Synopsis: The Falconeer is an open-world air-combat game featuring frenetic aerial dogfights and deep exploration across the mysterious Great Ursee.
Publisher: Wired Productions
Reviewed on: Xbox Series X
Also available for: Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC
Developer: Tomas Sala
Amid the bigger Xbox Series X|S launch titles lies The Falconeer from solo developer Tomas Sala. You pilot a Falcon in an aerial dogfighter above vast expanses of ocean and through fierce electrical storms. At times, The Falconeer is a beautiful, well-oiled machine that can run at 4K/60 or 120 fps, but repetitive gameplay and a terrifically dull narrative weigh this Falcon down.
Somewhere between Game of Thrones and Waterworld sits the plot. Factions in the Great Ursee strike deals or wage war with one another. Each clan lives on small island masses because most of the world is water. It feels like a drowned Earth after a massive flood. Across several campaigns you play an unnamed pilot, taking jobs for the clan in focus. A narrator sets up each act, and between missions you’re fed talking-head exposition. While the Great Ursee is interesting and often stunning, I couldn’t get into the story. Playing across multiple clans with no single lead made it hard to latch onto anyone; companions who join missions weren’t exciting or memorable, either. I never got invested in the narrative or its characters.
Flying your Falcon is simple—point the beak where you want to go—but it’s devilishly slow. Boosts, 180° turns, and barrel rolls consume a lot of energy, which you only regain by diving. That’s fine while exploring the open skies, shopping at settlements, or hunting down ruins (collectibles). In combat, though, it can be a pain—before you even try to land shots on enemy craft.
You’ll fight nimble rival Falconeers, airships, battleships, and even flying manta rays across the campaigns. You get one gun—upgradeable to fire faster or hit harder later—and it’s a chore to aim. Like classic dogfighters, you only shoot forward and must lead targets. Things can quickly become frustrating as ammo runs dry; the only way to recharge is to fly into a storm. Juggle that with your energy bar, tight handling, limited weapon variety, and constant ammo checks, and you can end up in a bad spot fast. Enemies don’t seem to share these constraints; they’ll doggedly pursue you and never appear to run out of juice or ammo while you’re diving for the waves.
Between missions, you can shop at your clan’s islands or other settlements. Most of your splinters (money) go toward mutagens that you slot into your Falcon for passive or timed bonuses. Extra firepower is always welcome, and a one-use “panic heal” can carry you through a tough sortie.
While trying to mainline the story, I had to grind tedious side missions for splinters and exploration. Certain missions spike hard; without upgrades they felt near-impossible.
I usually finish games before reviewing, but I didn’t see The Falconeer through to its finale. I played for about six hours (it’s reportedly a 10–12 hour game) and couldn’t bring myself to continue. As gorgeous as it is—the art direction and animation are stellar—the missions are repetitive. For every thrilling dogfight, another made me wish I were playing literally anything else. Coupled with a story that went in one ear and out the other, I bowed out. I’m disappointed with how the package came together; technically it’s excellent, and there’s certainly an audience who’ll adore its systems. In that respect, I wish it had been on Xbox Game Pass to help more players discover it.
(The Falconeer code provided for review)
