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Indie game publisherAnnapurna Interactivehas such prestige within the industry with critically-acclaimed games likeStrayandNeon White, so when I heard aboutFlock, I was excited to try it. Unfortunately, this game flew the coop with repetitive game design and confusing quests, leaving you flying around like a headless chicken.
An Attempt at Being Relaxing
Flockgives an amazing first impression. The art style is vibrant and the way the lighting changes from day to night is spectacular. At times, I simply stopped on my pursuit to find all kinds of wildlife just to stare at the beauty of the game. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of substance behind its wonderful graphics. The main goal is to find all the animals in the area, and when you find the rarest creatures of each land, the fog around the area disappears.
The main game loop is discovering the animals, getting your pet sheep to eat grass and then revealing a thief within that grass to get a musical instrument. With that instrument, you can then have a certain type of animal follow you on your journey. There are also clothes and the ability to increase your flock in other grass bushes. Most animals are easy to find as you fly up to them and then scan their details. You log the information in a notebook and guess what type of species it is from the clues you’re given. You don’t get docked at all for choosing the wrong species, but it is a neat feature and could perhaps educate a child on how to detect different species without taking them outside. The overall experience, however, is repetitive, and it isn’t helped by your guide in the game saying the same line every time you log a new creature.
Unfortunately, the overall game premise just gets tedious. At some points, you’re asked to scan objects on the map, and there are no clues at all as to where to find your objective. The only clues you get are from listening to the environment, which is a neat feature. I spent a long time, however, just trying to find one or two scannable objects in an area. It felt like finding a needle in a haystack. In some cases, it doesn’t even tell you to scan objects. The game is annoyingly cryptic, and instead of feeling relaxed, I felt angry and confused by the process. At one point inFlock,you’re not told how to proceed until you collect a species of animal in the wilderness and then head to a specific area in the game. There needs to be more guidelines on what to do next.
Annapurna Reveals I Am Dead, An Afterlife Adventure
Thankfully, some creatures require more strategy. Some will whisk away at the sight of you, so you need to sneak up to them from behind in order to analyze them and eventually catch the creatures. These are quite uncommon, though. It is lovely to see the different species of the same type act in another way, in response to the environment as well.
Something that does help with the confusion are the markers. Head over to the map and then click on it to make a marker. Unfortunately, it doesn’t stay on the screen’s UI all the time.Flockdoesn’t explain this at all, but to make it show up again, have your bird squawk for the marker to show up again.
With all that in mind, it can be satisfying to solve where a creature is or to figure out a puzzle through the visual hints. For example, one of the biggest creatures of the game bellows and creates a visual soundwave. I didn’t know this at first, but once I noticed this indicator, I followed the source of the sound. The game then told you how to spot the creature through scanning. This is a section of the game that genuinely worked and it felt gratifying. Part ofFlock’s charm is how it lets you explore and figure out the world on your own, but that is also its greatest downfall. Whenever there’s enough teaching, however, the game does shine.
Another saving grace is the movement. You’re flying on your trusty bird, gliding across some beautiful environments at breakneck speed. You get even faster as you fly through obstacles and reach the top of a gust of air to flow down to the ground. It’s satisfying seeing the creatures you’ve collected along the way follow you.
Flock Sounds Incredible
Despite the constant frustration, I did find myself at ease in rare moments, thanks to the audio. Each species has its own sound, alerting you to its presence. Frustration can be heard within a few animals' cries whenever you’re present. You can hear the crickets in the background as a solemn, yet stirring piece of music plays.Flocktruly sucks you in like the indie classicJourneythanks to its wonderful audio space. The visuals also help this game come to life. A fiery aura is gleaming in the distance from crystals underneath giant mushrooms. Fruit trees have wonderful paint-brush-like leaves that flow in the wind. The moon gleams down with its white glow with a curved shape that matches the cartoon art style ofFlock.It truly is mesmerizing to look at and listen to.
Closing Comments:
Unfortunately,Flockis hard to recommend. The game design is repetitive and confusing, not leading players enough to where they’re supposed to go or what they should be doing. There’s a lot of beauty to be had withFlock,which will attract many, but don’t expect a fun game behind its beautiful exterior. This is a game I wish I could have liked more but found myself scratching my head, even raising my voice for a few moments.
Version Reviewed: PC
Flock is an adventure game designed to be played together with friends. As flying shepherds, you’ll explore a stunning world, tending to your very own flock of flying creatures and discovering hidden treasures.
