REVIEW : THE FALCONEER: WARRIOR EDITION (PC)
The Falconeer Warrior Edition is a comprehensive package that includes the DLC for Falconeer, ‘The Hunter’ and ‘Edge of the World,’ which was released in October 2020. The DLC has been applied from the start of the game, and if you haven’t received the information beforehand, it’s so natural that you wouldn’t even notice that the new DLC material was added later.
Falconeer is a flight shooting game where you ride a massive flying creature called Ormir, which resembles a hawk or a wyvern. At first glance, it appeared to be comparable to fly shooting while riding a fighter, but the more you play the game, the more your sensations change. For example, if you’re still flying forward, try gradual ascending and descending in a circle, slowing down quickly during flight and then speeding up again. One example is being able to accomplish it.
Another distinction is that their surroundings heavily influence them. If it hits a prepared updraft or jet stream, it is swiftly engulfed in the wind, like a piece of paper being blown away by the wind, and even a tiny rub on the enemy, the water, or the terrain is swept away to the other side. As a result, it’s a little tough to adapt at first, but I was able to rapidly get used to it through trial and error after losing direction and speed due to a collision with anything.
It is not an exaggeration to say that the real enjoyment of the Falconeer begins after you have become used to flying. I like the sensation of flying in the wind without going against nature.
Unlike in reality, when simply flying is sufficient, what kind of planet you can fly in is a significant consideration in the game. In that respect, the game’s setting, ‘Ursi,’ is a highly appealing world. The sea covers more than 90% of Ersi’s total land area.
Except for a few islands, such as the hollow ‘Mou’ and ‘Witches Rock,’ usually stormy, only the water expands out. The main graphic is done in an animation form rather than a live-action approach, so the expression of the sea may appear basic. Still, it presents a variety of appearances depending on changes in the celestial body or climate change.
Every place explored in the game is as vibrant as the sea of Earsi. The people who reside on the islands are defined by their power or the region in which they are located, and the ruins are as enigmatic as the mysteries they hold. It was a lot of fun wandering around hunting for stuff that hadn’t yet been labelled on the map.
Except for some UIs such as lock-on of adversaries or allies, mini-maps, and status messages, essentially little is displayed on the screen in the game, presumably to focus on the expression of this ursi.
Furthermore, the game’s graphic effects are limited to depicting changes in the environment; thus, if there are clouds, a storm, or darkness, just the player character is visible.
Instead of compromising gameplay components, it is clear that the emphasis is on the universe’s expression. It was initially a factor that impeded adaptation to the game with a unique sense of control. Still, as I became more familiar with the game, I was able to go beyond merely being able to fly. At first, I thought it was a flaw, but now I see it as part of the game’s appeal.
Falconeer’s primary plot, which reveals the world’s mysteries, is its centrepiece. Except for the prologue and epilogue, when things are fixed, choose one of the four chapters to undertake the primary objective centred on the base, side missions on the islands in various locations, combat looters or pirates, or complete the game. Various occupations, such as escorting cargo ships passing between the islands, are feasible. The island that acts as a base or the area available for each chapter differs, but all play components such as discoveries, achievements, goods, and weaponry are inherited, so you can do whatever you wish.
However, the major task of uncovering Ersi’s secret is done in the order that the chapters are given. First, there is a city that belongs nowhere. Next, there is an empire that wants to rule Ersi, and ultimately there is the Mancer Order, which holds the world’s secrets.
Throughout the primary objective, the realm’s secrets are gradually disclosed through the dialogues of various individuals or the temples placed throughout. The temple’s records, which are clues to uncovering the world’s secrets, have a strong mythical feel to them, and how each side interprets it and decides what action to take as a result varies, and the battle escalates as the chapter goes.
However, once Falconeer’s journey is completed, the player’s options limit flying about the world. There are side activities like assaulting adversaries or delivering products, but it feels repetitive and lacks interest in discovering the world’s secrets. I was disappointed that even the ‘pirates,’ a chosen force in all chapters, were not exempt from this.
