Very atmospheric, good vibes, but lots of annoying bugs, tedious and frustrating controls and mechanics, annoying car camera, unskippable content, unintuitive quest target locations, hard to read maps.

Has a lot of potential but needs a few updates to get there. I'd recommend to wait a few months. The demo did not reveal those issues.

Really pretty game so far! The game is very cinematic, and I didn't really know what to expect of the game but I'm liking the hiking mechanics. I'm playing on the easy mode because I'm not good with survival mechanics, and so far it indeed seems to be focused on the story and gives me time to enjoy the scenery. I also like that you actually have to find your way around using directions, which takes me back to the feeling of trying to read a map in the car with my mom as a child. Interested to see where the story is heading but having a good time so far!

It was a small but marvelous production that I had been waiting for a long time, and that surprised me and knocked on my door in this tight game agenda. Albatroz...

How far would we go for the people we love? This question, which pokes at everyone's brain, defines the deeply emotional experience of Albatroz, a project by the Brazilian studio Among Giants. In this journey, the protagonist, Isla, decides to follow her brother Kai, a fearless backpacker, to the ends of the earth to rebuild bonds that were lost long ago. The narrative is rich with emotional depth, making it a journey that players can truly connect with.

With a very different proposal, Albatroz stands out for its artistic sensibility and daring to innovate even with a small production company. Despite suffering from technical problems, the journey is satisfying and delivers good narrative moments with gameplay that is as innovative as it is engaging. The unique gameplay of Albatroz is sure to intrigue and excite players.

Albatroz is about family, relationships, and self-discovery. The game's first moments give the impression that it will be a subjective experience. Still, the themes are explicitly presented soon, and we discover the narrative's theme through dialogue and flashbacks.

The protagonist, Isla, embarks on an adventure to discover the whereabouts of her backpacker brother Kai. She goes to Albatroz, a distant region similar to Argentina, known for being a mountain that is never in the same place (it moves around). Her only clue is that Kai will try to climb it to become the greatest backpacker.

At first, it seems like a superficial goal, but throughout Isla's story, the plot shows the fragility of family relationships and how banal situations turn into real tragedies. Such twists and turns require patience, forgiveness, and reconciliation, which are genuinely challenging mountains to climb and master.

In this adventure, the player realizes that Isla is not alone. Only she can reach her brother, but other characters gather around her with their own stories. It's an exciting charm, given that the campaign manages to reconcile the division between the travelers well in a 12h to 15h campaign (Even though I don't have the opportunity to spend that much time for now, I plan to finish the campaign at least twice.)

There are no monsters or enemies in the game, only the challenges of preparing for a climb and the need to plan so as not to suffer. The game's director, Thiago Girello, says it's not a "walking simulator"; he's betting on a JRPG idea, replacing physical enemies with a traveler's challenges. Sounds lovely, huh?

And there are challenges in the game! Controlling Isla or one of the other playable characters, the player has to manage hunger and thirst by collecting resources on the map, taking care of tired arms and legs that consume energy as they explore, and even checking the level of gasoline in the transport. All the items are collectible but not easily on display.
When Isla goes too long without food, her health drops, and she can no longer lead the group. If she runs out of gas, she has to walk until she finds a spot to refuel. Planning is essential, and the villages hide information that allows the player to fill their backpack with valuable items and work out their route.

Speaking of the route, Albatroz doesn't have a traditional map with a visible marker. However, just like a pilgrim, you must follow the instructions to reach the desired destination. This mechanic is simple but so much fun that it often forced me to go back the same way to find out where I had gone wrong and then correct the route.

You might think: "But doesn't it get repetitive and monotonous?" The answer is "no" because of the variety of maps and the faster pace of the game. You can explore the regions - which work like JRPGs, with open areas - but the objective lies in finding the right path that leads to the main story. The plot unfolds once you get the route right and the new regions appear.

The gameplay itself also receives new features as the protagonist progresses. By discovering new regions, reaching milestones, and fulfilling exploration requirements, Isla receives Traversal Points that allow her to improve her health and legs and even skills such as sprinting and setting up camp. All these factors contribute to making the gameplay non-repetitive.

What Albatroz doesn't hide is its artistic excellence in every respect. The scenery looks breathtaking, and the direction emphasizes this. For example, when climbing mountains and encountering open areas, the visual lighting effects highlight the intense colors that immerse the player. The game's artistic excellence is sure to captivate and immerse players in its world.

The soundtrack further enhances this by using the folk genre to effectively set the scene for Isla and the other backpackers' journey. Original songs, music, and compositions constantly appear in the experience and certainly raise the quality of the feelings aroused by the player during gameplay.

It's worth noting that Among Giants isn't as big as AA developers, so Albatroz has visible and often annoying limitations. For example, there is a constant drop in frames in random situations. The game suffers a few chokes (Especially on the PC version). The crashes don't cause problems, but they often frustrate the player.

In addition, while the settings' visuals are exuberant, the NPCs' design gives the impression that the characters' faces and frames have come straight from the previous generation. These are understandable technical limitations, but they annoy the player because they appear frequently throughout the game.

Among Giants' final result is impressive, given the mastery with which they have delivered such a bold, authentic, and very artistic project. Albatroz is a challenging game to define, but perhaps this is its great charm. It takes seriously the idea that the journey is worth much more than the destination.

With its breathtaking visuals, unusual gameplay, and creative, well-executed ideas, the game suffers from some technical issues but doesn't lose its luster. Due to its innovation, it offers a proposal that can hold the player from start to finish.