Arise: A Simple Story didn't feature much in the way of voice acting or cinematics either, but it still conveyed a brilliant and emotional story through small scenes and innovative platforming gameplay, and Windbound doesn't meet that admittedly high bar. None of that history and lore is really conveyed in the game, and while I appreciate the material, it needed to be better presented in the actual gameplay to reach its full potential. It's kind of boggling when you look at the official Windbound website too, as the developers have posted lengthy breakdowns of murals that reveal some really interesting backstory to this land and its people, as well as Kara's place in it, but if you asked me to name Kara after a few hours of this game I would have had trouble recalling it. ![]() Being able to finally wield a bow and arrow and sail the seas in a quick-moving ship is great, but they just mean you are doing the same things more efficiently, and without a compelling story structure or the details needed to get invested in the lead character, none of that really matters. The islands themselves aren't different enough to get excited over, and on top of that, there's nothing really to find there aside from another structure to activate and more resources. You can also add compartments to your boat to hold extra items and you can even have a fire going on your ship to cook food and keep things moving if a landmass isn't nearby and your stamina is low.īuilding an impressive ship is only worthwhile though if you have something compelling to sail towards. Most of your crafting will be dedicated to your boat, which will go from a simple grass or bamboo canoe into an impressive combination of separate hulls, decks, and masts, allowing it to capture the wind and turn your slow-moving canoe into a fast-moving ship atop the water. The first moment when I figured out how to start a fire that could cook meat and turn skin into leather at the same time I genuinely smiled, feeling like I had accomplished something, and taking down the bigger creatures also gives you that same sense of satisfaction. That means you'll just need to search and keep going until you find a different sort of creature, and fingers crossed it's the one you need. If you want to chop that tree, you'll need an axe, but one of the ingredients is an animal, and there's no bestiary or anything telling you where to find it. There's a joy to trying to figure out where to get items and ingredients you need to create equipment, and the game doesn't really tell you where to find anything. What the game does well though it does extremely well. ![]() By the way, navigating the waters in your boat as the sun sets and clouds move across the sky is quite peaceful and serene, and the amazing soundtrack kicks in when you've departed an island, furthering that sense of adventure and making it feel as if you're really in an altogether different place. You'll then sail towards another island, activating another structure that illuminates the sky with a blue light, and once you've unlocked all 3 you can then progress into the next area. Your first task is to explore the island you wash ashore on and learn the lay of the land, gathering tall grass, palm fronds, rocks, and more, all so you can build a grass boat to start sailing the stunning sea in search of the next destination.īefore you leave you'll find a glowing pillar with a piece of magic that will join up with the necklace you wear around your neck, and that stone of blue magic will unlock doors and activate objects throughout the game and is the key to moving forward in the story. ![]() Windbound is a part of the survival genre, tasking players with gathering resources, building tools and equipment, and hunting for food as they look to solve the mystery of this world and survive to see it through.
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