Aery – Calm Horizon Đánh giá (Xbox Series X|S)

Aery flutters its wings to the idyllic rhythm of a world in which aviation and the joy of flight quells the spirit of competition. In an attempt to reimagine the love of soaring through the sun-kissed landscapes of a quaint and serene diorama, Calm Horizon, specifically, opts to discard the traditional challenges in favor of a calm and oh-so-peaceful journey through the skies, not as a pilot, but as a little bird with an eye for magic crystals. And I suppose that’s what Aery is, in a nutshell: a love letter to aviation and all of the fleeting moments that flutter.

At its core, Aery is a relaxing flight simulation game that openly promotes the idea of gracefully soaring through picturesque landscapes in an effort to unleash a sense of belonging and freedom. It doesn’t demand that you, the bird, delicately rummage for priceless artifacts or progression-based items. Rather, it gives you the opportunity to take flight and explore at your own pace whilst collecting magical crystals. There are no leaderboards to climb, and there are no sour spots to carefully analyze. It’s just you, the open skies, and a soothing breeze that ushers you towards your next destination.

Calm Horizon is, to some extent, the definitive source for all things Aery-fixated. Given that it not only hosts its own tapestry of locations, but a bouquet of original settings from the previous chapters in the long-standing series, you could argue that it serves as the full package—the crowning achievement for the mantelpiece, and the all-time harbinger of the studio’s earlier creative works. In other words, it is, without a doubt, the best place for newcomers to the series to launch their first flight.

The idea behind Calm Horizon isn’t all that different than what you would have seen before. Like those that have kissed the horizon in the past, the objective is to glaze the skies with two petite wings and gather small crystals to reveal more of the world around you. There are no time limits, and there are no enemies to flee from. Again, it’s just you, the world, and a gentle tide of light that brings you closer and closer to a radiant skyline.

Aery isn’t a difficult series to navigate, nor is it one that requires extensive training in order to complete. As a small bird with the ability to finesse the laws of aviation, the only thing that matters most is how you choose to explore the world. You needn’t fret about evading predators, and you needn’t concern yourself with the dangers of the environment. The skies are open to you, and the goal is as clear as the blue that looms before your eyes.

While there isn’t much of a challenge for you to break out from the mists of Aery’s floating world, the game itself does provide a great opportunity to wax tranquil images with a soothing feeling that carries over to its simple yet satisfying gameplay style. Majestic, in all honesty, might be setting the bar a little too high. But, you get the gist of what I’m trying to say here. Aery isn’t the pain in the neck that you need it to be; it’s a joyful affair that you want and crave for the sake of being able to scratch that irritable mid-game itch. And I guess that’s all that you truly need here: escapism in the form of aviation.

Of course, it’s no secret that Aery has more flight paths and interwoven routes than any other bird-like bout of digitalized therapy on the market. That said, Calm Horizon definitely makes for one of the better installments in the rolling anthology, mainly due to the fact that it fosters a lot of pre-loved locations and memories that previously featured in the series. It also feels a lot smoother to glide through, too, with simple controls and a clean interface that allows for slick animations and clutter-free navigation.

Flower immediately springs to mind when I think of Aery. Similar in design, it removes the unnecessary complexity and jargon and instead focuses on the raw and simple elements of a short yet elegant journey. It might not deliver a fascinating storyline, or even a thought-provoking interlude with vast twists and turns. But it does, however, deliver exactly what it sets out to achieve: a beautiful handcrafted adventure that can and probably will keep you longing for the open skies even after the final ascent. That’s an Aery game for you, in a nutshell: short, elegant, and yet positively more-ish.

While it’s highly unlikely that you’ll find a brilliant flight simulator with enough challenges to curb your appetite here, you will find a comforting experience with plenty of wholesome trimmings to help keep your hunger for freedom at bay. Maybe that’s worth the price of admission alone, maybe it isn’t. For the target demographic, though, I’d say that Aery is as close to a breath of fresh air as you could possibly get.

Verdict

Aery – Calm Horizon takes the joy of flight to new heights with an alluring aviation experience that will keep you fluttering your wings and collecting crystals for hours. With a stacked collection of pre-loved areas and a generous host of picturesque dioramas to soar into, this definitive chapter more or less boasts the best of Aery’s work — and then some. Moreover, it feels like a complete work of art, with smoother controls, neater settings, and greater depth in its overall design. The question is, how can it go one step further?

Of course, if you’re hell-bent on flapping your wings to the rhythm of a faster bird song, then you might want to consider an alternate horizon to venture out to. If, however, you’re a fan of the Aery series and wish to experience the full weight of the saga in a neatly crafted world that offers all of the fleeting moments of the original, then I’d recommend taking a chance on Calm Horizon the next time you’re passing through.