Aves Review

By , on September 19, 2009


Aves
  • Publisher: Ghost LLC
  • Genre: Action
  • Released: 18 Sep, 2009
  • Size: 77.6 MB
  • Price: $2.99
Download on the AppStore
3 out of 5

PROS

  • Great 3D sound design – using headphones to maximise the experience.
  • The game’s visuals are sharp and very detailed.

CONS

  • There is no story whatsoever; you are just killing birds in the clouds.
  • The tilt controls are a bit too sensitive to be used properly.
  • Only one game mode with no leaderboard options.

VERDICT

The core gameplay unfortunately lets down the impressive presentation. This game is not worth the current price.


  • Full Review
  • App Store Info

Aves is a surreal first person shooter in which players must shoot majestic looking birds with a bow and arrow. Not in a comical way, like you’re a drunk redneck hunter, but atop the clouds with an enchanted looking bow and arrow. In each level, players must kill a certain amount of birds in under a certain time limit. Players aren’t given a reason as to why they are killing these birds, leaving the game feeling a little too vague.

Players tilt the iPhone to turn and look up or down. They fire by dragging their finger back on the iPhone screen and releasing, similar to most bow and arrow style games. The controls are simple but the tilt sensitivity is quite hard to get right, you’ll either tilt too far or not enough.

The 3D visuals look great and utilize the developers Bioreplicant technology, using detailed and accurate 3D models of living things instead of pre-stored animations. But it's the game's sound that makes it truly standout; using GHOST binaural audio to create a fully 3D sound scape for the player to hear. But you will need to use headphones to appreciate it all in high quality.

The game features a number of single player levels with no online leaderboard options and tends to leave players with mixed emotions. Technically the game looks and sounds fantastic but as for game content, this is not a standout title. There is no story, no other game modes and the controls seem difficult to use. Ultimately, these issues tend to outweigh the otherwise exceptional presentation.

Screenshots

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