Much like To The Moon, it’s very narrative based with even less interaction as a whole. Despite the similarities both in the narrative and how it plays, it’s the method of storytelling that is different. A Bird Story has ZERO dialogue. Everything plays out almost like a silent movie with certain instructions being given using arrows and prompts from the controls. When the game needs to direct you to a certain item, a speech bubble with a picture of what is needed or where you need to go will pop up. I can see many people disliking this approach, but the story still comes across very well.
A Bird Story won’t keep you busy for long. Clocking in at under an hour and a half, it’s a quick experience of emotion. It balances many of those emotions quite well though. The moments of whimsy don’t outweigh the humor and charm and there’s a touch of sadness in there as well. Being able to convey all of these without the use of voice or text, especially in a video game, is an achievement that the team at Freebird Games should be applauded for.
The actual plot is relatively simple and benign. A Bird Story is about a boy who seemingly has no friends. He is unhappy and lonely until he befriends an injured bird. The game is simply their friendship together while coming to terms with inevitable decisions he has to make. It isn’t groundbreaking in any fashion, but it is a sweet story that has me wondering how this feeds into Finding Paradise as the ending teases you for that game.
If you want a game to make you feel something emotionally, A Bird Story will do just that. There isn’t much to it as a whole, but its “show, don’t tell” approach works remarkably well and has me eager to see what the follow-up has in store for the main character.
A Bird Story won’t keep you busy for long. Clocking in at under an hour and a half, it’s a quick experience of emotion. It balances many of those emotions quite well though. The moments of whimsy don’t outweigh the humor and charm and there’s a touch of sadness in there as well. Being able to convey all of these without the use of voice or text, especially in a video game, is an achievement that the team at Freebird Games should be applauded for.
The actual plot is relatively simple and benign. A Bird Story is about a boy who seemingly has no friends. He is unhappy and lonely until he befriends an injured bird. The game is simply their friendship together while coming to terms with inevitable decisions he has to make. It isn’t groundbreaking in any fashion, but it is a sweet story that has me wondering how this feeds into Finding Paradise as the ending teases you for that game.
If you want a game to make you feel something emotionally, A Bird Story will do just that. There isn’t much to it as a whole, but its “show, don’t tell” approach works remarkably well and has me eager to see what the follow-up has in store for the main character.