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Sky Oceans: Wings for Hire should have made my heart sing. However, it has too many issues and the combat is slow, arduous, and just a little tedious. The result is a game that has many positives, but many more negatives. This is a shame as I was looking forward to some interesting mechanics. These didn’t materialise and you are left with a bit of a damp squib.
This turn-based RPG was developed by Octeto Studios and published by PQube. It is a single-player experience with a vivid and interesting backdrop. Sadly, there is no voiceover work and the characters are sadly lacking in facial movement. Think gallons of Botox and hours of surgery, and you get the picture. Though neither of these things truly matters, it made the mountains of lore-driven dialogue feel a little flat.
Sky Oceans: Wings for Hire is a story of revenge.
I love an RPG with a sad but heartfelt story. Luckily, Sky Oceans: Wings for Hire delivers that in spades. Every mission and interaction is pummelled by never-ending dialogue. What’s more, there are loads of characters to interact with and plenty to see and do as you explore plenty of minute islands.
The story revolves around Glenn Windwalker. His parents are missing, presumed dead, and the Alliance is out to get you. Yet, you escape their wrath and decide that revenge is a dish best served piping hot! As you explore the vast world, you’ll befriend factions and take down the Alliance one ship at a time.
Party time and plenty of combat.
The action is divided into 2 key elements, exploration and combat. Exploration takes place on land and in your airjet or airship. The latter is for traversing the large overworld and the airjet lets you explore dungeons, mines, and other tight locations. None of these elements is much fun as bugs and problems prevent you from smiling.
If you are on land, you can explore to your heart’s content. However, in the air, you’ll have to deal with plenty of meanies. Whether you hunt monsters for their meat and resources or you fight space pirates, the results are the same. You’ll endure a time-sink combat endeavour that just about beats watching paint dry. Furthermore, the difficulty is painfully low and this makes it tedious.
Sky Oceans: Wings for Hire looks nice, but bugs hold it back.
I can forgive the odd bug. Yet, game-breaking ones drive me insane. Unfortunately, I crashed into the world repeatedly and this caused a pinball effect with devastating consequences. If you clip the wall, your ship pings everywhere and the game decides that you are dead. Alongside this, your ship will randomly strafe and wobble. This was ridiculous and shows a lack of polish.
Where Sky Oceans: Wings for Hire excels is its original soundtrack. The orchestrated music is glorious to listen to. Each hearty song makes up for the emotionless faces and lack of acting. However, the repetitive soundbites during each combat experience will drive you insane. As such, the audio is a mixed bag.
Clumsy controls.
The pinball navigation isn’t helped by the woeful controls. You’ll hit the scenery, run into NPCs, and generally make a mess of everything on offer. It was a shame as this taints every core element and further highlights the lack of polish.
If you can see past the issues, you could lose yourself in the vast and colourful world. Sadly I was unable to do this as I found it to be too slow and tedious. Moreover, save points are too sparse and this forces you to play through each mission without a break. Subsequently, more people will turn this off before giving it a chance.
Sky Oceans: Wings for Hire misses the mark.
This is a rare miss from the publisher. This should have been great, but it fails to inspire. I enjoyed the story but it is held back by every shortcoming. Accordingly, though there are some positives, this is one to avoid. More information can be found here if you wish! Can you get your revenge? Pick your party, explore the world, and try not to die of boredom in the meantime.
