Falcon Age

{{Infobox video game

| title = Falcon Age

| image = Falcon Age cover.jpg

| caption = PlayStation 4 cover art

| alt =

| developer = Outerloop Games

| publisher = Outerloop Games

| platforms = {{ubl|Microsoft Windows|PlayStation VR|Oculus Quest|Nintendo Switch}}

| released = PlayStation VR
April 9, 2019
PC
September 6, 2019
Oculus Quest
September 3, 2020
Nintendo Switch
October 8, 2020

| genre = Adventure

| engine = Unity{{cite web | url=https://blog.unity.com/games/raise-a-bird-in-unity-bring-it-to-life-with-ai-make-twitter-love-it | title=Raise a bird in Unity, bring it to life with AI, & make Twitter love it }}

| modes = Single-player

| director = Chandana Ekanayake

| producer =

| designer = Chandana Ekanayake

| programmer = Ben Golus
Justin LaLone

| writer = Chandana Ekanayake
Meg Jayanth
Cassandra Khaw
Aung Zaw Oo
Justin LaLone

| artist = Chandana Ekanayake
Aung Zaw Oo
Darran Hurlbut

| composer = Rob Pearsall, Jeffrey Pierce

}}

Falcon Age is a virtual reality first person adventure video game for Windows, PlayStation 4, Oculus Quest, and Nintendo Switch, developed and published by Outerloop Games. Initially released on PlayStation VR on April 9, 2019, it was also released on Nintendo Switch and Steam in October 2020.{{Cite web |date=2018-12-08 |title=Falcon Age brings VR falconry to PSVR in 2019 |url=https://www.shacknews.com/article/108947/falcon-age-brings-vr-falconry-to-psvr-in-2019 |access-date=2024-03-01 |website=Shacknews |language=en}}

Gameplay

Players take the role of Ara who has been wrongfully thrown in jail on a dying colony planet with its culture destroyed, resources depleted, and turned into a desert by robotic machines. Starting in her cell, you pass the time by befriending a young falcon and escape together to reclaim their freedom and drive off the invaders. Players get to bond with their bird companion to dress up or hunt various animals for precious materials, which can be used for crafting snacks for your falcon to buff, heal and strengthen up its skills.{{Cite news |last=Bell |first=Alice |date=2020-06-03 |title=Give a falcon a beard, VR goggles, and make it fight colonial robots |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/give-a-falcon-a-beard-vr-goggles-and-make-it-fight-colonial-robots |access-date=2024-03-01 |work=Rock, Paper, Shotgun |language=en}}

Development

Developer Outerloop Games is based in Seattle.{{Cite news |last=Martens |first=Todd |date=2023-11-06 |title=I tried a breakup simulator video game. Here’s what it taught me about the myth of ‘moving on’ |url=https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2023-11-06/breakup-simulator-video-game-thirsty-suitors-review |access-date=2024-03-29 |work=Los Angeles Times |language=en}} The idea around the project came from Chandana Ekanayake who worked on games like Monday Night Combat, Supreme Commander, Enter the Matrix and Elder Scrolls and co-founded his company Outerloop Games. Powered by the Unity engine, it started off as a VR prototype after seeing a YouTube clip of a giant golden eagle attacking a mountain goat. 80 Days writer Meg Jayanth was brought on to help flesh out the story concept of the game before Cassandra Khaw joined in later from his work on Where the Water Tastes Like Wine.{{Cite web |last=Webster |first=Andrew |date=2019-04-11 |title=Falcon Age is a game about cute birds and fighting colonialism |url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/11/18306140/falcon-age-game-ps4-psvr-outerloop-vr-virtual-reality |access-date=2024-03-01 |website=The Verge |language=en}}

Reception

{{Video game reviews

| MC = PS4: 70/100{{cite web | url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/falcon-age/ | title=Falcon Age | website=Metacritic }}
NS: 65/100{{cite web | url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/falcon-age/critic-reviews/?platform=nintendo-switch | title=Falcon Age critic reviews | website=Metacritic }}

| OC = 69/100{{cite web | url=https://opencritic.com/game/7569/falcon-age/reviews | title=Falcon Age Critic Reviews }}

| EZA = {{Rating|7|10}}

| GSpot= 8/10{{cite web | url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/falcon-age-review-high-flying/1900-6417125/ | title=Falcon Age Review - High Flying }}

| IGN = 8/10{{cite web | url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/04/09/falcon-age-review | title=Falcon Age Review | date=9 April 2019 }}

| PSQ = {{Rating|8|10}}{{cite web | url=https://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps4/falcon_age | title=Review: Falcon Age - PSVR Classic Combines Meaningful Storytelling with Adorable Birds | date=9 April 2019 }}

| NLife = {{Rating|6|10}}{{cite web | url=https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/switch-eshop/falcon_age | title=Review: Falcon Age - the Closest Most of Us Will Get to Owning a Pet Falcon | date=11 October 2020 }}

}}

The game received “mixed or average reviews" according to review aggregator website Metacritic. 69% of critics recommend the game on OpenCritic.

Jonathon Dornbush of IGN praises about its charming adventure from how they established a strong foundational system when it comes to exploring and fighting with your falcon, while presenting an intriguing sparse world that explores some meaningful concepts. GameSpot's Calum Marsh praised the game over its responsive mechanics making falconry exhilarating but dislikes dialogue sounds being sloppy and sometimes jarringly out of place.

A review on VICE praised the developers to make a game about resisting colonialism at its strongest when it avoids the frustrating gameplay loops and leans into building up the culture and history of its world.{{Cite web |last=Watson |first=Natalie |date=2019-04-11 |title='Falcon Age' Is a Damning Anti-Colonialist Story In Search of a Better Game |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/falcon-age-review/ |access-date=2024-03-01 |website=Vice |language=en}}

Awards

class="wikitable sortable"
Year	Award	Category	Result	Ref
style="text-align:center;" \| 2019 \| XR Awards \| VR Game of the Year \| {{Nom}} \| style="text-align:center;" \|{{Cite web \|title=Winners and Finalists 2019 \|url=https://xrawards.aixr.org/winners-and-finalists-2019/ \|access-date=2024-03-01 \|website=XR Awards 2024 \|language=en-US}}

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

Award