One thing that I truly enjoy are good stories. Ever since I was young, I have loved to hear a good story or to read it. Whenever I read or hear a story, I feel that I am transported to a magical land of adventures, dangers, happiness, and sorrow–a land of places, people, feelings and thrills. Over the years, video games have taken to the storytelling style and have brought us great stories that impact us. They give us joy, sorrow, and great adventures. For me, there have been few games that have moved me to tears, and I’m proud to say that Owlboy was one of them. When I started playing Owlboy, I did it with a fresh mind because it was my first interaction with the game. Since I’m not a PC gamer, I was unaware that Owlboy had released on PC on 2016. For me, the Nintendo Switch version is the first contact with one of the most charming, most enthralling games I have played to date, and I honestly feel grateful that I was able to play this amazing game.
Owlboy tells the story of Otus, an unlikely hero on a quest to save his world. I say unlikely hero because Otus is not your normal video game hero that shines brighter than the sun. Otus is seen as a nuisance. He is mute and because of that he is seen as less than the rest, even his master–the person he admires the most–says that he is good for nothing. Poor Otus does his best to live out to his expectations, but the people of the village see him as something to avoid and few are friendly to him. This was one of the things that impacted me the most. I thought about how could they be so cruel to Otus. His master doesn’t deserve the title (I know its a game, but this is what a great story can do to you).
Otis tries his best everyday to become the best Owl to ever lived, and to me he is the greatest. I’ll try to not spoil much. In the beginning of the game, you are tasked to search for suspicious people in the village, since there have been reports of Pirates near. You start exploring and come across your best friend, Geddy. He tells you that he will help you find the troublemaker whi is rampaging through the village, and then everyone will see how great Otus is (my heart cried manly tears of respect what a great friend; we all deserve someone like Geddy). After exploring for a bit, you find a spider -like character and start pursuit, getting through caves previously inaccessible thanks to Geddy. You encounter him and a pirate giving the start of your epic and emotional adventure.
One of the things that I like about Owlboy is the buddy system (if I could give it a name). Otus’ abilities are rolling, jumping, and flying (roll while flying). doing a spin attack (useful to solve puzzles), and grabbing objects like jars and fruits to regain health. Now the grab mechanic is one of Owlboy’s greatest strengths, since you can grab even your friends! With the ZR button, you can summon your friend (you can swap them with R) and use the ZR button to attack. The attack varies with whom you summon. For example, Geddy can shoot bullets (holding down to button to shoot automatically) that are effective against wood and some enemies, but not effective against rocks or metal. Swapping your partners in real time is a must since some puzzles and enemies require quick thinking in order to overcome them.
Now regarding secrets, there are unlockables that you get in Buccanary’s shop in Tropos. I could not feel to compare Buccanary and her Boguin helpers to certain demon lord and her penguin like slaves…I don’t know if it was a nod, but cool nonetheless. Buccanary had a ton of coins, and she lost them, so your quest is to find all of them. As you are getting to certain amounts, you get something for your trouble, like health upgrades (totally needed), hats (who doesn’t like hats), and upgrades to your partners weapons (like improved fire power), so it’s very worth the time to find the most if not all. You are not just finding coins. “Helpers” are missing, so you have to find them as well. Each time you find one, he has a funny interaction with Otus, telling him that he couldn’t stand the punches anymore, correcting himself and saying that the lady might be worried. Not all is cheers and roses, though. Remember that I said it had a great story? Owlboy’s team of hereos is so different from many other games. They aren’t the legendary heroes. They are a group of people supporting each other, aware of each other weaknesses, but understanding each other. There is no judging or using one another. As you progress through the game, the charm and heart of the whole game radiates warm. The characters feel so real and so human that you will relate with them and their background.
Graphically, Owlboy is a work of art. Each character, each area, and enemy are given careful details. I love the expressions and each movement. The quality is more than evident. The landscapes give each place personality and don’t feel like recycled assets like many games do. From the cheerful Vellie to the thorn-filled area of the Sky Continent, each new area feels like an exciting adventure waiting to start. Also, I love the day and night cycle. It gives even more life to a breathing and colorful world. The music is really good, from mellow to upbeat tunes, they go perfectly with every situation (there are also some scenes of the game are music-dependent, so it is a nice touch).
Bottom Line: I could write a book extolling the virtues and charm of Owlboy, and I could not find enough words to finish it. It has a heartwarming story of going against the odds, against those who did not believe in Otus and his cast of rejects. With oh-so amazing and caring friends, great music, and beautiful art, you owe it to yourself to play this on your Nintendo Switch.