I must admit, rather shyly, that my own experience with Armenian art began and ended with System Of A Down. So, thanks to The Bird Of A Thousand Voices for popping up in my inbox and giving me a second reference point next to Sugar. It’s a simple but very striking platformer inspired by folk legends and composed by composer Tigran Hamasyan. It’s part of a multimedia project based on the Armenian folk tale Hazaran Blbul (Fire Bird). It’s completely free and you can find it here .
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According to its creators, the game “blends ancient mythology with Tigran Hamasyan's captivating music, illustrator Khoren Matevosyan, and director Ruben Van Leer's striking visuals, allowing you to play as Prince Areg in mystical realms, awakening a celestial bird and restoring harmony.”
“Creating a style that would work between vinyl, books and computer games was a huge task,” says Koren Matevosyan, the project's artist. “The style we chose represents a time period where you can't tell if it's the future or the past. If you look closely, you can find electronic elements that hint at a time when the future has become the past.”
“The play revives an ancient Armenian legend, aiming to preserve the rich cultural heritage of Armenia, which is in danger of being forgotten, and to share it with the younger generations,” the statement reached our e-mail box.
If you want to check out the later free games, 50/50 is about halving everything perfectly, while Portal To The Cosmobeat is a QWOP-style rhythm game.