Albatroz Review (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, & PC)

As I journey along the southern coast of Kenya in my trusty old Landcruiser 95 series, sleeping in backpacker hostels and savoring white sand beaches, you can imagine the joy it brings me to delve into this Albatroz review. Just think: you could drop everything, leave behind your mundane urban life, and set out to explore nature in all its wonder and delight. You might backpack through Europe, witnessing majestic vistas for the first time. It’s all about chasing sunsets, a split-second decision you could make even now. But for more specific outdoorsy activities like hiking, you’d need a lot more planning and preparation before taking the leap.

Thankfully, games like Albatroz make it much easier to embark on wild adventures right from the comfort of your living room. They give you the chance to hike up wondrous mountain peaks in the name of adventure and thrill-seeking, all without ever risking your life or, more likely, busting your knee.

However, you have to boot the game up with the knowledge that it’s not exactly a full-on walking simulator or survival game. Sure, there is a mix of elements of either genre, but only to some degree. For all intents and purposes, check out our deep-dive Albatroz review highlighting what you can expect from the game.

Walking Mountain

In some fictional place called The Forgotten Lands, legend has it that there is a majestic mountain that moves. It’s unclear why the mountain is always on the move, but the game makes it a point to reveal the rather surprising sometime answer down the line. In addition to that mystery, Albatroz’s story weaves plenty of more twists, like the mysterious disappearance of protagonist Isla’s brother, Kai. 

He was an adventurer embarking on wildly dangerous quests that make Isla suspect Kai may have been wrapped up in the mystery of the moving mountain. But she takes her time before going after her brother. After all, she’d have to leave everything behind – her life in the city – for the unknown. In the end, she makes up her mind about dropping everything in search of her brother. But as she treads deeper into The Forgotten Lands, she begins to make exciting discoveries about her own passion for backpacking. 

And so we unravel multiple relatable themes of self-discovery, family, and loss, across the 15 to 20-hour playthrough. Albatroz does a fine job of crafting a solid story that carries forward the lonely hikes through dense jungles and steep mountain peaks. However, we also stumble upon exciting cultures along the way; thriving villages with all sorts of personalities. And some will join you on your journey as you draw closer to completing more dangerous quests.

Loyal to the Cause

My only gripe with Albatroz is that the story lacks profound dialogue and character development that will pull you further into its plot. The writing is wanting at times, with cheesy dialogue and hardly engaging story arcs. Besides the overarching plot of finding your missing brother, the finer details leave you wanting more exposition and intrigue. 

At least the characters who join your party have unique backstories that do receive enough attention to develop fully. And yet their backstories don’t quite compel you or leave a lasting impression. 

Meanwhile, voice acting could have been better. Well, at least as much as the soundtrack which is excellent. Nearly always, you listen to relaxing folk music that keeps you company as you trek over twigs and fallen rocks and make your way through vast greenery. 

Stop Over

While the environments are chockfull of nature’s wonders – rain-soaked forests, haphazard boulders, snow-capped mountain peaks in the distance – stumbling upon thriving villages does a great job of breaking the pace. You spend most of your time in nature, so much so that meeting bustling little towns is highly appreciated. Within these towns, you’ll interact with all sorts of townspeople, often needing your help.

And be sure to help them out as completing these side quests will earn you Travel Points. Now, the side quests themselves aren’t always the most exciting. Some will make you feel like an errand boy, getting from point A to B to fetch or deliver something. Worse? Talking to NPCs doesn’t always trigger the most engaging conversations. While some dialogue feels forced, others are too cheesy or too unnatural. 

But the Travel Points are worth the trouble. See, each party member has unique skills and abilities, including Isla, the protagonist. Isla can walk for longer, with a higher stamina. She’s also quite good at pitching tents. With Travel Points, you can make her an even better hiker and tent pitcher, which goes a long way to ease your way into the rest of your backpacking journey.

Try Not to Pass Out

You will need the upgrades in your abilities as Albatroz is also a survival game. While its survival gameplay doesn’t always go deep into resource management, it does brush lightly over it. For instance, you will need to keep your travelers quenched and fed. You’ll do so by collecting food and water resources along your journey. These aren’t always easy to spot, thus nudging you into carefully exploring your surroundings. 

It also means that you’ll need to plan and prepare before setting out into the wilderness. You have a backpack that can carry the items and resources you need for the journey. However, the backpack is usually limited in space, which is where upgrades from Travel Points can come in handy. With more space, you can carry more resources and journey for longer. 

But beyond food and water, there isn’t much survival to keep a close eye on. Your party troop can collapse from hunger and thirst. Or they may grow weary when you walk for too long. So, you also need to take care of your arms and legs. And you can upgrade your health with Travel Points, too. Otherwise, it’s a breeze hiking experience that can be the cozy playthrough you may be looking for. 

Finish Line

Now, some of the gameplay execution can be frustrating. Like the hunger and thirst mechanic. You may find the constant need to replenish your party members annoying. It can seem that at every step, you need to stop to drink water and eat. This can sometimes break the flow of the game, when you may otherwise want to get soaked in exploration and taking it all in. 

Because exploration is satisfying. Among Giants has done a great job designing wonderfully artistic environments. Mountains are majestic standing tall in the far end of the world. Lush forests sweep by you with charm and delight. The striking contrast of color and spice, from bright green to snow white, draws you in with ease. 

Unfortunately, though, the character models and animations are dated. They can look plastic when zoomed in, taking away some of the awe of The Forgotten Lands. In the same vein, the frame rate drops are wanting. They can easily be frustrating, especially when the game switches from Isla’s third-person to first-person flashbacks of her time with her brother. 

Performance-wise, Albatroz is in great need of an update. It’s technically clunky, with reported crashes. Of course, Among Giants is a small studio. I hardly expect the level of polish and implementation by Triple-A games. Still, the recent splurge of high-quality indie games has proven that a low budget can be enough. You can still have a high-performing game with compelling storytelling and gameplay, even if the game has come from a one-person team.

Verdict

Albatroz instantly looks artistic, with its fresh take on backpacking adventure games. It crafts a creative palette of nature and its wonders, weaving a fantasy story that grabs your attention from the get-go. Unfortunately, the execution of the story and gameplay leaves a lot to be desired. 

The premise kicks off with an engaging plot. You are introduced to relatable themes of self-discovery, family, and loss. However, as we meet new characters and discover thriving villages, the writing and delivery lag behind. Some dialogue are outright cheesy, while others feel forced. You find it hard to connect to the NPCs you meet and, as a result, hardly care about their roles. 

You do have character progression that gives you a reason to forge on. Helping the NPCs you meet earns you Travel Points, which go a long way in easing your journey. Soon, the Forgotten Lands opens up more, unlocking new areas to explore. Mysteries begin to untangle, as you draw closer and closer to your brother. 

I just wish the execution was better. Even the gameplay could use a little more fine-tuning. You constantly need to stop so you can drink water or eat, which after a while, grows boring. It veers too close to the edge of frustrating, which when you factor in the drastic frame rate drops, can be the deal breaker for you. The performance isn’t too great either, with reported crashes. 

Overall, Albatroz has immense potential for a cozy backpacking adventure. It has a potentially great story. However, it’s let down by clunky gameplay and bad performance. With an update, perhaps the game could redeem itself, especially for players who want a mix of walking simulator and light survival.