BTW, for fans of DRM-free PC games, Falconeer is coming to GOG as well:
I just came here from there to post this, and you beat me by 3 hours!
So far, comments on the announcement page at GOG have been extremely favorable.
Wishlisted!
Like dive³ this is pretty much my most anticipated game for launch on the XSX. Glad to hear good impressions.
The video above and the store page mention exploration. Is that referring to just cool sites to find or also to gear/stuff to loot?
Specs for the game! If you click the link and read through some of Tomas’s responses, he mentions that the 13 second load time is from boot up to starting cinematic and after that - no more loading.
Got a steam alert today this launched, whoever pulls the trigger first hit the thread with first impressions please!
I’m definitely picking this up today, though I plan to play on Xbox. I see the creator has posted an article with some first-timer tips -
I actually saw in on the Xbox store last night and pre-ordered it, and then moved it to my external storage. So when my XSX shows up, I’ll just plug that in and be ready to go. I think since it’s texture-less there shouldn’t be a big download to upgrade it? Just gotta hold off until later today…
Okay played a bit of this now. Structurally, it is odd. Each Chapter seems distinct- I think you start over with a new character for each one, and you’re playing through different historical events? Neat little thing, that. Each Chapter is also divided up into story missions… that you don’t necessarily have to do, but the game doesn’t tell you that. When you’re in your base town, you can just leave and go to explore the area- and when you want to go back, there’s a handy fast-travel option from the menu to just go home. There are also side-missions (FedEx and kill quests, in different varieties) to make more money to upgrade your stats.
Little things I’ve learned that the game didn’t teach me:
- Hold ‘B’ to look at your target. This doesn’t auto-aim or anything, but it’s good to get a sense of where they are.
- when you shoot someone down, fly low over the waves to collect their ‘splinters’ - the game’s currency.
- In the first Chapter, you’re given a choice between a fast, agile bird or a tank. I chose the fast one. I’m finding it very difficult, even with a couple ‘Regen’ mutations (upgrades). I just never seem to have enough hit points.
- you can’t set waypoints on the world map, but pressing up or down on the d-pad will zoom your mini-map in or out, which greatly helps with navigation.
When i was presented with a choice for Chapter 1, I figured starting with a character called “The Falconeer” was probably the way the developer wanted me to start, even though the speed and other stats looked great on the other character. It sounds like I was right! The Falconeer is probably easy mode compared to the other character, who is more for advanced players, I’m guessing. If you’re confident on never getting hit because of your increased speed and maneuverability, chose the other guy, but newbies should pick the Falconeer, I think.
Thanks on those tips. There actually was a tutorial message in the prologue about Holding B, it was in the part where you have to bomb the boat. But I had no idea you could pick up “splinters” from downed enemies or set waypoints.
To be clear, you can’t set way points. But opening the menu, going to the World Map, scrolling to to where you’re headed, and flipping back to the game is a pain. But zooming out on the minimal is quick and efficient.
Also, I’m not 100% about the splinters thing, or at least how much they’re worth. I need to check on that. I do know that when you shoot someone down, the spot they crash has these glowing blue dots that stick to you when you fly near them. And there’s an item for sale (for like 2600 splinters! ) that ‘increases the range you attract splinters’ or something. So I put 2-and-2 together,
Did you find anywhere else that gives you missions in the world besides your home? I was wondering if there was even a point to exploring the world outside of missions.
Yes, all the other towns have the aforementioned side-missions, usually 2 to choose from at a time. You have to buy a permit that unlocks that town though. I think the mining town might be open already?
Just confirmed- I started a side mission with 554 splinters. Reward was 300. Shot down 2 enemies, but I think I only collected splinters from one- the other crashed onto land, and it seemed like there weren’t any there? Anyway, after mission payout I have 907. So it seems like I got about 50 extra. Not a lot, but they add up.
And on a related note, the mission was ‘Salvage and Deliver’- go to a spot, find & pick up a thing from the water (and fight an enemy), deliver it to another city (and fight an enemy). You do have to kill all enemies-you can’t just run. But you can safely drop the item in the water and come back for it later.
Many of these missions you get bonus item on completion, too- I got a Seachantress Token for that one (with 1000 splinters!).
I am enjoying the game, but there are some details that escape me. I found a race and beat the target time, now I’m eligible to buy a new falcon but it’s far out of my price range. So I guess that’s the upgrade path for the bird; additionally, the store sells mutagens that can upgrade a bird’s stats. Do those carry between falcons, I wonder? I see I can also buy new weapons, but some say they are ‘damaged’, so I guess they don’t work as well as an undamaged one in some way. I haven’t yet reached a point where I feel I need to upgrade my weaponry but no doubt that is coming.
Exploring is fun, I like spotting things out in the wild and adding them to my map. Nice little detail that I always enjoy in a game. I like that thunderstorms show up on the map, but I’m not totally sure what the blue arrowed paths are, I thought they were maybe air currents that would ‘whoosh’ you along, but I can’t see that to be the case when I fly through one.
I literally just figured out the air currents. You have to be up high. Really high. You’ll see the current when you get there.
But yeah, you can save up money from side missions and buy mutagens to upgrade your bird, or buy the better one- I found that getting to 2600 or so splinters wasn’t that hard. I haven’t got that bird, though- I keep spending them on permits to unlock new places, but then there’s nothing really new at those places. Oh, well. You also gain actual levels, which at least increased my HP a tiny bit, which I’m thankful for (I don’t know if it increased anything else).
I’m currently feeling the need for better weapons- the story mission I’m on (and really any $600-payout side mission) you’re fighting multiple birds at once, and that is very tough.
some answers, yes the birds are a bit more expensive once unlocked thru a timetrial, In dunkle and at the seachantress locations you can buy the MEMORIAL chant, which is a passive ability that improves splinter retrieval from downed hostiles, and it will double your cashflows. Seachantresses have many more passive abilties called CHANTS. but you’ll need to find them, and some are locked to certain shrines you’ll need to have discovered.
damaged weapons are simply the lowest grade, there’s a start rating in the weapon as well. they go from damaged,worn, used, clean, pristine to sublime. basically 1-6 star weapons. and the more stars the more rate of fire and damage they carry.
mutagens and your bird is the only thing that does NOT carry over between chapters, or even birds, If you go to another chapter, the bird is probably dead, but a gun can be recovered and “inherited” so your xp, and inventory stay, but you get most of the cash from the bird and mutagens back.
(there is a bug in the cash return ATM, a patch will be available in a few days that fixes this, also adds mouse smoothing and mouse sensitivity sliders)
those blue things on the map, those are jetstreams, they are exactly what you think they are, but just really really high up. ;)
the MEMORIAL chant will be your friend in unlocking those beefier weapons. You can also escort traders when not on a mission for a little bit of cash, or go looking for treasure.
Additionally there are pirate ships south of the maw that also patrol the trade lanes, these also drop a sizable (800+ splinters) crate on destruction.
the side missions get better and more diverse and lucrative in chapter 2, 3 and 4
Chapter 1 is really a slooow and soft introduction.
in the next update you also get 1600 splinters after finishing the prologue, to help out in experimenting with mutagens and such…
the next time item rotates up as a reward you’ll get the splinter value.
But a seachantress token is required to buy CHANTS from the seachantress locations (sacred steps, redmouth and Witchrock).
basically passive abilities, (some require discovering a certain temple tho)…
there are abilities that recharge health or energy upon a kill, or that force a critical explosions on sub targets(that do splash damage), or allow you to get more boost from a jetstream, stuff like that