A fantastic adventure game masquerading as a mediocre RPG.
Which of these ends of the score spectrum this game deserves depends a lot on whether you think of the game as what it is rather than what it intends to be. Faery, when all is said and done, is a really fantastic, immersive adventure game. It incorporates RPG elements, and it claims to be an RPG..but it really just isn't one.
If you read both the praises and criticisms of this game in other user reviews, you'll find that for the most part, they're all true, pro and con.
Yes, the game is absolutely gorgeous with an immersive soundtrack. Yes, it's an innovative and interesting story with some truly innovative gameplay elements.
And yes, the combat is unbelievably easy, there's no dialogue, and the level-ups are little more than a fashion show for your character.
But a huge amount of the pleasure of this game comes from the simple things. You can spend hours just flying over the landscapes because it's fun and beautiful experience. Exhilarating.
But it's not entirely simple. You'll also spend hours scouring the locations for the hidden elements you need to find and the easter eggs you can find on top of them. This is an adventure of the old school, where it may take hours to find everything you need to in locations that may be nothing more than a single ship. Remember, you're a faery. Faeries are small. Human ships are large, especially when they're the Flying Dutchman.
This game goes back to the pixel-hunting approach of adventure games of yore, but it's so well-built even pixel hunting is fun. Especially in 3-D. Did I mention just flying around is a blast?
You'll level up, and with each level up there are skills to learn a la your typical RPG. Unfortunately, since you can beat almost any enemy in the game with a very limited set of skills, leveling is hardly even necessary. But, in an adventure game touch that's quite compelling, each level-up, armor or weapon type causes your character to metamorphasize in a fascinating and beautiful way. You may gain a tattoo, a different set of wings, a tail, etc. Leveling is little more than a fashion show for your characters, but your characters are so beautifully rendered that you'll find yourself enjoying that show a lot.
In a way, it's refreshing not to have to power game this one. Like the look of the water upgrade despite being a fire character? Knock yourself out, you'll still be able to beat any villain that comes your way.
Yes, the story is silent, and yes, there are typos from time to time in the text. The dialogue itself is a weird mixture of very polished UK English and what is reminiscent of badly-translated Japanese. But the story itself is unique, different and not something you'll find elsewhere.
I found this game a lot of fun to play despite its limitations. And that came down to seeing it for what it is - a compelling adventure game that adds new twists and wrinkles to tried and true formulas in a gorgeous environment dripping with well-crafted atmosphere.
If you're a hard core RPG addict looking for the next Oblivion, you'll be sorely disappointed here. But if you like a great adventure game that combines traditional elements in a new and unusual way, the charm of this title will win you over.