| Fly Like a Bird | |
|---|---|
 The thumbnail to the second game featuring a pigeon amidst skyscrapers. | |
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Release |
2005 |
|
Amount |
3 |
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Produced w/ |
Unity3D |
Fly Like a Bird is a series of flight simulators, in which the player takes the form of a bird – the main objective being to find the game's "chips" (which are scattered throughout the map) and poo on traffic wardens.
First produced in Unity3D as an experiment in 2005, the game's release on January 18 saw an unexpected bout of success and the creator went on to make a second and third installation in the following years.
Gameplay[]
In all three games, the player is tasked to find chips that fill their "poo-o-meter", which are often required in order to poo on traffic wardens and (in the later MMO features) other players. In the third release, birds are able to nest and lay eggs that give the player extra lives when hatched.
MMO enables players to chat online in established servers. Different birds may have different advantages in-game (i.e. smaller birds – such as robins and starlings – are able to enter beneath the house in the Hillscape map).
Development[]
Fly Like a Bird 1[]
According to Gamevial, Fly Like a Bird was originally produced as an experiment "built for the sake of curiosity". Having recently mastered walking characters and 3D animal models, Gamevial sought to go a step further and incorporate the concept of flight into their latest project.
Initially, the game lacked any other objective besides aimlessly flying around the city, and in order to keep the experience interesting, Gamevial added a feature known as a "poo-o-meter" – a concept that had been encouraged upon by outside sources. This idea would remain intact in the game's second and third releases.
Fly Like a Bird 2[]
As the original model lacked any kind of detail and the game itself proved to go insanely fast with the production of new computers, Gamevial sought to recreate the game. The bird was formed into a pigeon and more detail was added into its plumage and design. With the release of the second, the game now saw an MMO feature, in which players from around the world could play, fight, and chat together through servers. Fly Like a Bird 2 went on to become successful – even being published on third-party websites.
Fly Like a Bird 3[]
Fly Like a Bird 3 was released in 2010 with the addition of two, new birds: Crow and Seagull. The cityscape was expanded, and a nesting feature was also added. Over the next year or so, the game underwent gradual changes through updates that were broadcasted via the official "Gamevial" Facebook page. New maps were added, and a total of six more birds.
Reception[]
Fly Like a Bird proved to be a critical success online. The game's first release saw a ton of emails, according to the creators, and generally positive reviews – with many noting its unique concept. Google Trends reveals that search results for "Fly Like a Bird 3" reached a peak in mid-2012.