Black Skylands

About

Black Skylands is a single player open world role playing shooter game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Hungry Couch Games and was released on August 15, 2023. It received positive reviews from players.

"Black Skylands" is a sandbox open-world airship action-adventure game. Fight sky pirates, explore floating islands, and manage your own settlement in this immersive, combat-focused title. Customize your character and aircraft, and form alliances to expand your territory in the skies.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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82%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,818 reviews

story316 positive mentions

grinding105 negative mentions

Engaging gameplay loop with a mix of airship and ground combat.
Beautiful pixel art and charming visuals that enhance the overall experience.
Satisfying progression system with a variety of weapons and upgrades.

Repetitive gameplay that can become tedious after a few hours.
Story feels rushed and lacks depth, with underdeveloped characters.
Many features from early access were cut, leading to a less satisfying experience.

story
1,011 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
64%
5%
The story of "Black Skylands" has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its engaging narrative and character development, while others criticize it for being clichéd and poorly executed. Many noted that the story has undergone significant changes from its early access version, leading to a more simplified and sometimes confusing plot. Overall, while the gameplay is often praised, the story is seen as a functional backdrop that could benefit from deeper development and refinement.
- “The narrative progression feels natural, and though the plot doesn’t always break new ground, its strength lies in the atmosphere and relationships that develop across the campaign.”
- “The story itself serves as a functional backdrop for the action, though it offers moments of genuine emotional resonance.”
- “The story is engaging, with an interesting world to explore.”
- “The story is cliched and the dialogue is trite (although it may just be a poor translation).”
- “The story is thin, and the ending was unoriginal.”
- “The story feels very lackluster at the moment but the art style and general music and feel of the game is very nice and chill.”
gameplay
656 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
54%
5%
The gameplay of "Black Skylands" is characterized by a blend of aerial exploration and on-foot combat, offering a satisfying loop of liberating islands, upgrading gear, and engaging in both ship and ground battles. While many players appreciate the mechanics and customization options, some criticize the repetitiveness and simplification of gameplay elements compared to earlier versions. Overall, the game provides an enjoyable experience with solid mechanics, though it may lack depth and variety in the long run.
- “The gameplay is genuinely addictive, and the vast world makes each journey feel unique.”
- “The core gameplay is built on two distinct layers: aerial exploration and on-foot combat.”
- “The gameplay loop is simple: sail your ship to an island, kill all the enemies on the island to liberate it and gain material, upgrade your guns/ship then hop on your ship and repeat until the end.”
- “The gameplay loop is shallow, and progression and unlocks are so fast that there is nothing to do; combat remains just as bland regardless of which upgraded weapon you're using.”
- “The gameplay is not terribly deep, and about twice as long as it should be given basic mechanics do not change much past the second hour.”
- “The gameplay becomes a bit repetitive, but that's alright.”
graphics
209 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
45%
3%
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their beautiful pixel art style and charming aesthetics, with many players highlighting the immersive environments and unique steampunk themes. While some reviews noted inconsistencies in quality and occasional graphical glitches, the overall visual presentation is considered a major strength, enhancing the gameplay experience. The combination of well-executed artwork and engaging design elements captivates players, making it a standout feature of the game.
- “The aesthetics of this game are gorgeous, and the fighting was pretty good.”
- “There's a lot to do, the graphics are incredible; it's a graphical style I have yet to see in a game yet. It's top-down 2.5D graphics, and it just looks so cool and unique.”
- “The graphics are beautiful as far as pixel-style games go; the story is fantastic and pulls you in.”
- “A bit of pop is missing in the graphics, audio that could be more snappy, controls that respond just a bit too slowly, all these make for an annoying and kind of off-putting experience.”
- “The game has a decent art style, mostly, but then it all runs in mega low-res render, where everything is aliased to hell.”
- “This very poor quality visual style is a method that lazy devs often use to disguise their lack of talent/interest in doing the graphics properly and trying to disguise it under the name of 'art', or 'we made it look bad on purpose', which really isn't something gamers should have to put up with.”
grinding
110 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3%
2%
95%
Overall, players have mixed feelings about the grinding aspect of the game. While some appreciate the shift away from excessive resource gathering and crafting, noting that the gameplay loop encourages steady growth without feeling overly grindy, others find certain elements, like island clearing and resource management, to be repetitive and tedious. The removal of farming and crafting features from earlier versions has led to a more streamlined experience, but some players miss the depth those systems provided, leading to a sense of monotony in the current gameplay.
- “The grind for 100% was surprisingly decent and not tedious at all, which in my book is a good thing.”
- “Bonus points though for having weapon mods drop from enemies towards the end of the game so you aren't grinding out currency to buy chests, so it made getting the weapon mod achievement a lot easier with very little grind.”
- “The gameplay is great, the progression pace is nice, no grinding so far, the art style is fun and not resource intensive.”
- “Additionally, the resource management system, while rewarding at first, can feel repetitive over time, as some late-game upgrades demand significant grinding.”
- “Island hopping can get a bit repetitive after a while though, and apparently the beta version had numerous features like farming and ranching to help break up the gameplay loop a bit better, but in the release version you're stuck clearing islands, going back to base to upgrade, and repeat with little else, both for the main story and side missions.”
- “The grind is satisfying, although hunting down resources over and over again becomes tedious after five or six hours.”
music
75 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
34%
7%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its relaxing and atmospheric qualities that enhance exploration and combat, while others find it bland and repetitive, lacking variety and impact during key moments. Many users noted that the soundtrack complements the game's aesthetic well, but expressed a desire for a richer and more dynamic musical experience. Overall, while the music contributes positively to the game's ambiance, it falls short of being memorable or engaging for some players.
- “The soundtrack complements this perfectly, mixing calm, atmospheric melodies during exploration with tense, percussion-heavy tracks during battles.”
- “ A beautiful, adventurous soundtrack that makes every skirmish feel like a saga.”
- “The beautifully pixilated skies and the soundtrack makes sailing the skies truly marvelous.”
- “The music is pretty bland.”
- “The background music in the game didn't feel fitting at times.”
- “The worst thing is the music, which manages to make high skies adventure feel duller than I'd believe possible.”
stability
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
89%
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with numerous players reporting significant bugs and glitches that disrupt gameplay, particularly in missions and endgame content. While some users found the experience enjoyable despite these issues, many expressed frustration over frequent crashes, unresponsive mechanics, and visual glitches. Overall, the game appears to be in a rough state, with a mix of enjoyable elements overshadowed by persistent stability problems that need addressing.
- “The rest of the game is relatively bug-free.”
- “Runs great on the Steam Deck too!”
- “It runs great and the gameplay is really nice.”
- “This mission is also very buggy. Out of the 4 tries, 2 runs were bugged. First, a mob pushed and glitched me in a corner, and the only way out was to abandon the mission, losing me half an hour for nothing. Second, after I killed the final random boss, the empty boss health indicator remained, and I received no cutscene or final reward, so I had to abandon that run as well.”
- “The game feels really buggy. Lots of aspects are just not enjoyable. It's a sick game though; just wait for the devs to patch it.”
- “I've run into duplication glitches, enemies being invincible, all animations stopping, losing items and crates to the void of your ship's storage, objects having seizures, and one specific ship crashing my whole game anytime I try to modify it, among many others.”
optimization
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
52%
36%
The optimization of the game has received significant criticism, with users reporting frequent stuttering, performance dips, and crashes, particularly on the Steam Deck and Switch. Many players noted that the game struggles with performance as enemy counts increase, leading to a frustrating experience despite its basic graphics. While some users found it generally playable, the overall consensus is that the game requires substantial optimization improvements to enhance stability and performance.
- “Runs smoothly on basically any system.”
- “Very well optimized.”
- “Anyways it is not too jarring and the performance is generally good.”
- “The game starts showing performance issues as the number of enemies spikes in the mid-game, and it gets worse as you play more.”
- “There's really no excuse for a pixel game to run this poorly when there's a long history of other, more complicated pixel games achieving buttery smooth performance with more modest hardware requirements.”
- “I almost suspect it has either bad performance optimization or some kind of memory leak, since it seems to get worse the longer you play.”
humor
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as a mixed bag, with some players appreciating the well-written blend of comedy and seriousness, while others find the attempts at humor inconsistent and lacking flow. The game's quirky world and characters elicit genuine laughter, but some comedic elements feel forced or fail to resonate, particularly when juxtaposed with serious moments. Overall, while there are highlights of humor, the execution can be hit or miss, leading to a varied reception among players.
- “Well-written with a good mix of humor and seriousness.”
- “Prepare to set sail on a voyage of chuckles, snickers, and knee-slapping hilarity in Black Skylands, the game that skyrockets humor to new heights!”
- “Pro #1: The game's zany, yet captivating world is brimming with peculiar characters and bizarre creatures that'll have you laughing out loud.”
atmosphere
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
13%
20%
The atmosphere in the game is widely praised for its immersive qualities, blending calming melodies during exploration with intense tracks during battles, enhancing the overall experience. The charming art style, coupled with dynamic environmental changes and sound design, creates a captivating sense of adventure, despite some minor drawbacks like the lack of voice lines. Overall, players appreciate the game's ability to evoke strong feelings and a nostalgic vibe, making it a standout feature.
- “The soundtrack complements this perfectly, mixing calm, atmospheric melodies during exploration with tense, percussion-heavy tracks during battles.”
- “The graphics are pretty decent; the art style is what's really captivating after a while. It's cute and simple, with some gore here and there. The islands change a bit after you liberate them, and people come back to live there, doing their daily chores. The atmosphere is nice; the rain really brings out a very comforting sensation, though maybe even a bit scary.”
- “The game is visually very charming, and I did like its atmosphere, even if it felt weird in some areas.”
- “Really added atmosphere in the right places.”
- “Where Black Skylands truly shines is in its atmosphere and sense of adventure.”
emotional
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
92%
25%
The emotional aspect of the game is mixed, with some players finding moments of genuine resonance and a touching ending, while others feel the story lacks depth and fails to create lasting emotional impact. Although there are heartfelt moments, many players noted that the pacing often prevents them from fully processing these emotions. Overall, the game offers a blend of emotional highs and lows, with a few standout moments amidst a backdrop of a more conventional narrative.
- “The story itself serves as a functional backdrop for the action, though it offers moments of genuine emotional resonance.”
- “It may not reinvent any single genre it borrows from, but the way it melds them together feels fresh and heartfelt.”
- “What made the game special during early access was a touching revenge tale with quite a wholesome and satisfying ending.”
- “Just another plain old shooter with a boring storyline that started off great but then got ruined.”
- “The emotional depth was lacking, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
- “I expected a gripping narrative, but it fell flat and left me feeling indifferent.”
character development
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
18%
27%
Character development in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising it as a highlight, particularly noting the impressive growth of characters like Peter. Others, however, feel that while the story and overall design are strong, there are moments where character development falls short. Overall, many agree that the narrative is engaging and that character arcs contribute positively to the experience, despite some inconsistencies.
- “Good story writing; the more I continued the story, the more I was surprised, and there was some character development too, especially Peter—he has the best character development out of everyone.”
- “Character development was really good, alongside the ending.”
- “But this was really the only issue I had with the game; the story is truly solid with great character development and a plot that hooks you almost from the beginning, wanting to know what will happen.”
- “I feel the weakest part of the story is not the plot itself, but the character development.”
- “The exploration is very good and the story is pretty nice, except for some lack of character development here and there.”
- “The character design, the scenarios, and the cinematics are all very different and so much superior in BR that it seems to be a different game.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
Overall, the game has been criticized for its lack of replayability, with many reviewers noting that once the story is completed, there is little incentive to play again. While some upgrades carry over between ships, the linear experience and limited post-story content, such as a poorly integrated challenge mode, contribute to a feeling of minimal replay value.
- “The upgrades to the ship carry over to every ship, which is nice since they are quite expensive and some developers like to stretch out replayability by forcing you to upgrade every ship individually.”
- “I can't comment on its replayability, but it seems as though there is enough content to not need to worry about being able to play a second time.”
- “Only complaint is no replayability, but hey, what do you expect for such a cheap game.”
- “Bland writing, frustrating gunplay with a very limited area of vision & targeting, limited replay value and an overall linear experience.”
- “Little to no replayability available after the story is completed: one challenge mode hosted by an NPC is added late in the story in a tacked-on fashion, but his store only has a few items to buy with the rare currency grinded from that mode - you don't really need them and there isn't a lot of reason to engage with it.”
monetization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
80%
The monetization aspect of the game has drawn mixed reactions, with some users perceiving it as a potential cash grab due to slow development and lack of communication. However, players appreciate the absence of microtransactions, particularly enjoying the weapon customization features available through gameplay rather than purchases. Overall, while there are concerns about the game's direction, the monetization model itself is not seen as exploitative.
- “You can customize your weapons with sights and barrel stocks you find in mod boxes (no microtransactions, don't worry), which I think is fun.”
- “The game offers a fair monetization model that doesn't pressure players into spending money.”
- “I appreciate that the game allows for in-game purchases without making them feel necessary to enjoy the experience.”
- “It would take many times longer to assemble all early access mechanics into a single complete product. It sounds more like a cash grab and jumping to another project.”
- “The radio silence hurts more, like this was just a bait-and-switch cash grab.”
- “It's not just some lazy cash grab.”