Toroa: Skycall

I got this in a bundle I think, and that is where I am basing this review. It was about 2 hours or so end to end, and is part education and part albotross flight simulator. If you use flight sims, be sure to invert the controls -_- It is short, low key / relaxing, and not hitting you with too much so as a very chill experience I give it a 6.5/10 in a bundle / 80%+ discount from the posted USD$12.99 price. Unless you want to support the devs, then of course pay more for it. I don't think I learned anything serious about Maori culture, except perhaps how modern Maori speak (reminds me of native Hawaiian slang a little). Also learned that garbage cleaning robots are canon -_-

Look is great and all it gets I really enjoy flying around and mmeting creatures and everything, but the controls oh god, I can't fly right without the bird flying whatever it wants, it doesn't resond to commands, running before take off sometimes doesn't work even when pressing the said button, if Toroa collides onto something or you press another thing while flying it loses al control, if you try to land on currents you are doomed to be slow forever you can't recover your speed meaning I got stuck in a cave because I can't recover my speed. Overall is good is just the controls sometimes don't work or get bugged and is something worth checking. And the ability to land on currents and take off on them (maybe speed bonus?) I can't play the game in that state, flying is very difficult. i can't recommend it as much as I liked it.

Beautiful experience. Relaxing and mesmerizing.

Toroa: Skycall is a tranquil flight adventure that transforms the long-distance journey of an albatross into an atmospheric exploration of nature, family, culture, and environmental responsibility. Developed and published by Atawhai Interactive, it deliberately avoids the complexity of a traditional flight simulator in favor of an accessible experience centered on soaring across the ocean. Its greatest strength is the way nearly every element, from movement and scenery to music and storytelling, supports the feeling of undertaking a meaningful migration through a world inspired by the South Pacific and te ao Māori. Playing as Toroa immediately gives the game an unusual perspective. Rather than controlling an aircraft or a fantasy creature, players inhabit an albatross whose natural ability to travel enormous distances becomes the foundation of the gameplay. Flying involves soaring, swooping, gliding, and taking advantage of wind currents. The controls are designed more around establishing a smooth rhythm than testing precision at every moment. Once comfortable with the movement, crossing large expanses of ocean can become wonderfully relaxing, particularly when the player catches …

Super vibey albatross game!!! This feels really grounded in the culture of Aotearoa, once te reo māori localisation is added I'll probably play through again. I can't help but test the limits of my game boundaries, and trying that here did lead to some disorienting moments. I'd recommend sticking to the expected pathway, and in that case the toroa controller is really wonderful and fun to play :) Haere tonu!

Another would-be Journey-like, but unfortunately not one of the better ones I’ve played, plagued by clunky flight controls and uninteresting level/objective design. Maybe it gets better eventually, and I’m sure the New Zealand setting has some appeal, but I did not particularly enjoy my time with this one.