I’ve got something pretty serious to admit. Skeletons in my Xbox closet, as it were.
I think I’m getting addicted to cosy games. Gone are the days where I will blast through the latest Call of Duty campaign, climb the ranks in Rocket League or invest too much time in EA Sports FC Ultimate Team, with my gaming hours now replaced by social sims and the like. Already this year I’ve taken in the marvellous Botany Manor, explored the huge world of My Time at Sandrock, and I can’t wait to boot up the recently released Dungeons of Hinterberg when I get the chance. The latest cosy game to land squarely at my doorstep is that of Flock, and I couldn’t be more grateful that it did.
Who knew that flying around on a massive bird, catching bean-like mutant creatures and adding them to a compendium, could be so much fun?
Before even installing Flock on one’s Xbox hard-drive, you can be sure that the next four-or-so hours are going to be good, based solely on one key fact. Flock is published by Annapurna Interactive – a publisher that very, very rarely misses the mark. Seriously, when the likes of Stray, Outer Wilds, Neon White and What Remains of Edith Finch all have that Annapurna seal of approval, it’s not a huge stretch of the imagination to think that Flock will be as similarly polished.
And boy is Flock polished. From the unbelievably satisfying way that your character swoops and swooshes through the game world, to the dopamine-inducing addition of a new creature to your compendium, this Pokemon x Viva Pinata collectathon brings enjoyment by the bucketful.Â
But perhaps I’m getting ahead of myself. What exactly is Flock? Well, after customising your own little human avatar, and choosing from a number of different bird friends to sit atop, you are introduced to a wonderfully colourful open-world landscape to explore. Your quest is bestowed upon you by your Aunt Jane; a botanist from whom you will gain a quick education on the fauna that litters the world. And then, off you go to observe as many animals as you can find, before catching them to recruit them to your ever-growing flock.
Along the way, you’ll locate a bunch of Whistles, used to charm different species, and the ability to expand your flock and unlock new cosmetic items. You’ll also gain access to a friendly bunch of sheep that will do your bidding when it comes to chewing on hills found across the map, which grant you such unlocks.
Strangely enough, it’s the actual flock element that is the most redundant in a game that is otherwise pretty intentional with its design choices. As you recruit animals (at least, I think they are birds, but they may as well be mutant courgettes with identifying features), they will tag along for the rest of the game, added as another aesthetic element. The flock itself doesn’t do anything meaningful, and most of the time just gets in the way when you are trying to charm new species. Flock is at its best when environmental tell-tale signs point you towards a new find, but these are incredibly few and far between – it would be great if more was done in this regard, perhaps given an actual gameplay reason for your party to be following along.
As the loose story of Flock progresses, the game world will slowly open up, allowing access to areas previously smothered in impenetrable clouds. It is when the map starts to expand, after a short tutorial section in the first area, that the fluid flight mechanics developers Hollow Ponds and Richard Hogg have produced really come into their own. The game controls the height of your character automatically, leaving you only needing to worry about steering yourself in the right direction.
Flying through boost pads, sweeping across the ground and launching yourself high into the sky is done with so much panache, all the while ensuring you have the precision needed to manoeuvre yourself through the tightest of spaces, to retrieve a new catch. In fact, as fast as you do go, it would have been even better to see you upgrade your flight speed, especially when it comes to the end-game, when the map is at its largest. Kudos to the devs, they have designed a really fluid and fun flight system, with little teething issues.
The flight system is inferior only to the jaw-dropping visuals that Flock plays out in. Very few games have captivated me enough just to spend time exploring the map, looking for the nicest views and most splendid vistas that money can buy. With a day/night cycle at play, it is when the sun comes out for the morning and sets down in the evening that the true artistic awe of Flock presents itself. Whether you are in the moorlands in the centre of the map, looking for water-based creatures, or dashing under the trees of the forest, searching for the most hidden of species to study, you can be sure your eyes won’t get bored.
Ever so slightly more difficult to get to grips with is the way by which you catch your animals. It’s performed by approaching the critter in question, and playing a little mini-game where you time your song-calls towards the subject. This is fiddly, to put it lightly, and many times I was left wondering how I had failed the minigame when I was sure I was doing all the right things. The hitboxes to observe animals and add them to the compendium – which must be done before catching can occur – are also pretty hit and miss.
The entirety of Flock can be enjoyed with up to three other players by your side. In seamless drop-in, drop-out online multiplayer, you can explore the beautifully-crafted world with family and friends. Many – including myself – will find it strange that progression is in no way shared between players in the same game, meaning that one player may have access to part of the world that the other does not. When playing with a co-op partner, I chose to ensure that both players went at the same place regarding key story beats, to produce a simultaneous experience as possible. It would be much appreciated if this could be included in the game proper, where progression for all players is the same, and all can work towards a common goal.Â
Ultimately, I wouldn’t actually call Flock’s multiplayer as such. It’s more multiple single-player stories playing out alongside each other, each going at their own pace. At best, it’s just nice to hang out with friends in a virtual rural world, but at worst it’s pretty jarring when all I want to do is storm ahead with the story, but feel like I’d be better off waiting for my friend. But alas, this is a cosy game after all: taking things in slowly and gradually is certainly the best way to enjoy Flock.
Consider Flock like the finest of fine wines: enjoyed best with a group of friends having a chat, taken at your own pace, not rushed through! Minor bug-bears aside, especially with the inconsistent catching mini-game, what has been produced here is in the upper-echelon of cosy games. And coming in at about four hours to see the story out, with probably another couple hours for completionists, what better way is there to spend a few evenings than by catching flying courgettes?
