Video Game Review - The Falconeer: Warrior Edition

Rob reviews - The Falconeer: Warrior Edition on Nintendo Switch...

The Falconeer and I have somewhat of a history. Way back when I freelanced for a much larger gaming website (those who know me, know who) I was lucky enough to be able to preview and review the Xbox One/Xbox Series X|S version. This was way back in September 2020 and was an early build of the game. I found that while the game was enjoyable, there was something not quite right in its overall execution. 

Thankfully since then, solo developer Tomas Sala has brought a wealth of change to the Great Ursee, and as such The Falconeer is both an incredibly accessible title - and one that's easy to fall in love with. 

News of the arrival of the game onto the Nintendo Switch came as a real surprise. During the build-up to the launch of the Xbox Series X|S, The Falconeer was heavily branded as a "console exclusive". Of course, this set off both sets of console "fanboys" as they attempted to pick the game apart and subsequently, defend it. Yet through all the bickering and feverish keyboard bashing the title is now available for all to play. Yet how does a game seemingly marketed for a next-gen console play on the hybrid Switch console? 

The answer is incredibly well...

The plot of The Falconeer is pretty complex and is one that I still don't fully understand. Set on the Great Ursee - a planet that's mostly made entirely of water - there's a war brewing. The factions that make up this water world are a shady bunch who are in it for themselves. Aside from the political and underhand tactics employed by the great houses, the Ursee hide many secrets beneath its calm waters. These discovered secrets are all maintained by the Mancer Order - a vast-ranging religious sect that holds many secrets to the Ursee's past as well as controlling its future. 

During the games opening chapter you play a role within the vast Imperial Navy. However, during a routine training exercise, the vast skyward reaching Imperial Palace is attacked. And as such the factions that make up the world's status quo are plunged into war. Throughout the rest of the game, you'll play a role within these factions and will see their views across the entire story. This then concludes with an ending chapter that serves to tie all together in both a satisfying and confusing way. 

The gameplay to The Falconeer is very reminiscent of that found in Panza Dragoon and Ace Combat. It's a curious mix that pits man and bird (gargoyle or dragon) against various steam punk inspired machines. It's very unique and offers a completely different experience when compared to your more typical arcade flight sim. At the start of each chapter, you're able to choose between various character classes. Each class comes with its strengths and weakness which relates to your warbirds performance. Once you've completed the second chapter, you're then able to select the Arbiter class, then upon completing the third chapter you unlock the Corsair class that comes with its own Pterodactyl/Dragon. Regardless of what class you choose, the story plays out in the same way.

Each warbird comes equipped with various equipment for you to use. The primary one is the Arc Caster. As the name suggests this handheld weapon utilises the power of lightning to fire bolts of electricity at your prey. Ammo for this weapon can be procured from the various settlements that litter The Great Ursee or via flying into storms. It's a great mechanic that offers a risk vs reward as spending too much time within the storm can damage your warbird. Other weapons include rocket pods which weren't included within the base game. These came much later, and not only make the game far easier they're a game-changer for taking down larger foes. Missions vary from attacking structures to defending various vessels from Pirates or rival factions. They're not too varied and quite often you'll see the same (optional) side mission appear again and again. One particular mission sees you attacking the mysterious Freebooters whose base happens to be on top of a giant...well you'll have to find that out yourself but it's a great reveal! 

Weapons and more importantly you're warbird can be upgraded at the various outposts that are allied to your current faction. Each weapon can be upgraded for newer and more powerful models by spending credits. More monstrously, the warbird (or other creatures) are "upgraded" via various mutagens. From a story point of view, these mutagens are pretty horrific sounding. There's one that places your animal into a permanent state of fear - just to heighten its reflexes. Or another one that wastes the creatures muscle mass - to increase its fear. Its also not explained as to why this horrific way is necessary to train these majestic creatures, nor why the inhabitants of the world treat it like an everyday thing. 

The Great Ursee itself is both majestic and kind of boring. While the lore that surrounds the world is incredibly vast, and the world is also gorgeous to look at. It's a bit barren of life. There's plenty of islands or fortifications littered about the place but aside from a few side missions and races, there isn't a lot to do. There is a free roam aspect included yet nothing pushes you to explore the world - and it's a world that begs to be explored. 

The best thing about the world is its mystery. Why is there a huge craves that runs through the middle? And what are the strange structures that dwell beneath the surface? These questions sort of getting answered through the story, but it would have been great to venture out over the blue and find out yourself. 

When it comes to controls The Falconeer is incredibly tight. Your flying creature is fairly manoeuvrable and you'll be diving, soaring, and barrel rolling with relative ease. The creatures also have a degree of free will so on occasion they will fight against you, or go off course but it's nothing to be too concerned over - just treat it like the neat gimmick that it is. 

What impressed me the most about The Falconeer for the Switch is how well it looks. The Great Ursee is a wonderful sight with its impressive sunsets and storms. The only graphical downside comes from each chapters intro and outro. While they're not exactly poor, you can see the hardware limitations start to come through. Considering the game was originally designed to play on a larger screen, playing in handheld mode is also very impressive. There is the odd stutter here and there but it's not game-breaking and shouldn't dampen the experience. 

When I originally reviewed The Falconeer back in November 2020, I praised the atmosphere of the game but noted the tough difficulty and its execution. But having the chance to play through the game again with Sala's improvements, The Falconeer feels like a different game. 

All in all The Falconeer is the definitive arcade-style flight sim for the Nintendo Switch. It features a well written (if slightly confusing) story that charts a very politically charged confrontation as old rivalries and ambitions come to the surface. Even with the drawback of being a little repetitive and empty, the world is gorgeous to look at and is begging to be explored. There's a lot to like here, and The Falconeer is certainly a game that everyone should experience. I'm hoping that Wired Productions and Tomas Sala bring us 'The Falconeer 2' as this is one game that's screaming out to be revisited! 

Rating 9/10 

The Falconeer: Warrior Edition is available on 5th August 2021 and can be purchased via the Nintendo Switch eShop by clicking here. 

A code was kindly provided by the publisher for this review. 

Rob Lake - For more comic book and video game chat why not follow Geek Culture Reviews on Twitter and Facebook @GeekCultureRev