It scratched an itch that Pokemon hasn't done in a while

As a child, I owned a small Pokémon encyclopedia. Each page of this handbook contained an entry for one of the many fictional creatures and shared information about its personality, type, and unique traits. I reviewed its many facts and scribbled them on wrapped binder paper with my number two pen. In the early days, I was drawn to Pokemon games not just because of the combat, but because I enjoyed learning about the series' many creatures. Now, by playing Flock, I have found a game that really itches.

The premise of Flock is relatively simple: I play as a person riding a giant bird. This colorful, onion-shaped bird lets me glide around a floating sky island and use its chirping to charm the local creatures. There's just one problem: the whistles that train the bird to learn the calls of each creature—and unlock my bird's ability to recruit them—were stolen. Now it's up to me to explore each biome and find the whistles that allow me to befriend the local fauna and gather more information about the animals.

Developers Hollow Ponds and Richard Hogg bring to life a vivid, almost cartoonish world; the art style pairs colorful, low-poly character models with environments illustrated in patterned brush strokes. The graphics bring a sense of levity and whimsy to the world, creating the perfect setting for the Flock's many creatures and curiosities. As I fly around the biome, I see floating creatures that draw inspiration from all ends of the animal kingdom like adorable bug-eyed fireflies, creatures that look like porpoises without dorsal fins and tails, and others that resemble glorified caterpillars.