Preview: Owlboy

By: Derek Yu

On: September 4th, 2008

Owlboy

How could I not post about a game that’s called Owlboy? Especially when it’s by the Project Rhapsody team (now called D-pad Studio). Described by the game’s artist, Snake, as “a free-roaming flying game with dungeons,” Owlboy is heading to this year’s IGF as a PC and Xbox 360 Community Games title. That’s the plan, at least!

Holy hell this game looks good. Like, finger-lickin’ good.

  • Kvalsternacka

    Oh god. I need to change pants.

  • Stwelin

    Snake? Owls? How could this game fail?

  • Ryan

    Those are godly pixels. I am imagining metal-slug esque animations in my mind. This game is going to be gooooood O_O.

  • Zeno

    But wheeeeeeeeeen?

  • Furries

    FURRIES

  • http://www.tscreative.net BMcC

    Owlboy?! Truly the stuff of nightmares!

  • ChrisL

    Oh dear sweet jebus. Those screenshots are beautiful.

  • MP

    That’s some nice art. I’m looking forward to this one.

  • alspal

    Reminds me of those bird people from Wind Waker.

  • Exoduster

    So he’s an owl, and a boy?

    I don’t get it.

    By the way, did Snake ever make any more progress on that circus strongman cave exploration game?

  • Satsuz

    All I can think of is this horrific episode of Tales from the Crypt, where some guy’s (a burglar/safecracker, IIRC)face fell apart an exploded into disgusting owliness. Thanks for bringing the nightmares back, Derek.

  • http://eligame.blogspot.com/ Eli

    This game is exciting in so many ways; I esp. like whats going on in the screen-shot labeled ’emotional’. Interesting stuff.

  • Debbie Downer

    Should be “it’s,” not “its.” That misspelling ruins the whole thing for me.

  • Fawful

    Is there any sort of site that keeps up with Xbox Community Games? Seems like there should be more news out there considering how many XNA games are in development, but it’s hard to track down the sites/blogs for every random group of people who are making stuff.

  • Lim-Dul

    *Owlboy is heading to this year’s IGF as a PC and Xbox 360 Community Games title.*

    And DS? Please, please!

  • Twisted Rabbit

    AETHER!!!!! go GISH PEOPLE! Aether makes sick panda happy. (but still sick)

  • Dusty Spur

    This looks beautiful.

  • Adam

    Well that made me feel totally shit LOL. Im going to bed.

  • http://www.kyleyoungblom.com/blog Kyle

    Hot dang, that looks gorgeous! Way to not have an RSS feed there D-pad Studio.

  • deadeye

    Those are some of the holy-shittinest pixels I’ve seen in a while. Holy shit.

  • Zaphos

    This looks totally brilliant :)

  • Valkyrie

    Even the most HDR, normal-map addict in the world could look at Snake’s pixelwork and have a small orgasm. On my to-watch list.

  • http://www.mawsoft.com/blog/ Impossible

    Needs more bloom.

  • IceD

    Looks fantastic to me! It reminds me the classical works of Henk Nieborg and good ol’ Lomax. It’s even darn good enough to say it’s possibly better than some of his earlier works, and I’m making sacrilege, but hell what – guys at Dpad deserve this :D

  • Secret Admirer

    FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK

  • DrDerekDoctors

    That does look like the sex.

  • http://lumberingdream.com/ !CE-9

    badgers, please.

  • ChevyRay

    I love the colors and pixelwork in that shot. The concept for the main characters is awesome as well.

    I’d like to see how this unfolds.

  • coloFool

    Wow, so purty!
    Hope this gets done!

  • scorchedMIRTH

    Oh Wow! It’s free AND it involves roaming. I can’t wait.

  • Blake

    Thanks a lot for the front page mention, Derek. It’s nice to hear all the positive comments!

    We’ll be working hard to make sure Owl Boy’s adventure is an fun one, and I’m sure before long we’ll try and get some videos up too.

  • http://www.kokoromi.org FISH

    hot damn.

  • Turniper

    It is going to be an instant classic upon release, believe my word.

  • Quetz

    It’s like Wind Waker (funny I thought of that too alspal) and Final Fantasy XI made a delicious pixel-art baby. The description Snake gave for gameplay doesn’t sound overly astounding, but I know him to be modest!

  • Quetz

    Sorry for the double post, but these screenshots.. they’re so beautiful! ;_;

    Some day I’ll get to play this, and that makes me so happy.

  • http://www.0xdeadc0de.org/ Eclipse

    looks good, i hope the free-roaming is not like the one in Cave Story, because even if you can travel around that part it’s almost non-existant and doesn’t add nothing to the game…

    @scorchedMIRTH: it will not be free at all dude

  • http://del_duio.sitesled.com Del Duio

    Aw man.. This is awesome but just think how much more awesome it would have been had it been named..

    WALLET BOY!

  • konjak

    DIVORCE PAPERS BOY!

  • Yaen

    GARNISHED WAGES BOY

    Thanks for all the compliments about our game. The exposure here and on Kotaku has been a real shot in the arm for all of us.

  • YM

    More screenshots at Pixelation:

    http://www.wayofthepixel.net/pixelation/index.php?topic=7038.0

    Looks orgasmic.

  • soupy

    WIND WAKER RIPOFF