Forward to the Sky Game Sample - PC/Indie
19Forward to the Sky is a "3D Action-Puzzle-Platformer" by Taiwanese developer, Animu Games, in 2015, and is the first major game released from the "company" (I say this loosely, as one person was primarily responsible for this game). Simply put, you play as a princess who is out to stop a witch who is believed to be wicked, hoarding crystals in ruins within the sky. Unlike some firsts that feel relatively complete, this game really feels unpolished, like an early Alpha or really early access title... I hate to be negative about this, especially since I was gifted this title and had actually looked into picking it up myself out of interest, but it simply is not very good.
The game consists of six short levels and a final boss, where your goal is to do puzzles and reach the hot air balloon at the end of the level to advance. Hidden across each level is 100 crystals that are optional to collect (25 from enemies, 75 from statues) which are mainly just to help reveal "story" and get achievements. The game can be played using a controller or with a mouse and keyboard, and the audio / visuals, at best, are serviceable (complete with simple, spoken dialogue).
What, then, is the problem? The game is a mess from a design standpoint. The controls are floaty, collision detection is not great, you have only an evasive back-flip and two attacks (a five hit combo, and a three-string command, not even any jump attacks) which is dull even for a game not emphasizing combat, enemies don't recoil, there are bugs such as getting hit by obstacles or projectiles even when the criteria simply isn't there, and ambiguous checkpoints where you can circumvent whole sections of levels by jumping or reaching certain areas (even if you don't reach them properly). Even the paper-thin plot is hidden behind the crystals, as every 33 reveal a line of that level's plot, but as that's one of the few incentives of the game, I wouldn't call it a drawback. You'll also jump indefinitely if you hold the jump button down, so be careful of platforms you can barely reach.
The one "strength" the game has, puzzles, are only okay... effort was made in this area as each level features a gimmick or two to switch things up, but even this wasn't thoroughly play-tested; there are ways to break the game and skip sections entirely that were meant to be experienced by registering checkpoints much further in the level. I demonstrate an instance of this on the second level by moving some boxes towards a rising wall... even moving them feels imprecise... why not just grab/push like almost every game before it? I guess it doesn't help that there's no real repercussion for falling either... you just float right back on the same hot air balloon needed to clear the level, which creates part of the circumvention in the first place.
Anyway, the game can be cleared in one or two hours depending on what you do, and is easily forgettable, but the Dev has gone on to make better games since then such as the absurd "Panty Party" (a goofy game about battle panties... seriously) and "Fantasy Versus" (quirky versus battle game based on team construction), so they have learned some things since this game. If it's on a significant sale (50%+), I'd pick it up to see their roots, but I can't recommend it at regular price ($8)... there are too many better games that can be had quite often for less money. This is a video of the game in action. You can get it at:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/333250/Forward_to_the_Sky/
Enjoy.
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