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Take a breather from GTA 6 hype with Flock’s brilliant new demoFlamingo schmingos
Flamingo schmingos
Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Annapurna Interactive
Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Annapurna Interactive
(Extra shoutouts to the “The Snoot” nose type (“Boop not included”, FYI), as well as “The Startled Rabbit” and “Half Eggshell” haircuts, the former of which is described as “pigtails but with superb lift” while the latter is all about embracing “the ‘just hatched’ aesthetic).
Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Annapurna Interactive
Flying around on your giant winged stead feels wonderful under the thumbs, calling to mind the effortless, graceful gliding of Journey andAbzu. I had a great time just nosing about its whimsical fields and rooting out new critters for my creature guide, and I’m really looking forward to poking around its full map when it launches next spring.
The demo also finally gets to the bottom of exactly what how your titular flock of sheep work as well. After all, Flock isn’t just about charming strange little abstract animal pals to follow you around. It’s also about grazing sheep, which you’ll deposit on special meadows while you soar around the world on the back of your giant bird. The devs wouldn’t reveal exactlywhat secrets lay within these meadowswhen I spoke to them back in July, but the demo reveals it’s all to do with collecting special whistles that let you charm specific types of creatures. A wily gang of Burgling Bewls come and steal your aunt’s whistle collection early on, you see, so it’s up to you to go and retrieve them from where the bewls have hidden themselves in the long meadow grass.
The Basking Bewls (right) are a lot more chill than their Burgling Bewl cousins (left). “Is a menace” couldn’t be more accurate. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Annapurna Interactive
It’s an extremely pleasant way to while away a lunch hour, and I’d strongly encourage you to find some time today to give a go yourself. It should be playable for the rest of the week as well as part of Wholesome Games' Wholesome Snack festivities, so make sure you grab it fromSteambefore it’s gone.
Disclosure: Pipp Warr, formerly on this parish, is a designer and writer for Flock, which almost certainly explains why those haircut descriptions are so on point.
