So far, the Xbox Series X has been a huge success for Microsoft. However, it has notably lacked a number of first party launch titles when compared to the PlayStation 5. Instead, a number of promising third party launch titles have been given a shot at the spotlight. One of the most impressive is The Falconeer, a unique, aerial dog-fighting game.
The Falconeer is one of the few indie titles that is exclusive for Xbox. It is fully voiced and boasts an OST by composer Benedict Nichols. The visuals are stylized and striking, taking full advantage of the Series X’s next-gen hardware, with 3D objects gaining form entirely from the in-game lighting, rather than texture mapping like so many other games.
In a world referred to as the Great Ursee, an unknown cataclysm resulted in much of the land being flooded by a constantly rising ocean. As a result, the survivors have retreated to large mountaintops that now act as islands. Many of these civilizations are small and humble, struggling everyday to survive, while others have created large empires that seek to expand and conquer. Even areas beneath the waves can be explored, letting players slowly uncover more of the world's history.
The game features many RPG elements and players are free to explore the open-world as they see fit. Gamers can choose the origin story of their rider, each with different buffs like maneuverability, armor and firepower.
In addition to the main campaign, side quests are also available, such as fun time trial races. Players can make allegiances to different factions all vying for dominance over one another. Each faction varies in culture, ideology and military strength, but nearly all rely on the falconeer warriors to assist them with their goals.
The Falconeer focuses almost entirely on aerial combat. Players take control of a Falconeer, a warrior able to pilot large Warbirds. Combat can be challenging, especially when there are very few checkpoints within missions. These battles can be intense, as players have to fight not just other falconeers, but steampunk warships, flying zeppelins, island fortresses and even giant monsters from the deep. Player stats and equipment can be upgraded through trading and looting new weapons, armor, warbird mutagens and cosmetics.
The game's development is especially impressive because it was made entirely by Tomas Sala, an independent game artist and modder. He is most famous for his creation of the popular Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim mod, Moonpath to Elsweyr. Sala is also known for creating Oberon’s Court, a 3D real-time strategy game where players take control of squads of monsters battling each other in the underworld.
While The Falconeer is currently not part of the Xbox Game Pass, it comes at reasonable price for an indie game -- $29.99 -- and is also available on Steam to be played on PC.