One part scathing histrionic takedown of the beloved Anas platyrhynchos, one part genre innovator that challenges the preconceptions of what it means to be a "rouge-like indie game."

I was immediately gumbersmucked by the title screen backing track, a haunting declaration of the core themes the game will confidently tackle throughout its ~10 hour runtime.

While drawing from other popular rogue-likes the level of choice at every intersection is staggering! Do I burn the trees? Eat them? Chop them down for some wood? The choice is yours. Here's the catch: the same answers will almost never lead to the exact same results. If try to burn those trees again they may get the jump on you and attack!

This brings me to the combat. All I can say is wow what a doozy. Simple on the surface but bonecrushing and strategic when you get to the meat and potatoes of it all. Borrowing from the obscure cult-like wonder RPG known as Earthbound the game implements a rolling HP meter. Well... not quite, in fact it's nothing like that, quite the opposite. Using items that restore more HP (such as Feastables sponsored by the internet superstar Mr. Beast) than your limit will actually allow it to overflow and increase your max health. Now that's what I call ingenuity!

Multiple endings aren't new in the realm of video games but the method at which Bird Quest handles them is absolutely masterful. Bird Quest asks the tough questions: do you TRULY understand yourself? Do you understand BIRDS? Personally I decided to align myself with Bird as I empathized with his plight. Little did I know I would be attacked by an opposing faction championing ideals such as law and rules. Zionism? Not on their watch. I wiped the floor with those vermin as me and Bird danced on their graves and stirred up chaos in their wake.

The Phoenix Rises