Skyward

Gamer reviews for Skyward

In-depth review to the game

In-depth review to the game

If looks can be deceiving then Skyward has definitely mastered such devious charm. At the onset, Skyward seems like a simple puzzle game and yet tricks any player into thinking that all is easy and breezy. But it is not. This, perhaps, is something all “twitch” games have in common—the general notion of players underestimating its gameplay for just being another puzzle game, easy to dismiss and overcome. But this underestimation can also work in wonders as humans always love a good challenge. So when the going gets tough, the players keep playing – as evidenced by the 100,000+ downloads of the game from Google Play and the 5,000+ five-star reviews of the game.

Skyward was developed by Aya Gemes and released by KetchApp, publishers of the renowned 2048 app, and was released on January 22, 2015. At the moment, Skyward is free to download for both Android and iOS software from their respective online app stores, Google Play Store and on the App Store respectively. Currently, there are no available in-app purchases for the game for both Android and iOS platforms.

Skyward is a game that throws in a good blend of various game elements such as puzzle, rhythm, reflex and a semi-platforming theme. With those aspects, the game challenges you to reach for the sky (hence the name Skyward), or attain higher ground, by rhythmically tapping circles on a “step”. The basic premise of the game is to get as high as possible in the ever-changing Escher like-labyrinth towers in a fast, strategic manner.

Gameplay revolves around two dots orbiting each other and “walking” each of its way to the top one step at a time. Each time you tap the screen, one dot must land on a surface while the other dot shall continue to circle around that dot until finding a suitable spot to land on. And when that happens, the dot that previously landed shall begin its rotation looking for another spot to land on in order to move forward. Perhaps you could think of those dots as feet—as one foot takes a step forward, the other follows shortly, alternately in fluid motion. The revolutionary cycle of those seemingly simple dots, moving forward and higher towards the top, is sustained as long as the player is quick enough to strategically find an ideal place to land each of the dots before the surface disappears or before your dot shrinks and vanishes—which is game over from there.

Skyward has a seemingly simple mechanic until the semi 3D plane is introduced. There are three planes in which you traverse on and the challenge of finding a place for those dots gets challenging with each step. The point system in the game comes in the form of the tiles on which your dots land on—as there are tiles marked to render different effects once you choose to land your dot on that tile. This means you can skip multiple tiles in one step if you manage to land your dot on a strategically placed dot. Further challenge is added by the time limit in which you must wait for good footing, but not too long of course.

The time limit employed in this game essentially forces you to think ahead and think quickly. There are also various pickups you may come across with during gameplay. Things like the Snail icon that slows down your orbiting dot's speed for one step, a lightning icon that speeds up your orbit speed also for one step, an hourglass icon to slow down the time limit you have in which you can wait for good footing, and a circle icon that consists of two arrows that flips your orbit orientation.

It becomes more and more challenging to find a landing for those dots the farther, or higher, you get in the game—for the obstacle or surface that is available in this complex labyrinth seems to change after every 10 tiles or steps. And just to leave their players stirring in their seats, new puzzles and patterns are unlocked each time the player reaches a high score. And when you do reach that high score, that achievement shall be recorded in the game’s Leaderboard for others to see and for those times when you want to welcome a little competition.

Inspired by the Escher-type of design, the graphics are really minimal and yet mathematical in nature. There are some decorations around the map but they don’t serve any purpose in gameplay, like perhaps birds flying by sometimes (probably a way to distract the player). Music in the game provokes a seemingly zen-like feel to the game, which apparently may help players focus, not break under pressure, and find one’s rhythm.

So is this game worth your time? We believe it is. Skyward is a good game to choose if you want to pass the time and yet exercise your brain. It is a game that you can pick up anytime and put down too if you have to. If you want entertainment while you’re in the can, then this game would be nice too. More importantly, Skyward is free to download and that, of course, makes it easy for anyone to enjoy.

Perhaps the downsides of the game are the ads that pop-out in which players end up accidentally tapping. One thing that also needs to be addressed are the buttons on the screen that seem to be misplaced since these buttons (to share, tweet, and go to the Leaderboards) are apparently placed on the areas where you would usually tap to get your dots moving. But despite that, Skyward is still a game that merits storage space in anyone’s device and that deserves its growing fan base or following.

If you get the game, then you may find our collection of hints and tips for the game of some use here: http://www.appgamer.com/skyward/strategy-guide/

4.6 / 5.0
 
Review by Private | Jan 27th 2015

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