Owlboy Review – Overview, Storyline, Pros, Cons, And More

If you’ve ever played side-scroller video games as a kid—like Super Mario or The Legend of Zelda—then you’ll be pleasantly surprised to read our Owlboy review. Owlboy, an independently developed game, shines brightly among the rest of today’s retro-style games. From the way the story is crafted to the character-building, and even to the details of the blades of grass, we can assure you that Owlboy will impress even the most critical of gamers.

Before immersing yourself in the vivid world of our silent friend Otus, take a moment to read our Owlboy review below. 

The story of Owlboy is centered around a boy named Otus. He is half-owl and half-human, giving him the ability to fly, tuck, and roll mid-air. As impressive as these abilities are, Otus still manages to be the laughingstock of his village. This game takes the player on a journey to help Otus find the power within, by using the help of a few close friends.

It’s a heartfelt game that has captured the attention of the most hardcore gamers, but Owlboy is more than that. This game is an adventure into the world of the sky. If you’ve ever thought about what it would be like to fly, then you’re in luck; the entire game takes place in a realm full of half-human, half-owl citizens, all with different abilities for you to try out. Check out the rest of our Owlboy review to find out more about this game.

We’ve expanded our Owlboy review by delving into the game’s development and its availability within certain gaming consoles. This Owlboy review can give you a glimpse into the specs you need to have if you plan on running this game on your computer or laptop. We also take into consideration the game’s Entertainment Software Rating Board review—or ESRB review, for short.

Although Owlboy may be an indie game, there was a lot of buzz and anticipation surrounding its release. It’s not commonly known, but the game’s development began in 2007, and it took nearly 10 years to reach completion. Through the support of the game’s many fans, the PC/Mac versions were released in 2016. Owlboy’s popularity has led to an additional release on major gaming consoles like the Nintendo Switch, the Xbox One, and the PlayStation 4.

If you’re a PC/Mac/Steam gamer, then here are system requirements you might need to consider before downloading Owlboy. You’ll need a Dual Core Processor, at least 2GB of RAM, and at least 600 GB of free space on your computer storage. These are the general requirements for each of the computer platforms.

For any parents or guardians, you might wonder if our Owlboy review takes younger audiences into consideration. Luckily, the American ESRB’s Owlboy review was rated “E 10+,” which means that any person at or above the age of 10 can enjoy the game. However, Owlboy is also perfect for adult gamers who are able truly to appreciate the details of a well-crafted game.

Like many indie games, Owlboy’s price range has changed over the course of its release. On Steam, the current price of the game as of Fall 2018 is between $20-$25, and it’s available for PC, Mac, and Steam Operating Systems. This is an average price for a fairly new game. This price is likely to change as time goes on, according to our research on this Owlboy review.

Owlboy’s pricing range is different, depending on the version you want to buy. For example, the PlayStation 4 release of Owlboy is around $25-$30 dollars, and the Nintendo Switch version shares the same price range online. The Xbox One console has Owlboy listed at an average of $20-$25 dollars. Like many console games, it’s likely that the price might go down after a little while, so some patience is required if you want to save a few dollars.

There’s also the option of buying a gently used version of the game, which can also save you some money to buy other games. You can purchase used versions of Owlboy online via Amazon, Steam, or the Microsoft Store to get a copy of this game. A quick trip to your local video game store is another good strategy.

Owlboy is a unique game that’s unlike any other side-scroller we’ve reviewed. However, like any curious gamer, you might wonder how good of a game Owlboy is when compared to other games. We took the time to review a few similar games available on the market.

Hollow Knight

Celeste

Agony

The beginning of Owlboy casts the reader into the mind of our main protagonist, Otus. He is constantly bullied by his fellow owls and even berated by his professor. When Otus awakens from his dream, the player is immediately thrown into disaster, facing Sky Pirates who threaten to take over Otus’s village. The disasters never seem to end for Otus; the video game teaches players a beautiful lesson in moving on, despite losing everything.

The average cost of Owlboy for both PC and Console is between $20-$25. It might not be the least expensive game ever made, but it took 10 years to finish, so it’s definitely worth the price.

The visuals of Owlboy are meticulously rendered. It’s made to look like a 16-bit game, but the colors are far more vibrant and lush than its retro predecessors. From the fluffy clouds to the floating islands, and even interesting lighting, this game is breathtaking in its attention to detail. The pixilated, retro look gives you a strong sense of childhood nostalgia.

Our Owlboy review centers around Otus, who is considered the runt of his village. He is also mute, which makes you feel a strong sense of sympathy for him. Otus does his best to become a strong protagonist, and it’s easy for the player to cheer for him and his friends through their journey to defeat the Sky Pirates. The characters have a real feeling to them, which is rare in most contemporary games, making Owlboy a title to treasure.

As with many side-scrolling video games, Owlboy features a limited move set. However, this issue is easy to overlook, considering the game’s other redeeming qualities. The story and visuals are more than enough to make up for the lack of actions you can make with Otus.

The gameplay gently eases you into the action at each level. It starts easily enough but quickly slides into a series of fun twists, turns, and challenging obstacles. The player will be expected to fly, twist, and shoot through many obstacles to beat the game. Owlboy is a unique side-scrolling game that surpasses our gameplay expectations.

Hollow knight is a side-scrolling 2-D adventure game that is held in the fantastical world of an underground insect universe. The main character is a mysterious knight who voyages across the realm to discover ancient secrets about the kingdom. Like Owlboy, Hollow Knight features an immersive world, filled with a variety of characters and vibrant, otherworldly scenery.

Hollow Knight is available for PC and Mac at a price range between $10-15. It is also available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.

While Hollow Knight is a stunning game, its style feels familiar. The Knight’s character design is playful and piques the player’s interest. However, the characters are like cartoons, which may be a turnoff for some gamers. The true beauty of the game lies in the limited lighting, the glowing colors, and the dark, moody lighting of each level.

It’s almost impossible to think of a storyline like the one in Hollow Knight. There aren’t many games that feature a glimpse into the world of insects. The game also allows room for the player to choose their own paths, which is always a nice surprise.

The controls for the Hollow Knight are quick, smooth, and impressive. The Knight dashes across the screen smoothly in the direction the players want him to go. Each movement and attack is swift, yet powerful, similar to the controls in the Owlboy review. The ninja-like actions of the Knight and his friends will give any gamer a sense of good control over the game.

Hollow Knight may be a side-scroller, but the game itself is full of unexpected bosses and enemies at every turn. One moment can be filled with smooth dashes across the platform while the next moment may leave the gamer throwing punches at an unforeseen boss. This makes the gameplay more unpredictably fun than other side-scrollers, as you never know what challenge will come next.

Celeste is a game about a young woman named Madeline. Madeline travels to the fictional area of Celeste Mountain where she is determined to reach the top. However, she faces a series of obstacles that one would not normally find on a mountain. Madeline must deal with mysterious mirrors, spiked platforms, and difficult jumps to reach the peak of Celeste.

Celeste is available for PC and Mac and goes for between $15-$20. It’s also available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch for around the same price.

The graphics of this side-scroller are deliberately simple. Celeste is an homage to more retro side-scroller games, filled with blocky pixels that make up the integrity of the game’s look. However, the simplicity of Celeste’s graphics does not take away from the experience of the game.

Although the Mountain of Celeste is fictional, there is little world-building that has been done in the game. However, the singular environment is one snowy, giant mountain, which gets the player straight to the point of the game.

Like many side-scroller games, Celeste features a limited moveset for the player to use. Besides running and jumping, there’s not much a player can independently do with Madeline. However, the game’s challenging nature and mysterious storyline are more than enough reason to overlook this small moveset.

It’s easy for players to get stuck on a level for hours on end. The gameplay for Celeste features a quick combination of runs, jumps, and maneuvers mid-air that leave little room for errors. This is a game that will test the patience of even the most experienced gamers, so be prepared for several hours of trial-and-error tests within the game. If you enjoyed the gameplay in our Owlboy review, then you’re guaranteed to be a fan of Celeste’s gameplay.