Feather

Feather is a game about flying, exploration and, most importantly, relaxation. There are no enemies or threats, and the only objective is to flap around a peaceful island and let the calming music and colorful graphics wash away the stress of the real world. That may be soothing and therapeutic for some, but not me. Instead of being won over by the beautiful scenery, I kept waiting for something interesting to happen. Guys, I think there might be something wrong with me.

You take control of a bird flying over what appears to be a deserted island. There are rocky cliffs, mountainsides, lush forests and temples below, and the bird is free to explore its surroundings as they see fit. With the exception of not needing to eat or sleep, the bird is not unique in any way. It just flies around the island listening to ambient music and exploring the surroundings.

To reiterate what I said at the top, there are no enemies here and you'll never get into combat. There also isn't a story, at least in a conventional sense. You can piece together a narrative based on the long-forgotten pipes, ancient ruins and odd architecture, but it's entirely up to the player to interpret. The goal, if there even is one, is to fly around the island and explore its many secrets, though there's never anything pushing you to do any of that.

Probably the best thing I can say about Feather is that it's gorgeous. The island Samurai Punk has constructed is stunning, and I love the uses of color and the varied landscapes. In fact, I love all of the presentation, including the music. There are these large structures that allow you to change between a few different songs, and they're the highlight of the experience. They are nice soothing, often reminding me of Sigur Ros b-sides.

The problem is that there isn't a whole lot to do in this world. If the goal is to explore, then I wish the developers would have given us more paths to go on. There are a few hidden and out-of-the-way spots tucked away on the island, including a cavernous underground system, but it won't take long before it feels like you've seen and done everything. And since the only things the bird can interact with are wind chimes and wild berries, I had a hard time staying interested in the island.

It could be that Feather's relaxing charm is simply lost on me, not unlike ASMR videos. I have no problem believing that there are people who can fly over the roaring rapids and be swept away by the zen-like ambience. The description explains that "each element of the island responds to your presence with a hum, tone and rhythm to connect you to the world." I wanted to feel that connection with the island, but the only thing I felt was extreme boredom.

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I could see Feather being a fun sandbox mode in a more fleshed-out game. Normally, you would expect to see the usual flying game clichés, like flapping through hoops and racing around the landmarks. I can respect that the developers didn't want to go in that direction, and instead chose to create a less traditional flying simulator that is all about exploration. But when it comes down to it, I want to fly through a few hoops. I want there to be more to this game than just exploration.

Even as a form of relaxation, Feather feels limited. It's not just that there isn't much to interact with, but also that the island itself doesn't change that much. I kept waiting for the game to mix things up with heavy winds or a lightning storm. It would be nice to see the seasons affect the colors and the landscape change over time. I would have loved to have seen animals and maybe people discovering the island. There's a lot you can do with this idea and still retain the focus on exploration, and yet we get none of that in this game. Oh well, at least the music is good.

With no story or combat, Feather won't be for everybody. But even as a game about exploration and relaxation, Samurai Punk's newest flight simulator comes up short. The problem is that there isn't enough to do or see on the island. We're stuck exploring a lifeless world where nothing changes and the only thing to do is bump into wind chimes. Gorgeous graphics and outstanding music can't save Feather from being a complete snooze.