Review – Storm Boy: The Game
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch (reviewed), PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Mobile
- Developer: Blowfish Studios
- Publisher: Blowfish Studios
- Release Date: November 20th, 2018
Video games as a medium have an unparalleled ability to bring stories to life. Blowfish Studios bring to life a story of forming a bond with an unlikely pet with Storm Boy: The Game. While Storm Boy does a great job of adapting the story, the mini games spread throughout the experience are definitely hit and miss.
Storm Boy: The Game is an interactive adaptation of Colin Thiele’s 1964 children’s book of the same name. The game follows a young boy named Storm Boy, who comes across three baby pelicans. After raising the pelicans to the point where they can survive on their own, the pelicans are released back into the world. One pelican however, named Mr. Percival, stays by Storm Boy’s side and becomes the child’s pet.
As you navigate Storm Boy across each setting in a linear fashion, the words of the story appear and fade as you move across the screen. There are some mini games sprinkled throughout the game that aid the storytelling for the most part, although the majority of the mini games feel like mundane filler. The mini game portions of Storm Boy are mostly optional, so if you just want to take in the story you can do so.
Storm Boy features a gorgeous art style reminiscent of a hand-painted children’s book. There are several shots of beautiful sunsets as your character strolls on the beach, and there is one particular mini game where Storm Boy and Mr. Percival take a raft out into the ocean that really showcases how stunning the game can be visually.
Storm Boy: The Game is a great title for parents with young children who want to reinvent story time, especially since the runtime of the game is roughly 20-25 minutes, or gamers who had the story read to them as children. With that being said, the mini games leave a lot to be desired, and overall the game doesn’t elevate the story quite as much as it could have.
A Nintendo Switch review code for Storm Boy: The Game was provided by Blowfish Studios
