The first game I had the chance to play at GDC this year was Falcon Age, a PSVR-based game that has you raise a powerful and adorable falcon as you try to free your world from its robotic oppressors. It sounds like a lot to take in, but Falcon Age is great at dropping you into its world while giving you just enough of an explanation to hit the ground running. After some brief exposition from your Aunt, you’re off to fight robots and have fun with your falcon friend.
And the falcon most certainly is your friend, as you can do much more than use it as a weapon. It grows as you play through Falcon Age, letting you feel as though you’ve really raised it from chick to full-grown falcon. You can hunt meat and find vegetables to make meals for your falcon, or you can pet and play with it. You can send it flying, and you can whistle (by clenching the Move controller while holding it like a microphone) to call it back. You feel bad when it gets hurt, especially since you’re the one who has to pull the enemy’s needles out of it. Your falcon doesn’t just feel like an NPC, it feels like an essential part of your character.
A lot of your time will be spent battling and infiltrating enemy bases, however, so you’ll have to rely on your falcon a fair amount. Using one hand, you’ll send your falcon towards enemies in order to expose their weak points. Then, as your bird struggles with them, you’ll run up and smash the robot’s weak spot with an electric baton. It’s immensely satisfying in what is practically a primal way, but it really is undeniably fun to whack the hell out of something in VR.
Navigation is far easier than in any PSVR game I’ve played before, as you can rotate your hand to adjust what direction you’ll face after teleporting. You can also do a 180-degree turn by pressing a button while holding the controller behind your head, which makes quick and sudden movement a piece of cake. Traversing the desert wastes was a seamless breeze, which is an impressive feat for any VR game.
I mentioned that Falcon Age can be played in PSVR (which feels more natural for the game), but it can also be played with just a normal PS4 controller. My experience with Falcon Age has me thinking that VR is definitely the way to go, but either way, Falcon Age looks to be a unique experience that I’m looking forward to delving into when it releases later this year.
