Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The Birds: Evil has Wings delivers a unique blend of strategy and stealth as you guide a nameless hero through a town besieged by vicious flocks. Each level challenges you to manage multiple rescue objectives simultaneously, whether it’s herding terrified citizens to safety or distracting the avian assailants with clever environmental tactics. Opening fire hydrants to create slippery barriers or setting trash bins ablaze to lure the birds away adds satisfying variety to the core gameplay loop.

(HEY YOU!! We hope you enjoy! We try not to run ads. So basically, this is a very expensive hobby running this site. Please consider joining us for updates, forums, and more. Network w/ us to make some cash or friends while retro gaming, and you can win some free retro games for posting. Okay, carry on 👍)

While combat is largely indirect—encouraging the player to avoid head-on confrontations—the mechanics remain engaging through continuously evolving threat patterns. Birds exhibit flock intelligence: they react to loud noises, alter their flight paths to ambush you, and occasionally swarm en masse for dramatic aerial assaults. The necessity to freeze in place during close calls adds an extra layer of tension, forcing you to carefully plan both movement and timing.

Resource management also plays a key role. Safe zones like parked cars or oversized garbage containers are limited, prompting you to weigh the risk of using them early versus saving them for critical moments. This strategic decision-making ensures that no two playthroughs feel identical, as you adapt your tactics on the fly based on the birds’ aggressive behavior and the layout of each urban environment.

Graphics

Graphically, The Birds: Evil has Wings nails the eerie atmosphere of Hitchcock’s original thriller while updating it with modern detail. Each street corner, building façade, and alleyway is rendered with a grainy, slightly desaturated palette that evokes classic suspense. Subtle weather effects—drizzling rain, drifting fog—heighten the sense of dread as flocks loom overhead.

Bird animations deserve particular praise. Crow and gull models feature detailed feathering and realistic wing-flapping cycles, lending credibility to their relentless assaults. When hundreds of them gather in swirling patterns, the framerate holds strong, thanks to clever LOD techniques and optimized rendering. Shadows and lighting react dynamically to fire hydrant bursts and bin fires, bathing the urban map in shifting hues of orange and red.

Moreover, the game’s cinematic camera angles during key rescue moments recall Hitchcock’s directorial style. Occasional slow-motion sequences—triggered when you lead a group of citizens to safety—add dramatic flair. While the environments are grounded in a single town layout, subtle variations between daytime and nighttime stages keep visual monotony at bay.

Story

Building on Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 classic, The Birds: Evil has Wings tells a minimalist yet effective narrative. You play as an unnamed hero whose backstory remains a mystery, allowing the focus to remain squarely on the escalating avian terror. Citizens you rescue offer snippets of dialogue—some panicked, some resigned—which collectively paint a portrait of a town on the brink of collapse.

Rather than a traditional plot with cutscenes and extended dialogue, the game embraces environmental storytelling. Bloodied window sills, overturned market stalls, and hastily abandoned cars speak volumes about the chaos that preceded your arrival. Occasional radio reports from an unseen news anchor fill in the broad strokes of the disaster, preserving the unsettling ambiguity that made the original film so compelling.

Each mission feels like its own chapter in a larger thriller. From rescuing fishermen stranded on a pier to escorting families through narrow backstreets, the sense of progression hinges on your ability to adapt to increasingly desperate scenarios. This emergent storytelling keeps you invested in the hero’s journey, even in the absence of a traditional narrative arc.

Overall Experience

The Birds: Evil has Wings offers a tense, strategy-driven adventure that will appeal to fans of stealth puzzles and atmospheric horror. With its dynamic bird AI and resource-based mechanics, it strikes a satisfying balance between challenge and accessibility. Novice players may find the learning curve steep at first, but the tutorial levels ease you into the core tactics without feeling overly patronizing.

Audio design further elevates the experience. A minimalist score underscores your every move, while the chilling cawing of birds crescendos into manic orchestral stings during peak moments. Controller vibration and spatial audio cues ensure that you’re always aware of oncoming threats, making each narrow escape feel earned and memorable.

Ultimately, The Birds: Evil has Wings stands out for its faithful homage to Hitchcock’s original concept, combined with modern gameplay innovations. Whether you’re navigating moonlit alleyways or staging a distraction at the town square, the game keeps the adrenaline high and the strategy sharp. It’s a gripping ride through avian chaos that will leave you eager for just one more rescue mission.

Retro Replay Score

null/10