The King's Bird

An immediately evocative game, The King’s Bird has been wonderfully crafted to be an experience that stays with you. In a pretty way. The bold colours and

The King's Bird has the potential to be wonderful—and in its art and music, it is. Based on that alone I would play it all day. But the sense of freedom it is trying so hard to evoke is held back by its finicky controls, and since the game's very foundation is meant to be freeing, it falls short. Altered controls and a slightly wider margin for error, especially on console, would really let The King's Bird soar beyond the confines of its cage, and boost its mechanics up to the high tier of its design.

The King's Bird captures a freewheeling spirit in its aerial platforming but doesn't do enough to leave a mark with anyone but the most hardcore.

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Rich gameplay concepts and lush aesthetics caged by suffocating level design and a weak story. The constant clash between free, flowing movement and repetitive, often claustrophobic levels puts a damper on the entire experience.

Clipped wings.

I was also disappointed in a lacking narrative. I feel like I became too focused on completing the game just for completion’s sake, and disregarded/struggled finding a story I could connect with. Instead, the game became a mindless grind to collect everything and speedrun every level. Maybe that’s just my issue, coming from a non-platformer background. But I like when a game blends mechanics and narrative together, and I was left wanting more in terms of emotional impact. Ultimately, I wish I had a chance to connect with the (strong! young! female!) protagonist.