Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole is a video game made by Warner Bros interactive Entertainment and Tantalus Media for Nintendo DS/DSi/DSiXL based on the film of the same name. The game takes place at the same time the movie does. It focuses on a young owl named Shard, who embarks on a journey across the world of Ga'Hoole to uncover the truth about the evil Pure Ones and stop their plans.
The game was composed by Winifred Phillips and written by Peter Aperlo.
For the Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360/Live version of the game by Krome Studios, see this article.
Plot[]
Intro[]
In the intro narration, the Glauxian monk Grettir is on watch when hagsfiends attack the Perrock Monastery. He is one of the few who escaped, and was branded as a coward for his failure to fight back against the hagsfiends. He settles down with a mate, Lygeia, and they have an egg together. Their hollow is soon attacked by Pure Ones, killing the two Barn Owls and nearly shattering their egg before the Guardians of Ga'Hoole swoop in and save it. The egg hatches and the Guardians name him Shard, then take him back to the Great Tree to raise him up to be a Guardian himself.
Wing Exercises and Weather Interpretation[]
Many years later, the Search-and-Rescue Chaw ryb, Allomere, is led by one of his students, a Short-Eared Owl named Parzival, to another student skipping class to read in the library. This student is Shard, who is quickly reprimanded for his behavior by the ryb. The librarian and ryb of the Weather Chaw, Ezylryb, defends Shard, but ends up giving him a flint mop to appease Allomere.
The flint mop consists of flight practice and cleaning up fallen branches around the tree, which serves as a tutorial for the player. Ezylryb then instructs Shard to fly into a gutter and try to maintain his speed.
Unexpected Guests[]
After returning from this task, he is met by Boron who tells of a group of owlets heading for the Great Tree. Shard is asked to assist in rescuing them, so he must fly out and collect each of the four owls of The Band: Soren, Digger, Gylfie, and Twilight. They are all guided through the storm and delivered to the infirmary.
Owls entering the Parliament room for the meeting with Soren
The Band is later spoken to in the Parliament, and they tell about the activity of the Pure Ones in the St. Aegolius Canyons, where owlets are being forced to pick pellets for metallic flecks. Soren also informs the Guardians that the Pure Ones are burning down the Tyto Forest. Allomere is sent with a small team of owls to investigate the Canyonlands.
Trouble in Tyto[]
Ezylryb later calls Shard and Parzival in for a meeting, and assigns them a mission to investigate the activity in Tyto Forest. He expresses his distrust of Allomere's capabilities, and puts his faith in his students instead, giving each of them a set of battle claws and helmet.
Upon arrival in Tyto Forest, Shard and Parzival search among the flames for any sign of life, until they find a part of the forest that is still alive and well. There, they come across Bryony and many other trapped members of the Resistance, a group of owls fighting against the Pure Ones in Tyto, guarded by Pure One soldiers. Shard and Parzival hesitate as they have never been in a real battle before, so Bryony calls out to them to guide them through combat. This enters the player into the combat tutorial.
Find the Owlets[]
Once the Pure Ones are defeated and the Resistance members rescued, Bryony is approached by the Great Gray Owl Nebulosa, a fellow Resistance member. She informs Bryony that their Search-and-Rescue Chaw had not yet returned, and that the owlets of the Resistance were still being held in Pure One captivity. Shard is tasked with helping to retrieve them.
Tyto Forest on fire
After two rescues and battles with Pure Ones, an Elf Owl Resistance member, Romalia, approaches Shard to see if he had rescued her owlet. Unfortunately, her owlet was not among the rescued ones, so Shard decides to assist Romalia, flying into the forest fire to get her child back. Once the owlet is rescued, Romalia states how there was another owl in need of rescuing, so Shard sends Parzival to return the owlet while he goes on to further investigate.
Shard locates the Resistance member Corrso, imprisoned and guarded by Pure Ones. He frees him, and takes him back to the headquarters, where he explains that the Pure Ones are headed for the Resistance headquarters with intention to destroy it with fire. Bryony tells Nebulosa to gather the Water Chaw.
Fire! and Attack the Pure One Fort[]
Shard goes off to protect the chaw, successfully allowing them to put out the fires. After fighting off the Pure Ones, Shard is confronted by Kludd, who engages him in combat. Shard chases him through the burnt forest, avoiding flaming rope traps along the way until he manages to beat Kludd, with him escaping before the final blow and saying that he will win next time they meet.
After regrouping, Bryony thanks Shard for his help, then informs him that while she was a Pure One captive, she overheard them referring to an ally they called "The Guardian." She believes that there may be a traitor in the Great Tree, and tells Shard to watch his tailfeathers. Nebulosa then steps forward and questions about whether or not the Pure Ones are reigning terror in a similar manner across the other kingdoms, and offers to come with Shard and Parzival as another wingman.
A Friend in Need[]
Suspicious torches in Kuneer
The three owls return to the Great Tree, where they relay the events of the mission to Ezylryb. In return, he tells them about how his slipgizzle, a Guardian spy named Streak, has suddenly ceased contact with the Great Tree. He tasks the group with investigating his disappearance in Kuneer.
Once they arrive in Kuneer, they find a trail of torches leading to a cave. This is suspicious, as the Elf and Burrowing Owls who live in the desert tend to not light fires. Upon further investigation, they are promptly attacked by bats and have to fight them off.
Shard and his group later encounters a group of bats protecting a caged prisoner, and free him with hot coals. This turns out to be Streak, the slipgizzle, and he tells them about owlets who are in need of rescuing.
Preemptive Strike[]
Streak confirms that the Pure Ones are behind the disappearance of owlets, and that the bats work for them. With his capture having left Streak injured, Shard is in charge of leading the attack against the bats to thin their numbers and rescue the owlets.
Retrieve the Owlets[]
Shard and Parzival go into a cave where Streak can't fit to find the owlets, manuevering through swinging and falling traps to rescue and bring them back to Streak so he can return them to their homes. One of the owlets turns out to be on old Burrowing Owl named Athos, who despite his age offers his help, having fought the Pure Ones before during the War of the Ice Claws.
Parzival's Challenge[]
The Ice Narrows
Shard reports back to Ezylryb, telling him the Pure Ones were kidnapping owlets as payment for their bat allies to feed on. Ezylryb in turn tells them that Soren mentioned how the Pure Ones have been collecting Flecks. None of their books have information about them, so they're sent to the Glauxian Brothers' Retreat. As the group reaches the Ice Narrows, Parzival challenges Shard to a race.
Trial by Fire[]
Upon arriving at the retreat, they meet Brother Elias and Brother Udo. The monks tell Shard that he'll have to pass the Three Trials to prove that his gizzard is true. First, Shard must retrieve a coal from the Flame of Glaux, sparring with Glauxian Brothers along the way. Then, he must traverse a gutter, and finally light The Sacred Flame in the Bitter Sea. After lighting the flame, Shard is ambushed by hagsfiends. Udo remarks on how hagsfiends have not been seen for a long time, and tells Shard to hurry back.
The Ancient Menace[]
Glauxian Brother acolytes trapped by flecks
Once back at the Retreat, Udo and Shard inform Elias of the hagsfiends' return. Shard and his team are sent out to investigate and take down the hagsfiends. Elias also tasks them to look out for a group of Glauxian monks who went to visit Cormac, an old hermit owl, and never returned.
Shard's team quickly spots a hagsfiend, and follows her to find the aforementioned acolytes trapped using flecks, along with scores of hagsfiends. They notice the affect it has on their gizzards, so the team attempts to escape for the time being, making their way into a cave system that appears to be a mineshaft. They end up trapped within a large cylindrical room when a door closes behind them. As water begins to pour inside and fill the room, Shard locates several wheels that close the tunnels, ceases the flow of water, drains the room, and opens another door to the exit. They return to the Retreat once again to report their findings.
Rescue Operation[]
Shard and his group return to the captured acolytes. With the use of coals, they destroy the mechanisms holding the flecks, but not before fighting off swarms of hagsfiends. Once they are freed, Cormac warns them that they need to return to the Retreat, as they are in grave danger.
The Last Stand[]
Grettir's helmet and battle claws
When they meet up with Elias, Cormac informs him that he overheard of a fleet of Pure Ones on their way to the Northern Kingdoms. With Shard having put a large dent in the hagsfiends' mining operations, they will likely seek revenge, so the Brothers prepare to defend the Retreat.
The Pure Ones arrive, with Jatt and Jutt leading the assault. Once Jatt and Jutt are defeated into retreating, Cormac reveals he knew Shard's father as well, having studied with him at Perrock. He then gives Shard his father's armor and battle claws, along with a scroll containing all the information about Flecks from the Brotherhood's library.
Before they set off to return to the Great Tree, a young acolyte named Whitney joins the team to fight the Pure Ones.
Protect the Guardians[]
Shard and his team swarmed by bats
Arrival at the Great Tree reveals that most of the Tree's most important figures are missing. A note left by Ezylryb explains that they were off to war in the Beaks. With their new knowledge of how to deal with the Flecks, Shard and his group head for The Beaks to assist the Guardians.
When they arrive, they defend the immobilized Guardians from bats, taking out the nearby bat outposts. This defense only drew more bats, and Shard fears they are outnumbered, until Soren and the Band save the day by joining the battle. Together, Soren and Shard fly off to save the Guardians once and for all.
United by Fate[]
The Guardians are trapped in a Devil's Triangle, so Soren takes off to find coals to eliminate the Flecks. Shard and his wingmen follow close behind to protect Soren from Pure One attacks. When he is unable to find any embers, Soren enters a cave to search, in which a door promptly traps him inside. Shard flies off to find some coals, using them to break down the door. From there, Shard leads Soren to the coals, where he defends Soren while the coal is retrieved. They use it to free the Guardians.
Confrontation with Destiny[]
Shard's team, now Guardians
Shard and his wingmen assist any Guardians they can. Eventually they catch sight of Allomere, who claims to be heading into the Stone Palace to put a stop to things once and for all. To follow him in without trouble, they begin to light the surrounding shrubbery on fire to create a smokescreen.
Eventually, Shard reaches the center of the Stone Palace and finds out the truth concerning Allomere and his father Grettir. Allomere was the one who led the Pure Ones to attack and murder his parents, apparently due to Grettir being close to uncovering Allomere's nature as a turnfeather. Shard, enraged, battles Allomere and emerges victorious.
Shard reconvenes with Ezylryb after everything, and the Guardians return to the Great Ga'Hoole Tree.
Gameplay[]
FLIGHT[]
The player can control Shard's flight in a 3rd dimensional view by dragging the stylus across the touchscreen of the DS. Pressing any button will reverse his direction.
COLLECTING OBJECTS[]
To collect a Quest Object, the player must fly close to it and wait for the Target Marker to turn yellow before tapping it. Objects can be dropped by tapping a place with a green marker. Health Refills have a blue target marker, and collecting them will store them in your Inventory Bag, which can be accessed through the bag in the lower left corner.
COMBAT[]
To enter combat with an enemy, the player must approach them and tap on them when the target marker turns red. If the player gets too close to an enemy, they will automatically enter combat. Entering combat will take you into a Battle Instance: a different game mode with an overhead view rather than a 3rd person view.
In the instance, Shard can be controlled by dragging the stylus around the touchscreen, and enemies are attacked by swiping quickly across them. A Spin Attack can be performed by drawing circles around Shard with the stylus, which will knock back the enemies and cause minor damage. To Block, any button can be pressed. It is best to block when a red target marker appears around the enemy, but the direction of the block does not matter. If an attack is not blocked, Shard will lose heath. The player can use collected health refills from their Inventory Bag in the lower left corner in order to restore Shard's health. Losing all of your health will result in mission failure, then being sent to the last Checkpoint.
PROWESS[]
Successful attacks and blocks will gain prowess, and when the Prowess Meter is full Shard can use one of four Prowess Moves. These can be used by tapping the Prowess Meter in the top right corner, then swiping up, down, left, or right. Each direction will give a different move:
Super Strike[]
To perform Super Strike, swipe right. Shard will speed towards the enemy and take several swift jabs at them. Upgrading this attack will increase the damage and amount of hits Shard can land.
Spin Throw[]
To perform Spin Throw, swipe left. Shard will grab the enemy and toss them aggressively. The first upgrade for this attack will increase damage and add area damage on impact.
Charge[]
To perform Charge, swipe down. Shard will speed towards the enemy and headbutt them. The first upgrade for this attack will increase damage and add a stun effect. The second increases damage and adds a ricochet.
Aerial Slam[]
To perform Aerial Slam, swipe up. Shard will swoop down on the enemy with force. The first upgrade for this attack will increase damage and add a knockback effect. The second only increases damage.
All attacks can be upgraded twice, using Training Points that are obtained each time the player levels up.
GUTTERS[]
When Shard encounters a gutter air current, the player will enter a minigame-like instance, where they must maneuver through a tunnel of wind. To gain speed, the player must use the stylus on the touchscreen to move Shard towards the air current circles. If Shard slows down too much, he will fall behind and the mission will be failed. Lightning obstacles must be avoided, since they will slow Shard down when hit.
WINGMEN[]
Wingmen serve to give Shard extra boosts in battle.
Parzival[]
This wingman is your long-time rival, and although arrogant and disrespectful, must assist you on your missions. He allows you to have another inventory slot for health refills.
Nebulosa[]
As a member of the Resistance in Tyto Forest, she will do anything to attempt to bring peace to the Owl Kingdoms. She increases the rate at which your Prowess Meter fills.
Athos[]
A scarred old owl rescued from the Pure Ones. He took part in the War of the Ice Claws, and met Shard's father at Perrock. He will automatically heal you while out of combat.
Whitney[]
A Glauxian Brotherhood acolyte. She will increase the experience you get from Green Orbs.
ENEMIES[]
Pure One Soldiers[]
Pure One guards attacking Shard
Basic Tyto Owl enemies found in the Tyto Forest, Northern Kingdoms, and the Beaks. They usually come in small groups of two to three. Their models have different colors, such as brown or grey, and some have red painted feathers.
Pure One Guards[]
Tyto Owls that are slightly larger and stronger than the basic soldiers. They have mostly red painted feathers with touches of white and black.
Pure One Elites[]
Large Tytos that are extremely strong with high defense. These enemies are much larger than normal Pure Ones, and bear armor, black feathers with white markings, and a red Pure One symbol on their chests.
Flying Foxes[]
Shard stunned by a vampire bat
Large bats of Kuneer with strong attacks and more health than the vampire bats that work with them. Some flying foxes can be armored, making them more resistant to damage.
A hit from a flying fox can release Shard from being stunned by the vampire bats.
Vampire Bats[]
Small bats of Kuneer that are weak, but have a bite that can stun Shard in place. Either using a spin attack or receiving a blow from a flying fox can release Shard from his stunned state. If the stun is not released, he will remain stunned until his health is depleted. Vampire bats are easiest to defeat with aerial moves.
Ambushed by hagsfiends
Glauxian Brothers[]
While not technically "enemies," Shard spars with Glauxian Brothers. They are similar in attack and health as Pure One soldiers.
Hagsfiends[]
Large and powerful enemies in the Northern Kingdoms. If their attack is not blocked, they will hit multiple times with strong attacks.
Trivia[]
- There are many differences in the main storyline, characters, and gameplay style between the console game and the DS game. This is most likely due to the games being made by separate studios, and possible miscommunication between the two teams.
Gallery[]
Character Portraits[]
Cutscene Screenshots[]
In Game Screenshots[]
Other[]
