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 47
  3. Negative: 0 out of 47
  1. Riot Pixels
    Feb 22, 2017
    71
    All in all, it's a decent platformer worthy of your 10-20 hours of free time. But, as far as metroidvanias go, there is so much stuff to improve in the potential sequel, for example, a map, a teleport system, a bag of collectable items and lots of well-hidden secrets.
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  2. BaziCenter
    Feb 10, 2017
    80
    In development for nearly a decade, Owlboy has somehow managed to get every single thing right. From amazing storytelling to great characters, detailed pixel-art visuals to fluent gameplay, everything in this game is just the way it should be. Easily one of the best 2D platformers ever.
    Read full review
  3. games(TM)
    Jan 27, 2017
    90
    Owlboy’s deceivingly simplistic delivery belies an enviable narrative, tourniquet-tight gameplay, and a cast you’ll fall in love with. Don’t miss it.
    Read full review
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