LONDON: Entertainment is fundamentally a battle for consumers’ attention. Netflix had around 238 million paid subscribers worldwide as of the second quarter of 2023 and it wants to keep them whilst attracting more. A relatively new route to capture that attention has been the investment by Netflix in games that are free for subscribers.
The basic logic is that whilst these are not the new hundred-hour epics that can be found on bespoke consoles, these games are pick-up-and-play platforms that will give subscribers another reason to engage with Netflix.
Netflix’s offering with “Laya’s Horizon” will allow gamers short and sharp sessions of instant gliding flight. Laya lives on a mysterious island made up of distinct geographies all lovingly set out in pastel graphics.
The inhabitants of the island use a variety of capes to race, explore, discover and achieve new objectives. Laya starts each run at a series of different altitude perches or peaks and can either enjoy flying for the sake of it or complete challenges that come in sets of three.
Achieving these nicely satisfying micro-challenges like flying past 20 trees in a run or maneuvering through a windmill unscathed allow Laya to upgrade her cape and choose from those with different specialisms and quirks.
The flight — or more accurately gliding — mechanics are basic but intuitive and play well on tablets that are not designed solely with gaming in mind. Moving your fingers up to the left and down to the right sees Laya make a sharp right turn, pushing two fingers together sees her pick up speed, pushing them up sees her cape transform into a parachute from which to enjoy the view below.
More risky flying, like skimming surfaces or darting through caves, reward Laya with energy that allows her to boost around obstacles. The macro challenge of improving capes is well complemented by the characters in the world who along with sassy dialogue offer tips and races; but these are all essentially different versions of ‘go have fun flying’ which is the essence of the game that encourages short bursts of play rather than deep and sustained engagement.
I cannot see people subscribing to Netflix just to play “Laya’s Horizon,” but I can see the platform developing enough titles like this that offer an instant gaming experience that cultivates a stronger loyalty to the entertainment brand.
