It's hard to pick out my reaction to this game from the context of other games like it. Having played and loved at least two similar games/interactive stories (To the Moon and Gone Home), I thought I knew what I was getting with A Bird Story. I didn't except riveting or challenging game play. In fact, I didn't really expect any real game play, as that's not really the point of this type of experience. However, I did expect something as emotionally engaging, artful and complete as the game that came before it. Instead this story felt weak in comparison. It wasn't BAD, but it wasn't much more than a digital after school special or an animated short before the main attraction. What was there was artfully done, but there really wasn't a whole lot there. This point is especially driven home by the ending. No spoilers, but I left with the feeling that "A Bird Story" was little more than a way to make a few bucks while advertising an upcoming game. Makes me feel a bit cheated and underwhelmed. Perhaps I should have read a bit more before buying. Despite all that, I’m still looking forward to “Finding Paradise”. Even it it doesn’t feel like a full standalone product, A Bird Story at least proves the developer sense of style is still intact.
Don't let 3 stars fool you. I would rate it as 3.5 if I could, which is well worth playing. Perhaps I subconsciously rounded down due to the high rating. I like all the HBS SR games, but I see much room for improvement. On a mechanical level SR is just as good as ever. I have a few axes to grind with the ruleset adaptation, but those issues don't really get in the way of the fun, especially if you make a point to avoid builds that are disappointing in the CRPG version. The combat can be described as an XCom-like take on the turn based RPG, which is a great direction imo and very enjoyable. The setting is another high point. HBS does a great job of painting the more colorful fantasy take on dystopian scifi. The art, NPCs, and music all pull me. The main story for the core game is a bit simplistic but is still satisfying when taken with all the mission and character side plots. I would personally like to see more realistic and detailed art design, but it's still beautiful and detailed aesthetic.. enough for an isometric view. SR:HK falls short primarily with the overall structure that threads the content together. Once upon a time we had CRPGs that let you wander and discover, but for a while the genre seemed stuck in hubs and single visit zones. In a world where several open world games come out every year, it would be wonderful to see SR follow suit. SR:HK has taken some strides toward a less linear model by adding more choice in mission selection and order, but it's not far enough imo. As a result, I felt more like an observer of the world than a character within it. One final note, you might consider stopping after the main Hong Kong story line if you've had your fill of the mechanics. No spoilers, but the extended missions serve as a less than fulfilling epilogue to the far more interesting whole game that precedes it. Do yourself a favor.. save the extension for after you've fully digested the main game and come back craving one more mission.
