Games that are developed by one person on their own always require great respect. There is only one person behind Tomas Sala behind The Falconeer. He's worked on a few games over the years, but now it's time for a matter of the heart: an Airborne Ocean World Fantasy Action RPG.
At first, this seems to be an arbitrary sequence of terms. But after a few minutes of game scenes and explanations from Tomas, we understand what is meant. Because every element that is mentioned in this seemingly crude genre mishmash can also be found in the game. Above all, Tomas pays homage to the virtual dogfight, because it has thrilled him for a long time.
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Ace Combat and Crimson Skies are his favorites, which is why the Falconeer focuses on racy dogfights. However, you do not climb into the cockpit of a weapon-staring fighter jet, but on the back of a giant bird. He also has an impressive arsenal at his disposal, including laser projectiles and target-seeking projectiles. Older semesters think of the defensive pangolin in Panzer Dragoon, which will soon also return to PCs and consoles. In contrast, The Falconeer is not flying on rails, but gives you freedom to fight and explore the large areas. A small mini map at the bottom of the picture provides better orientation.
Water march!
Do you remember the Kevin Costner flick Waterworld? It marks a dystopian future, in which almost the entire earth is covered by water. The Falconeer is set in a fictional world, but the floods of the Great Ursee have buried almost everything there too. Only isolated islands still offer refuge. The surviving people are divided into two groups: while some have access to advanced technologies, others have raw materials such as wood and metal. Conflicts always arise between the groups. But the greatest treasures are not above, but below sea level, in the ruins of an almost forgotten civilization. In this dispute over valuable knowledge and ancient treasures, you play a major role as a mercenary with a war bird.
In addition to enemy Falconeers, you take on big snakes and nimble dragons. This is how rapid air battles develop, in which you not only attack yourself, but also have to avoid enemy fire with turns, turns and flight rollers. Ground targets such as factories or bases are also on the hit list. Thanks to different ammunition and weapon types as well as unlockable upgrades, you have a suitable answer to everything.
A special style
The Falconeer tells its story through several levels and related main missions. In between, you will pursue various optional side missions that reward you with resources for upgrades. Or you just fly around and enjoy the outstanding graphics.
Developer Tomas Sala relies on clear shapes, rich colors and clear contrasts. To do this, he completely dispenses with textures: the missing structures on rock surfaces or building walls is an effective stylistic device. Every element was conceived and placed by Sala, almost by hand. This gives The Falconeer an artfully reduced look that is a real eye-catcher.
Only Tomas does not do the distribution himself, but works together with the publisher Wired Productions. So far, The Falconeer has been announced for the PC and Xbox One. The game is scheduled to be released later this year – nothing more can be said yet. Understandably, Tomas wants his heart project to appear only when it is really finished.