| Rating: |  |
| EU Release Date: | Apr 22, 2013 |
| Publisher: | Antanas Marcelionis |
| Developer: | Antanas Marcelionis |
| Total play time: | 00:60:00 (approx.) |
The Howler is a beautiful, hand-drawn game with a simple concept from Lithuanian developer Antanas Marcelionis. Based on steampunk novel The Hour of the Wolf by Andrius Tapinas, you control a little hot air balloon above the Free City of Vilnius in 1905, piloted by Antanas Sidabras. The missions start simple with small tasks such as collecting and delivering packages over buildings, but the further you go, the more complex the tasks.
The gameplay is simple, but can be achieved in a variety of ways depending on your platform. You can click with a mouse on PC, touch the screen with a mobile device or even make noise to make the balloon rise. Then, by keeping quiet or not touching, you can let it sink again. A sharp, loud noise (or space bar, or double tap) will allow you to drop any cargo in your balloon. But your direction and speed is completely at the mercy of the winds and your balloon is delicate. Rise too high and your balloon will be lost. Hit a building and it will explode. For such a simple game, it is surprisingly challenging. Be prepared to redo some of the levels a few times before you get it right!
Float your balloon around obstacles to win.
The soundtrack to this game is subtle, but effective. During the levels, you have gentle wind effects with bird calls and the menus have a little bit of music. Other sound effects add atmosphere throughout, but in general it is a fairly quiet game… until the balloon explodes. That made me jump a couple of times.
Overall, this is a fun little game, ideal for wasting a few minutes here and there. Some of the levels can be a little frustrating, but as a distraction from other stresses in life, it’s not bad. What’s more, it’s less than £1 on Steam.
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