The Falconeer review – I love that we live in a world where there's a launch title like this

I love that we’re living in a time where The Falconeer can be an Xbox Series X/S launch title. Here is a game made by one person – one! – standing alongside blockbusters like Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, and not looking out of place.

The Falconeer reviewDeveloper: Tomas SalaPublisher: Wired ProductionsPlatform: Played on Xbox Series SAvailability: Available now for £25 on Steam and Xbox. Enhanced on Xbox Series S/X

More than that, it shines. Check out the screenshots in this article. They’re some of the most striking images I’ve taken in any game. It’s a combination of simple elements coming together in a powerful way, and that’s before you factor in movement. The pictures don’t tell you how it feels to a giant falcon around a moody archipelago. They don’t express the serenity of it, the peace and quiet up there in the clouds, wingtips carving an airstream as you glide silently above.

But what I really love is how singular it feels. There is an undiluted grand vision to the game, the kind that can only survive because it’s hidden inside one head. A committee would probably have shortened it, focused it, honed it. And in some ways, The Falconeer would be stronger for it. But it wouldn’t be as authentic. It would no longer be an intriguing kind of personal statement, and no longer feel like venturing into another person’s mind.

Let’s backtrack. The Falconeer is an aerial combat game a bit like Panzer Dragoon. You fly a giant falcon around, shooting at other other enemies in the sky, and sometimes in the sea, and sometimes on the land. And everything you do revolves around that core.