Underrated avian action adventure The Falconeer just got a free remaster that overhauls 'literally everything' about it: 'I hope and pray this remaster shows the dedication I have for my games'

Originally released in 2020, The Falconeer is an aerial combat RPG about piloting enormous predatory birds through the skies of a crumbling oceanic empire. It was warmly received on release, nominated for a BAFTA and earning a respectable score of 78 in our The Falconeer Review.

But developer Tomas Sala wasn't satisfied with the end product, and has spent the last year or so overhauling the game in his spare time from supporting his other game—Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles. The result released this week, a free update that, according to Sala, reworks "literally everything" about the game.

Certainly, the changes are extensive. The Falconeer: Revolution Remaster provides a complete visual overhaul of the game, not only improving the lighting, visual effects, animations etc, but also reworking the world itself. Many of its cities and key locations have been remade, while others have been expanded to look grander and more impressive. The comparison shot below gives you some idea of the differences

The remaster also alters many of the Falconeer's key mechanics. These range from changes to basic player actions, like automated landing on perches and separated controls for dashing and airborne acrobatics, to adjustments to world systems like optional in-game races and potential enemy spawns to trading boats/caravans to make raids more exciting. Sala has even added some completely new stuff to the game, such as new trade routes, more varied side quests, and five additional sets of bird armour.

Sala doesn't say much about the remaster's journey in the Steam post accompanying its launch, simply asking people to follow him on Steam while adding "I hope and pray this remaster shows the dedication I have for my games." But he did provide more insight in a longer post in October. Here, he explains that the simultaneous Xbox and PC launch of the game, which occurred during the console's launch and in the middle of the Covid-19 Pandemic, proved enormously challenging and impacted the final product:

"Every release is horror, but this one was pretty bad by every account. And let's be honest the PC launch suffered in many ways, some my own mistakes biting me, some consequences of releasing an indie console launch title in a week where both Xbox and PlayStation were launching their next gen."

After the launch, Sala moved on to making Bulwark, which released in 2024. Providing post-release support for that game apparently left Sala feeling "a bit burned out—dealing with the games industry in 2023, 24, 25 isn't great." Sala's frankly unusual remedy was to work on remastering The Falconeer in his spare time. "I was relaxing by taking bits of Bulwark and sticking them into the Falconeer. Cuz that is my happy place."

The Falconeer: Revolution Remaster is available now. If you don’t own the game already and want to check it out, Sala says a promotional event will be held around November 10. Sala's next planned project is a third game set in the Falconeer's world, a "ship design and open world adventure called 'Ancient Waves'".