When it comes to adventure games, my main method to find new exciting titles is to look for what award-winning developers have to offer. With that in mind, thatgamecompany, which launched Journey and Flower, had me pretty excited when they released Sky: Children of the Light.
I tested it for a couple of weeks and concluded that it is one of the best social adventure games out there. Why? Read on and find out!
- What Is Sky: Children of the Light All About?
- Is Sky: Children of the Light Safe and Reliable
- How to Download Sky: Children of the Light
- Pricing Scheme of Sky: Children of the Light
- Highlighting Points of Sky: Children of the Light
- Explore and Much More
- Positive Social Interaction
- Meditative Gameplay
- Pairing with Controllers
- The Downsides of Sky: Children of the Light
What Is Sky: Children of the Light All About?
Launched two years ago, Children of the Light is a title that is an unofficial sequel to Journey.
After having fantastic experiences with two thatgamecompany apps, I could expect nothing less but an action-packed adventure with impressive graphics and a unique storyline.
After reading an article on it winning an award for the best Apple game back in 2019, I was pretty excited to start exploring the sky-inspired kingdom. The main quest?
Join with other characters and return stars to their constellations. Simple yet so exciting, I was pretty happy to see that the game offers seven vast realms left for me to explore and “conquer”.
Seasonal Events
Before I describe my personal experience with this title, I want to say that the seasonal events and the fact that the developers update their realms every month make it such an attractive choice.
It leads to the fact that I could play Sky: Children of the Light for hours on hours without feeling bored.
Is Sky: Children of the Light Safe and Reliable?
As someone who has been testing adventure-packed games for the past few years, my first task is to determine whether it is kid-friendly.
The short answer is yes, as contrary to some MOBA and shooting titles, Sky: Children of the Light doesn’t promote abuse or refers to any prejudices.
Not only that, but after completing quests in all seven realms and interacting with the available characters, I was sure that there aren’t any sexual references either.
With that in mind, it is safe to be played by anyone except for the fact that the controls are pretty complex. For this reason, I think it can be challenging for those below the age of 10.
Malware-Free
I am always on the watch when it comes to viruses and security risks.
So before I clicked play and embarked on the star-tracking journey, I made sure that the game doesn’t present a security threat to my smartphone.
After running a couple of tests, I was convinced that there isn’t any malware.
How to Download Sky: Children of the Light
To get started, I downloaded the app from the Google Play Store. It took me just a couple of minutes to get the 1 GB game down on my phone.
The most important point is that you need to run Android 8.0 or above to have this app working.
It is pretty similar when it comes to downloading it from the Apple App Store for iPhone and iPad. It requires 1.3 GB of free memory space and an iOS that is 9.0 or above.
From my experience, both the installation process and running of the game went without any glitches.
Is There a Desktop Version?
The fact that it is available for a wide array of devices made Sky: Children of the Light a relevant title that I could play while on the go.
Surprisingly, the developers did a fantastic job creating designated versions for Windows and macOS.
While I was not able to sync my progress between the few devices, the ability to compare and master controls on both different operating systems is pretty cool.
Pricing Scheme of Sky: Children of the Light
As I was reading a couple of Sky: Children of the Light reviews, I was pretty sure that it was a pay-to-play game.
Still, the basic version is 100% free, and you don’t need to make any in-app purchases to feel the atmosphere and engage in numerous adventures.
On the other hand, after I spent days glued to my phone with the starters version, I decided to spend a bit of money on it.
Keep in mind that the price varies between $0.99 and $49.99, depending on the pass that you go for. Thus, the Gift Adventure Pass opens doors for new and exciting adventures is set at below $10.
What Can You Buy?
The list isn’t that short, and it took me some time to make sure that my decision was wise and not just economically irrational.
I was most excited about the Season Pass pre-orders set at $19.99 and the available bundles (3, 5, 10) that I used to customize in-game characters.
Highlighting Points of Sky: Children of the Light
The major component of this game is that it features seven different realms that I wandered through, meeting people from all around the world.
The game provides you with a unique feel of social interaction as you are on a united quest to save stars and uncover ancient treasures.
Among the coolest points of this title is customization, i.e., the ability to make changes to my character.
As I moved through different quests, I found that the game allows you to exchange gifts and show appreciation towards people who were on my team rolling through the same adventure.
Unforgettable Musical Experience
While there are many great in-game details, the audio experience is something that I won’t forget.
Throughout my whole journey, engaging visuals were accompanied by unique audio, which made me feel like I truly was in a magical realm.
Explore and Much More
Few hours into the game, I was excited about the endless possibilities to discover new environments and skills.
As mentioned above, there are seven realms that require days of playing time to be expected.
Apart from exploring inside the game world itself, I found chances to progress by picking up on movement nuances and developing unique mechanics.
My personal favorite is to land my hops timely, so I get a speed boost and rush through the meadows.
Unlimited Freedom
While the on-screen joystick takes to practice the ability to experiment and fly through the sky by holding it down or soar high by holding it up is what had me pretty excited.
While Sky: Children of the Light does offer in-game tutorials, I found these to be pretty unnecessary. The idea of this game is to discover new elements intuitively and as you are on the go.
Fortunately, it took me just 10 minutes to get through the introductory phase and unlock the ability to move through seven different landscapes.
Positive Social Interaction
A major element that puts Sky: Children of the Light apart from other adventure-packed games is the necessity of social interaction.
There were multiple challenges that I couldn’t complete without teaming up with a pack of other players.
Surprisingly, most of the interactions aren’t done through the chat feature but rather by friendly gestures and indirect communication.
Believe me when I say that the feeling of making your first in-game friend is pretty satisfying. Holding hands and playing music together is something that I wasn’t able to find in any other title.
Impromptu Grouping
The maximum number of people in a single group? Eight, and the most incredible thing is that I could post myself as a leader with the most experience on the given route.
The ability to group with other more experienced players and communicate through kind gestures is what makes it less daunting.
Most importantly, I didn’t need to stay in the group forever – the game allows you to break the bond and continue on a solo adventure at any point in time.
Meditative Gameplay
The main reason why Journey was widely acclaimed is for its simplicity and elegance.
While Sky: Children of the Light doesn’t copy its predecessor, it offers deep and memorable gameplay that reminded me of the award-winning title.
Even though there aren’t too many in-game explanations regarding the storyline, the scenarios are powerful and pretty easy to understand.
The explicit visuals and the ability to team up with players from around the world made me feel like I am doing something much more complex than tapping on my phone screen.
Funky Ending
As the game is bursting with a vivid environment, it is pretty hard to stop exploring.
I didn’t want to rush through the gameplay, which is the main reason why it took me a couple of days to complete the storyline for my first time.
Shockingly, the ending isn’t definite but rather stimulated me to start all over again and test what will happen if I made different choices.
Pairing with Controllers
The most challenging part of the game is mastering the mechanics.
Although it is not my first time playing with an on-screen joystick, Sky: Children of the Light caused me some issues.
My experience is that no matter the device that you are playing on, the screen is a bit too large to control the character with dual-stick.
There were multiple situations in which I ended up crashing into a wall instead of landing off. While the title doesn’t ask for explicit motor skills mastering the movement nuances does take a bit of time.
Connect with Bluetooth
In the past couple of weeks, there was a lot of discussion regarding potential changes to the control system.
Along with the available Bluetooth gamepad, the developers are planning to allow integration with PS4 and Xbox joysticks which will make mechanics more enjoyable.
The Downsides of Sky: Children of the Light
While I don’t have a lot to put against this game, there are a couple of elements that I would like to see changed.
In my opinion, it would be much better if the game offered an all-inclusive subscription which would include the add-ons and other items that you can’t earn by playing the game.
As of now, the microtransactions are pretty disappointing, as even though I made a series of in-app purchases, those items weren’t exclusive.
Floaty Controls
I mentioned that the touchscreen mechanics can be pretty challenging.
In more than a few cases, my character didn’t react to the directional input.
It is something that developers should consider updating in the following versions.
Summary
I had an incredible experience with Sky: Children of the Light. It is a wordless game that makes such a powerful statement.
If you are into adventure-packed titles and great visuals, it is a must-try!
