Owl’s Midnight Journey is an Android game that delivers a calm and atmospheric endless runner experience for players that are looking for something a little more lighthearted to get stuck into. It puts players in control of an Owl trying to make it through the night, one that needs to hunt on small mice and rodents to keep going as well as collect drops of moonlight to attribute to the player’s overall score. It features simple controls, good-looking graphics and an atmospheric soundtrack that should please the majority of users out there. As Android games go, this is something that might make a long day seem that much better at the end of it. So, let’s take it for a spin, shall we?
This is a free game, and players can download Owl’s Midnight Journey from the Play Store to get started. There are some ads as well as the opportunity to pay for in-app purchases to remove these and unlock other content, too. There are no hoops to jump through at the beginning of the game, aside from the need to give Ow’s Midnight Journey access to your storage. I’m not entirely sure why it needs this, however.
Once you’ve done this, the game will start to load and users will be able to see some of the great artwork that goes into making Owl’s Midnight Journey such an atmospheric and pleasing game.
Players that are playing this for the first time will be introduced to Owl’s Midnight Journey via way of the tutorial, which does a good job of getting players familiar with the simple controls as well as what the game is all about.
The controls in Owl’s Midnight Journey are really simply to use, and are actually quite similar to those in Jetpack Joyride, Flappy Bird and other similar games. In a nutshell, users need to tap and hold to keep the Owl flying high. Collecting pieces of moonlight as shown in the above shot will lead to players being able to activate special powers after a little while.
There is the full moon Owl power, which basically gives players a boost in a straight line without needing to control the Owl. On top of this there’s also the need to hunt, which sees players having to swipe down on the display quickly – simulating an Owl’s swoop – which will help keep the Owl going.
Something I enjoyed when playing this was the option to perform tricks, there are obstacles that will give the Owl a speed boost when looped around and such, and they often add to the moon light power, too.
The score is in the top corner of the game, and this is basically what keeps players going. The general premise of the gameplay is certainly one of an endless runner game, and while that put off some players, this is one that has a lot of atmosphere and a great feeling to it. I really enjoyed the game, and while I am still working on my top scores, and I can certainly see why the game is starting to take off.
Despite being an endless runner sort of game, there are levels and users will need to fulfill certain goals in each of them to unlock the next level. Of course, this isn’t quite as easy as it first seems. To keep things nice and fresh, the game offers users a different choice of Owls.
These can either be purchased outright there and then, or users can trade in the feather that they’ve collected throughout their play time. Speaking of purchases, the in-app purchases within Owl’s Midnight Journey are laid out well, and don’t harbor any surprises or anything like that.
While I had no problems with the way that the developer had laid out their in-app purchases and such here, I did feel that some of the fullscreen ads – which admittedly don’t appear very often – were jarring and not very well selected at all. Imagine seeing the below ad – which happened to me – after a calming journey through the woods at night?
Owl’s Midnight Journey was a nice breath of fresh air for a player like myself, who enjoys endless runner games but also misses the structure and overall respect for presentation that so many of them lack. Here is a game that has some great graphics, a great atmosphere and some of the better sounds and music that I’ve heard in an indie game for some time. I think this is a great game for not only challenging yourself, but also unwinding at the end of a long day and taking in the moonlight and majesty of the 3D animated Owl of your choice. It might sound a little pretentious but Owl’s Midnight Journey is the sort of game that will both relax as well as get players going all at the same time. The different levels and different challenges lay out simple and achieveable goals for players to complete and for a free game, it sure has a lot to offer players of all ages and tastes.
Ratings
- Speed (4/5) – Owl’s Midnight Journey runs well, and the pacing of the game is nice as well.
- Theme (4/5) – This sort of look and feel isn’t going to be for everyone, but I really enjoyed it and it will be a breath of fresh air to a lot of players, casual or otherwise.
- Features (4/5) – Despite feeling quite a bit like Flappy Bird, Owl’s Midnight Journey adds in some extra mechanics as well as a realistic feel for an Owl’s flight to help it stand tall above most other similar titles.
- Overall (4/5) – It won’t be for everyone, but Owl’s Midnight Journey is the sort of game that will appeal a little bit to everyone, and that’s more important that many will first realize.
Pros
- Great look and feel with some excellent atmospheric artwork and realistic flight for our Owl.
- Simple control scheme will appeal to younger players as well as those that are a little more casual in what they like to pick up and play.
- Good music and sound effects help with the calming and atmospheric feel to the game.
- Obstacles, moon light power and hunting mechanics and more all go to help the overall feel of the game and give it a little more for players to get behind.
Cons
- Some of the ads that appear could be better selected as they don’t seem to fit in with what the game is all about.
- While varied, the mechanics within the game might become a little stale for those that really enjoy the game.
All-in-all, Owl’s Midnight Journey is a game that will appeal to a wide range of players, no matter their age or skill level. With some great-looking graphics and a really nice soundtrack, there’s a hell of a lot to like about Owl’s Midnight Journey, and it’s not too expensive to graduate to the full version, all the while giving players a lot to enjoy and keep coming back to.