Baldr Sky

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In Baldr Sky, players explore a futuristic world where people use brain chips to access AI-crafted virtual realities, which can have dangerous consequences. As mercenary Kou Kadokura, players aim to uncover those responsible for the Gray Christmas tragedy while dealing with memory loss and forming alliances. The game combines the stories of Baldr Sky Dive1 “Lost Memory” and Baldr Sky Dive2 “Recordare” into one thrilling experience. Note: All characters are 18 years or older.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

93%

Audience ScoreBased on 306 reviews

story116 positive mentions

grinding6 negative mentions

Baldr Sky features an incredibly well-crafted narrative with deep world-building and engaging characters, making it one of the best visual novels available.
The combat system is fun and rewarding, allowing for a variety of combos and strategies that keep gameplay fresh and exciting throughout the lengthy experience.
The game successfully blends visual novel storytelling with action gameplay, creating a unique experience that keeps players invested in both the plot and the mechanics.

The pacing can be problematic, with repetitive scenes and lengthy flashbacks that can detract from the overall experience, especially in the middle routes.
Some characters and plot points feel clichéd or underdeveloped, leading to moments that may not resonate as strongly with players.
The combat system, while enjoyable, can become tedious due to unresponsive controls and frustrating enemy mechanics, particularly in later battles.

story
326 mentions
36 % positive mentions
63 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The story of "Baldr Sky" is praised for its excellent world-building and deep thematic elements, drawing players into a complex narrative filled with emotional connections, sci-fi mysteries, and well-developed characters. While the pacing can be uneven, with some routes feeling repetitive or slow, the overall storytelling is engaging and culminates in satisfying payoffs across multiple playthroughs. The integration of gameplay with the narrative enhances the experience, making it a compelling choice for fans of visual novels and sci-fi themes.
- “Excellent world building combined with smart and deep thematic storytelling lets you dive deep in thoughts in nearly every part of this grandiose but down-to-earth journey.”
- “The truly phenomenal storytelling overrules the downsides though to deliver one of the best sci-fi narratives on the market.”
- “The story has stakes and keeps you on edge by slowly revealing more of the underlying mystery with every route; the characters are enjoyable, and even the flashback scenes didn't feel like generic high school visual novel stuff.”
- “Lots of flashbacks interrupt the main story, which jarringly shifts from drawn-out slice of life back to gritty military, meaning you need to be in the mood for both to stay engaged.”
- “The story isn't really groundbreaking as it takes a little bit of something from a lot of other visual novels.”
- “The majority of it is awesome, but the final route (with the true ending), which should be the best part of the story, felt rushed and lacking compared to the other routes.”
gameplay
155 mentions
35 % positive mentions
61 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The gameplay in "Baldr Sky" is a standout feature, blending engaging action mechanics with visual novel storytelling, resulting in a unique experience that surprises many players. While some find the combat challenging and rewarding, others criticize aspects like the lock-on system and repetitive elements. Overall, the game is praised for its depth, customization options, and the way it integrates gameplay with narrative, making it a compelling choice for both visual novel fans and action game enthusiasts.
- “Gameplay is fun and experimenting with combos is the best thing in the game, in my opinion.”
- “The gameplay is fantastic as well, especially as you start to unlock more and more techniques and plugins and can really start fleshing out your combos.”
- “The gameplay portion is so deep mechanically and very satisfying.”
- “The gameplay drifts between frustrating and dull.”
- “There's also a horrendous lock-on system, which is probably the most egregious mechanic out of this entire game, and honestly one of the worst mechanics in any video game I've played over the past 10 years.”
- “The combat isn't so great; by the time you get to the third route, you wonder why you fight the same enemies with multiple health bars and annoying mechanics and limitations that only exist for yourself.”
music
51 mentions
39 % positive mentions
55 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The music in Baldr Sky has received widespread acclaim for its exceptional quality and fitting integration into the game's atmosphere, enhancing both combat and storytelling. Many players highlighted the soundtrack as a standout feature, with tracks that evoke strong emotions and complement the sci-fi themes effectively. Overall, the original soundtrack is considered a significant asset to the game, contributing to an immersive experience.
- “Baldr Sky's soundtrack has genuinely impressed me in multiple ways, with songs that fit so well into the combat and make for incredibly hyped fights, to ones that fit incredibly creepy atmospheres and wouldn't be misplaced in a game about exploring abandoned space stations.”
- “The game's soundtrack is a treat, with tons of great tracks.”
- “Simply amazing game with an amazing story and the gameplay is awesome; the music is on point.”
- “I never thought it was possible for a soundtrack to make me feel slightly nervous or perturbed, especially one paired with still images that only have some voice acting over them.”
- “The game has a wonderful mix of stellar storytelling, lovable characters, and a solid soundtrack, but everything else is so poorly executed that this also turned out to be one of the worst gaming experiences of my life.”
- “Although I really wish I could buy the OST so I don't need to open the game to listen to the soundtrack.”
emotional
16 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is a mixed bag; while it features strong character development and well-written endings that evoke genuine feelings, some players feel it lacks a significant emotional climax. Many appreciate the blend of humor and heartfelt moments, with some noting that even the "bad" endings are impactful. However, the game's approach to death diminishes the emotional stakes, leading to a less profound experience overall.
- “I love that it combines great story, emotional connections, a sci-fi mystery, and great characters alongside what I can only really describe as PS2-era combo-centric isometric combat with tons of customization and flexibility.”
- “The emotional value brought by all of its endings is truly well written even when it's supposedly the 'bad' ending, but this is why I really like Baldur's Gate.”
- “There were times when I laughed, I cried, I felt anxious and demoralized due to the proceedings of the story, and times when I genuinely felt lost even when not playing the story.”
graphics
12 mentions
42 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
25 % negative mentions
The graphics of Baldr Sky are a mixed bag; while the visual novel elements feature a unique art style and impressive character designs, the gameplay graphics are criticized for appearing outdated, reminiscent of 80s arcade games. Despite this, the overall aesthetic, including mecha designs and backgrounds, is appreciated, and many players feel that the visuals were ahead of their time when the game was released in 2009. The combination of solid artwork and a great soundtrack enhances the experience, even if some aspects may not meet modern standards.
- “Baldr Sky is a visual novel with some fairly unique world-building, fun sci-fi concepts, interesting enough mystery, an overall great setting, amazing OST, and one of my favorite art styles for both its background and character visuals.”
- “The mecha design is also nice because they're going with the real robot aesthetic, which is truly fitting for a hard sci-fi theme.”
- “The gameplay visuals also look great, with what appears to be pre-rendered 3D assets for its sprites.”
- “The graphics of the game look like it was made for an arcade in the 80s... the visual novel looks fine, but this is unplayable to me and I will refund.”
- “Graphics and resolution can seem a bit outdated, but nice enough (original game was released in 2009).”
- “Us west players have got a copy with full translation, so graphics may look a bit outdated including resolutions (so please play in full screen mode), but at the time when the game was released (2009), I believe it was ahead of its time.”
grinding
6 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding mechanics in the game to be tedious and cumbersome, often requiring them to replay sections or utilize new game plus to bypass lengthy scenes. While some recommend starting on higher difficulties to unlock and level weapons, the overall sentiment is that grinding can become frustrating, especially when players are unable to develop better skills early on.
- “The issue with the mech action RPG is that all battles are story battles broken up by long scenes, and the game has some grindy mechanics. The only ways to grind are to finish the entire game and unlock scene select, or do a New Game Plus on a route you've already completed so you can fast forward or skip scenes that aren't new to you.”
- “Grinding can become tedious and difficult, especially when you don't develop or can't develop the better skills yet.”
- “I get what they were going for, but grinding millions of points of damage, especially during the harder parts of the game, is an enormous pain.”
character development
5 mentions
60 % positive mentions
20 % neutral mentions
20 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is praised for its engaging interactions and distinctive character designs, which stand out from typical visual novels. While some minor issues are addressed through dialogue, the overall quality of character design is appreciated, though opinions on the adult character designs vary.
- “Character development and interactions feel great.”
- “Character design is surprisingly good, and some of the smaller gripes are explained away with a throwaway line here and there.”
- “I liked the character designs and VN sprites.”
- “The 'adult' character designs are really bad.”
atmosphere
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
-67 % neutral mentions
67 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its immersive post-apocalyptic setting, enhanced by a compelling soundtrack that complements both intense combat and eerie exploration. Reviewers appreciate how the music elevates the overall vibe, making the world feel alive and engaging.
- “But rather how much you love the world, combat, atmosphere, and overall vibe of the setting.”
- “Post-apocalyptic atmosphere.”
- “Baldr Sky's soundtrack has genuinely impressed me in multiple ways, with songs that fit so well into the combat and create incredibly hyped fights, as well as those that evoke an incredibly creepy atmosphere, fitting perfectly in a game about exploring abandoned space stations or the like.”
- “Post-apocalyptic atmosphere”
- “Baldr Sky's soundtrack has genuinely impressed me in multiple ways, with songs that fit so well into the combat and create incredibly hyped fights, as well as ones that evoke incredibly creepy atmospheres that wouldn't be out of place in a game about exploring abandoned space stations.”
humor
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is a standout feature, blending adult and juvenile jokes effectively within its context. Characters like Gilbert, Gregory, and Anan provide a mix of hilarity and cringe, enhancing the overall comedic experience of the beat 'em up gameplay.
- “It also has a good mix of some adult and some more juvenile humor, which works in context.”
- “Gilbert, Gregory, Anan, and the true villain were all either hilarious or face-palm worthy with how they were executed.”
- “A great brawler with a funny beat 'em up style that has great potential for humor.”
replayability
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game offers high replayability due to its engaging gameplay and diverse range of mecha options, ensuring players can enjoy different experiences with each playthrough.
- “This game offers a fantastic variety of gameplay options, making it incredibly fun to replay.”
- “The wide range of mechs and strategies keeps each playthrough fresh and exciting.”
- “I love how every run feels different due to the diverse mechanics and choices available.”