Developer Hollow Ponds, Richard Hogg
Publisher Annapurna Interactive
Format PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series
Origin UK
Release 2023
Granted an early look at Richard Hogg and Ricky Haggett's latest game, we're almost immediately struck by a thought, which we quickly jot down: '3D co-op Hohokum?' Flock certainly has a similar blend of vibrancy and serenity, the kind that suggests this might be a spiritual successor to their first collaboration. When we put that same question to the pair, we're quietly heartened to discover that our instincts aren't too far wide of the mark. "We very much wanted to make a game that had the same sort of exuberant, hooning-around feel of Hohokum," Hogg nods.
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1387349800/1662560442/articles/IZIaXuMt51662981835914/5466655514.jpg]
Yet beyond the obvious shift to three dimensions and the inclusion of multiplayer, there are some other major differences. "If people are expecting a game like Hohokum in the sense that it feels really nice to gather up a big collection of things and just whizz around the place, then they're going to be happy," Haggett adds. "But if they're expecting it to be a really obtuse, exploratory, experimental place where they're [having to] figure out what they're supposed to do, then they're going to be disappointed."
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1387349800/1662560442/articles/IZIaXuMt51662981835914/1519691565.jpg]
Flock, then, is a more approachable game than Hohokum and a slightly more conventional one: it has clearly defined objectives and a stronger sense of progression. It begins with your character taking over a flock of hover-sheep from an ageing shepherd: flying around on a large bird, you gather them up and they automatically follow, resembling a trail of fluffy clouds. "Your first job," Haggett explains, "is to take these sheep around, leave them in meadows to graze, and then they start to fatten up and get woolly". At which point you can bring them back and shear them, producing items of clothing with which you can customise your shepherd. "That's the kind of metagame background loop that causes you to roam around this world."
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1387349800/1662560442/articles/IZIaXuMt51662981835914/9966556525.jpg]
But as you do, you'll notice that sheep aren't the only creatures here: you'll find fish, eels and even giant sky-whales. Your avian mount proves attractive to them all, which is handy when you encounter a naturalist who is keen on documenting the wildlife of this world. And among these various species (or "families", as Haggett puts it) there will be special, rare variants. "Mythical' is the word we're using at the moment," Hogg interjects. "By accumulating the more common creatures, there's a way in which you then can get these mythical creatures. And that drives the story of the game."
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1387349800/1662560442/articles/IZIaXuMt51662981835914/2245515999.jpg]
We can't help but notice the abundance of aquatic fauna here. While the graceful movement of the flock reminds us a little of Flower, Hogg says the shoals in Abzû were a much stronger influence. The pair are aiming to capture the simple elegance of a shoal in motion. As such, you won't need to worry about the height at which you're flying, with the bird adjusting its ...
Publisher Annapurna Interactive
Format PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series
Origin UK
Release 2023
Granted an early look at Richard Hogg and Ricky Haggett's latest game, we're almost immediately struck by a thought, which we quickly jot down: '3D co-op Hohokum?' Flock certainly has a similar blend of vibrancy and serenity, the kind that suggests this might be a spiritual successor to their first collaboration. When we put that same question to the pair, we're quietly heartened to discover that our instincts aren't too far wide of the mark. "We very much wanted to make a game that had the same sort of exuberant, hooning-around feel of Hohokum," Hogg nods.
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1387349800/1662560442/articles/IZIaXuMt51662981835914/5466655514.jpg]
Yet beyond the obvious shift to three dimensions and the inclusion of multiplayer, there are some other major differences. "If people are expecting a game like Hohokum in the sense that it feels really nice to gather up a big collection of things and just whizz around the place, then they're going to be happy," Haggett adds. "But if they're expecting it to be a really obtuse, exploratory, experimental place where they're [having to] figure out what they're supposed to do, then they're going to be disappointed."
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1387349800/1662560442/articles/IZIaXuMt51662981835914/1519691565.jpg]
Flock, then, is a more approachable game than Hohokum and a slightly more conventional one: it has clearly defined objectives and a stronger sense of progression. It begins with your character taking over a flock of hover-sheep from an ageing shepherd: flying around on a large bird, you gather them up and they automatically follow, resembling a trail of fluffy clouds. "Your first job," Haggett explains, "is to take these sheep around, leave them in meadows to graze, and then they start to fatten up and get woolly". At which point you can bring them back and shear them, producing items of clothing with which you can customise your shepherd. "That's the kind of metagame background loop that causes you to roam around this world."
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1387349800/1662560442/articles/IZIaXuMt51662981835914/9966556525.jpg]
But as you do, you'll notice that sheep aren't the only creatures here: you'll find fish, eels and even giant sky-whales. Your avian mount proves attractive to them all, which is handy when you encounter a naturalist who is keen on documenting the wildlife of this world. And among these various species (or "families", as Haggett puts it) there will be special, rare variants. "Mythical' is the word we're using at the moment," Hogg interjects. "By accumulating the more common creatures, there's a way in which you then can get these mythical creatures. And that drives the story of the game."
[https://cdn.magzter.com/1387349800/1662560442/articles/IZIaXuMt51662981835914/2245515999.jpg]
We can't help but notice the abundance of aquatic fauna here. While the graceful movement of the flock reminds us a little of Flower, Hogg says the shoals in Abzû were a much stronger influence. The pair are aiming to capture the simple elegance of a shoal in motion. As such, you won't need to worry about the height at which you're flying, with the bird adjusting its ...
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Edge Uk (Digital) - 1 Issue, November 2022