There have been some jaw-droppingly gorgeous games on mobile over the last year or so. From Infinity Blade to Shadowgun, we’ve had to rub our eyes in amazement more than a few times. But usually when we do, it’s because a game is backed by a popular engine like Unreal or Unity. But what if we could have that same reaction from a game built by a new indie developer using an engine they’d created entirely in-house?
There have been some jaw-droppingly gorgeous games on mobile over the last year or so. From Infinity Blade to Shadowgun, we’ve had to rub our eyes in amazement more than a few times. But usually when we do, it’s because a game is backed by a popular engine like Unreal or Unity. But what if we could have that same reaction from a game built by a new indie developer using an engine they’d created entirely in-house?
Crow is the debut title from Sunside, a company established in 2011 “with a vision to redefine mobile gaming through unique innovation in game play and technology,” or so says their press materials. Mind you, after going hands on with Crow, we have very little reason to doubt they mean it.
Built using their proprietary Radiance development platform, Crow seems to be as unique as it is visually stunning. Players control the flight of the titular crow as he goes through varying modes, from exploration to combat. In one of the earlier instances in our hands-on experience, we found ourselves going toe-to-toe with an angry owl. The detail in both the birds and the environments was stunning, and the gameplay was interesting enough to keep us intrigued. Combat felt something like a blend of Infinity Blade and Rez – our bird’s flight was handled for us, but we’d need to move him around the screen to dodge the owl’s strange attacks, while swipes and circles would control things like attacks and shielding. While not original per se, the combination of these two familiar formulas creates something that we haven’t really experienced before.
We’ve been told there’s plenty to expect during Crow‘s roughly three hour flight, from replayable challenges to some very serious choice elements that will affect the story. Will you curse a boss, defeating them and taking their power? Or will you spare them and see what ramifications that may bring?
Sunside are expecting to get Crow on the App Store around April or May, so you can expect to get your hands on this unique little title yourself later this year.
