Welcome to Snapshot! In a nutshell – Snapshot is a little feature that provides a snapshot of information on a game that we have checked out or have been playing recently. The article will feature screenshots, and a general overview of our opinion of the game without a review score.
In a world currently in the midst of a pandemic and uncertainty, it makes sense to take any opportunity to relax. The majority of us have had daily challenges and battles. Home and work life adjusted with rules and regulations in place. Hospitality closed for prolonged periods of time and live sport became a no-go until recently. This meant a lot of us had to entertain ourselves. For me, gaming has been a massive part of my life and stimulates my mind and soul. This may sound extremely dramatic but it is one hundred percent factual. Gaming is my happy place, it is where I spend my time unwinding. Whether it is shooting people in the head on a first-person shooter or working through an engaging storyline. Video games are essential for enthusiasts of the hobby.
Just chill out!
Aery – Calm Mind is developed and published by EpiXR Games UG and launched on Xbox and other platforms on 22nd July 2021. The experience of this game is to relax your mind and empty the thoughts that may cloud your brain. You take the role of a bird, exploring beautiful landscapes and collecting the feathers of your little bird friend.
There are no risk factors here, there are no enemies. This means no conflict, no death, and nothing to interfere with your spanning your wings and just focusing on the flight. It really is a game you can just sit back and enjoy after a high adrenaline session across other titles. I spent a few hours with Aery – Calm Mind just before I went to bed and it really chilled me out in more ways than I could have imagined.
Take it at your own pace!
The game is designed to be taken at entirely your own pacing. The introductory message informs you that this is a short playthrough with eight levels each broken up into two portions. Boasting sixteen landscapes each different and vary in aesthetic appearance. The goal is super simple, fly around the game world and collect the required amount of feathers to complete each level. Each section rewards you with an achievement. For game completionists out there, this will be a guaranteed one thousand gamerscore for you in under two hours.
Pretty visuals and soothing sounds
Where Aery – Calm Mind excels with the wonderfully orchestrated visual environments. They all appeared to be visually diverse with no level feeling similar in looks. Some worlds appear much better than others, but for the most part, I was satisfied to see something different every time. Gameplay can become quickly repetitive and could become stale for some players. You have to understand what the developers are trying to achieve here though. The game isn’t designed to challenge or bring groundbreaking gameplay. The focus is to make the user relaxed, mellow, and happy and it hit the spot in this regard for me. The only criticism I would make is very occasionally it is hard to spot feathers against some of the brighter backdrops.
The music makes the game what it is. Several tracks chime through with super easy to listen to melodies which really make you feel at ease and happy. Bravo to the development team in this area.
In Conclusion
Aery – Calm Mind might actually be the most relaxing video game I’ve ever had the joy of playing. If the interaction with this title is taken with how is intended to be played, then it ticks all boxes. Whilst there isn’t an abundance of content on offer, there is enough to keep you busy for a few short hours. It is accessible to all ages and abilities and I will introduce my three-year-old son to this to extend the game’s longevity. Relax your mind and cleanse your soul, breathe, smile and grab those easy achievements.