The King’s Bird is, in essence, an artistic side scrolling platformer with some interesting mechanics. If flying is something you like in video games, than this game might be the one for you. The King’s Bird was developed by Serenity Forge and published by Graffiti Games. And they did a great job on this one. Now, how good is it? Let’s dig a little deeper.
The artistic style of the graphics is a style that is not really new but still amazingly beautiful. The main character is very nimble in its movement and this makes for satisfying landings, jumps, and other little movements. Another big part of the art in this game is, of course, the music. The music does an amazing job portraying the surrounding ambiance of the level and story. Sometimes it’s a bit dark but usually very upbeat. In cutscenes the characters talk to each other using music as well which is a bit Fantasia-like but does a great job of expressing emotion.
Now about those mechanics, the flying mechanic is very well done. It is momentum based. This means that if you get really good at the game you can conserve your momentum almost throughout the entirety of each level and set down some record speeds. However, it has one big flaw for the PC users out there. The controls are a bit old-fashioned in the way that you move using the arrow keys and use your abilities with your left hand on the X and Z buttons. This, however, is completely subdued once you connect your controller. With a controller, this game feels great to play. Since one of the latest updates, you can rebind your controls as well.
The storyline isn’t the most compelling or new out there, but there is nothing wrong with it. You live in a hidden society that is ruled by an evil king and you are trying to escape and explore your freedom outside of the “walls”. The King’s Bird is a game that is fun to play for everyone who likes to play platformer games and loves a more uncommon art style. However, this game will be utterly enjoyable by speedrunner enthusiasts. This is just a Speedrunners playground. Watching a speedrunner learn and conserve the momentum in this game will be a ton of fun.
The King’s Bird is a great game, for an indie game at that price point, there is no doubt that you should try it. At least if you are into this genre of games. But if you are, you are in for a treat. Everything in this game comes together incredibly well and is stunningly beautiful. I will deduct some point for the lack of good PC controls. Also, other settings aren’t the most adjustable in the industry.
