Pecker Preview

Do you remember playing Only Up! and thinking, ‘Man, this would be easier if I was a bird’? Well, now you…kind of can, due to developer Fonteinsoft’s new game: Pecker. We had a chance to try the demo, and now the question is, does this bird have wings or will it fall out of the nest?

Pecker doesn’t really have a plot, not really. All that you know is that you are a bird with a bendable beak and there is a world to climb. Honestly, this kind of puzzle game doesn’t need a plot, although the character's cute designs indicate that there could be some interesting characters in the full game. There was a turtle I could speak to, but no matter how often I started the game his dialogue just would not load. As such, I have no idea if there was some hint of a plot in his minor interaction or not. 

The aim of Pecker, at least in the demo, is to reach the end of each map by climbing across a wealth of different levels. The maps are big and most of the climbing would involve jumps that are far too high for Pecker to even think about making. However, there is an advantage to being a woodpecker, even one that can’t fly due to having just been born. You see, Pecker can stab their beak into any wood they can find and then launch themselves into the air. The mechanic is fun, and the maps on display make good use of it, although the actual paths made me feel a bit railroaded and didn’t really push for experimentation.

I should also note that you can attack with the beak, although I met no enemies to use it on other than some fruit. There is combat in the full game, or it is at least hinted at, but I imagine it will be simple yet entertaining. There are also hats so…well that’s a draw for some people, and who doesn’t love wearing several hats. Outside of the beak, you can sprint, enter barrels to roll around, and avoid taking damage from big falls. As I said, the maps are challenging but I would have liked more exploration. 

One aspect that needs to be lauded is the actual look of the game. The art style and general design are stunning. Pecker is full of colour, as is the main character, and nothing feels rushed or placed for the simple sake of being placed. Pecker is also adorable as a character and their movements feel fluid, both physically and visually. It was honestly just relaxing to play through, well it would have been if the music hadn’t bugged out and continued to do a drum roll until I turned it off. The music I did hear was nice though, so there is that. 

At the beginning of my preview, I mentioned Only Up and that still feels like one of the better comparisons. The difference is that where Only Up was designed to stress you out and offer a constant challenge, Pecker isn’t. There are puzzles sure, but none of them seem to be made in a way to frustrate the player. However, that same simplicity can have its downsides so hopefully, there is more challenge in the full game.