Dune Sea Review

The Titled Goose Game

For a great deal of people, the visuals speak to the experience of the video game you’re looking for. From the pulse-pounding madness of the first-person shooter, to the relaxing flow of a game such as Bejeweled, a picture can tell us everything we need to know for a prospective purchase. Dune Sea by Frolic Labs is a game whose minimalist visuals and simple premise mask an experience which grows into something beyond its humble presentation. While not an adrenaline-filled rush, Dune Sea proves to be an addictive experience that will leave you surprised with how many times you find yourself at the edge of your seat.

The Open Skies

You are the Canada Goose. Breaking away from your flock in a vast desert, you will soar through intuitively designed levels that will test your wit and wings. These locales are packed with clever puzzles and personality. Ring trials and collectibles test your skill and aptitude with the easy to grasp flying ability and goes hand-in-hand with the evolving world around you as you move from desert, to forest and beyond. The flying is in no way shallow, either. Your goose can dive-bomb, turn on a dime and jet through the sky at incredible speeds as you navigate these perilous stages. While you are offered a break every once in a while to regain mismanaged Stamina, which you can also be replenished mid-flight by scoring collectibles floating all over each stage, you’ll seldom want to stay for long to keep the ride flowing. While there is a bit of a difficulty curve in the Flappy Bird inspired control scheme, once you get it down flying like a bird becomes an effortless and addictive experience that hurts a little more each time you end up crashing.

Free As A Bird

While you are locked to a side-scrolling perspective, the stages in Dune Sea are surprisingly large and offer a ton of freedom to fly around. While later stages can become incredibly challenging, the game offers a ‘Zen Mode’ that allows for uninterrupted play. This can be the perfect way to polish up your flying abilities or just have a laid-back session of pure flying bliss. It’s also surprisingly engaging to build your flock as you soar through the wild blue yonder. If you encounter a wayward flock of birds, simply honk at them and one will join you on your migration. It is a visually satisfying experience to see your diverse flock of misfit birds fly through the skies together and creates a strong sense of progression as you soar with them on your journey. The fixed camera angles also gives the game a cinematic quality that while jarring at first, becomes an event that will make you grin in satisfaction each time you see it.

Avian Awesomeness

Dune Sea is a unique game. It takes the relaxing, laid-back atmosphere we have come to enjoy in titles such as Minecraft or Animal Crossing: New Horizons and combines it with controls that are engaging and deep. It allows you to experience it all at your own pace with Zen Mode which can double as a sort of training mode to sharpen your flying skills. The minimalist levels house some great sequences of soaring triumphs and painful crashes for those playing on Classic mode. It may be easy for you to put down after an hour or two, but you’ll find it just as easy to pick it up after a few hours away from it as well. While not exactly for the hard-core gamer, Dune Sea offers an engaging experience for those looking for an exhilarating game that won’t consume every moment of your free time.