Forward to the Sky
- January 28, 2015
- Animu Game
- 3h median play time
A fun, light platformer that won't really challenge you with excellent aesthetics
Get on SteamForward to the Sky is a 3D action-adventure game with puzzle elements. Players explore a mysterious tower, battling enemies and solving puzzles to uncover the truth about a forgotten kingdom. With beautiful graphics and a captivating story, Forward to the Sky offers an engaging experience for fans of action-adventure games.
Reviews
- Cute graphics and charming character design.
- Engaging puzzles that introduce new mechanics in each level.
- Short and sweet gameplay, making it a good casual experience.
- Combat mechanics are simplistic and unengaging.
- Voice acting is subpar and can be annoying.
- Game is very short, taking only 1-2 hours to complete.
- story266 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The story in "Forward to the Sky" is generally described as simple, cute, and reminiscent of a fairy tale, focusing on a princess's quest to confront a witch while collecting crystals to unlock additional narrative elements. While some players found the plot charming and heartwarming, many criticized it for being predictable, shallow, and lacking depth, with a writing style that felt juvenile. Overall, the game offers a light-hearted narrative experience, but it may not satisfy those seeking a more complex or engaging story.
“The story is simple but solid and has a nice synergy in which you have to explore the levels to uncover it.”
“The story was simple but good; I like that they made it clear from the get-go that there are two endings instead of blindsiding the player.”
“Forward to the Sky tells the story of a princess that, with the help of her trusty hot air balloon, seeks out to climb an enormous tower high up in the sky, in order to hunt down a witch.”
“The plot is paper thin and the characters control horribly.”
“The story is minimal, but also cute.”
“The story is not deep whatsoever, so if you can't find a statue, you're not really missing out on much.”
- gameplay168 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Forward to the Sky" is characterized by its simplicity, featuring basic hack-and-slash combat and a variety of puzzles that introduce new mechanics in each of the six levels. While the game offers a charming aesthetic and enjoyable platforming elements, many players find the combat to be clunky and the overall experience somewhat shallow, with a total playtime of around 1.5 to 3 hours. Despite its shortcomings, the game provides a lighthearted and relaxing experience, appealing to those looking for casual gameplay rather than depth or complexity.
“The gameplay features simple hack-and-slash mechanics, along with some challenging jumps and puzzles that require skill.”
“Each level introduces new mechanics and presents you with interesting puzzles.”
“The gameplay is solid, puzzles are nicely implemented and make you think (especially in stage 4).”
“The gameplay is the worst part though, combat feels sluggish and unsatisfying as you beat up skeletons that vary little over and over; luckily, there isn't much combat to do.”
“Let's be honest here: the fight mechanics are extremely basic and aren't that interesting; there are tons of glitches and, well, it's overall quite poorly made.”
“So in short, I wouldn't recommend this game at all; even if you think 'it's just to kill time', you'll be better off spending your money on another game since this one will frustrate you with its clunky, unintuitive design and gameplay.”
- graphics128 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their cute, colorful, and anime-inspired art style, creating a visually appealing experience. However, some players noted performance issues, occasional graphical glitches, and a lack of diversity in level design, which detracted from the overall enjoyment. While the visuals are charming and immersive, they are not without flaws, leading to mixed feelings about the game's graphical execution.
“The visuals are a treat for the eye.”
“The graphics are stunning, and the soundtrack and sound effects are satisfactory.”
“The graphics for the game were good, nice and colorful with a cute anime theme to it; the levels in the game are good, it wasn't really diverse but it's substituted with having beautiful scenery to look at and explore.”
“Oh for this level of graphics, considering my strong hardware, the performance is complete and utter garbage.”
“How this game has a positive rating I will never understand; it's amateurish at best. It looks like the final project a student would do. The levels are pretty and the graphics, while not amazing, are cute and have vivid colors, but everything else is just bad.”
“The graphics are fair, if a little boxy - think late N64 or early PS2 grade.”
- music84 mentions
- 49 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, described as sweet, relaxing, and fitting the game's atmosphere, though some reviewers noted it can be repetitive and not particularly memorable. While the soundtrack enhances the overall experience, opinions vary on its quality, with some praising its charm and others finding it lacking in variety and mixing. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's cute and vibrant aesthetic, making it enjoyable for players.
“The music is sweet and fits the stages and story well, and the graphics from what I've seen look good even on lower settings.”
“The soundtrack is excellent and is the perfect background noise for one to work on their puzzle and platforming skills.”
“It's a nice, relaxing game with good music and pleasant, vibrant visuals.”
“Movement and combat feel spongy; the music is a short loop of stock audio; the story is completely forgettable.”
“Poor mixing and orchestration for the music; volume levels and sound quality are inconsistent.”
“The soundtrack is kind of forgettable.”
- stability16 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 88 % negative mentions
The game's stability has received mixed feedback, with some players noting occasional graphical glitches and frame drops that do not significantly detract from gameplay. However, others have reported more severe issues, including buggy mechanics and unpredictable collision detection, leading to a perception of the game as unpolished. Overall, while some players found the glitches manageable, others deemed the game too buggy for a satisfying experience.
“There were no glitches, nor were there weird hiccups.”
“It's not very buggy per se, but it has engine imperfections that lead to clunky handling of the heroine.”
“Too buggy to be a good platformer.”
“It looked like it was going to be fun but became a buggy mess.”
“In short, the game is still buggy.”
- emotional15 mentions
- 93 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its heartwarming and touching story, which, despite being short and simple, resonates with players. Many reviews note the game's ability to evoke feelings of joy and sadness, culminating in a satisfying conclusion, though some found the voice acting to be slightly awkward. Overall, the narrative effectively uses a fairy tale framework to explore themes of fear and trust, leaving players with a positive emotional experience.
“It's short, not too difficult, and it's backed by a simple but heartwarming story.”
“Heartbreaking story but a good ending.”
“2 hours of good gameplay and a touching story, worth the money.”
“So beautiful you'll want to cry.”
- optimization14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 7 % neutral mentions
- 71 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization has been widely criticized, with players reporting severe performance issues, including stuttering and lag, even on high-end hardware. Many users find the game unplayable due to these optimization shortcomings, particularly on CPU performance and for Mac users. Despite its appealing visuals, the poor optimization detracts significantly from the overall experience.
“The performance issues, especially in the first level, really detract from the experience.”
“While the game looks very cute and fun, the performance is absolutely terrible and unplayable.”
“There are so many issues with the controls, interface, dialogue, and performance that it's not even enjoyable.”
“Oh for this level of graphics, considering my strong hardware, the performance is complete and utter garbage.”
“While I'm not 100% sure on this, this game seems to be poorly optimized on the CPU side from what I can see on the performance analyzer.”
“The stuttering and constant framerate issues make this game unplayable for me.”
- replayability14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is criticized for its low replayability, with many players noting that once levels are completed, there is little incentive to replay them. The short length and lack of hidden content or unlockables contribute to this sentiment, leading reviewers to suggest it may only be worth purchasing on sale.
“Forward to the Sky is a very short (~1 hour) fairytale platformer with a very low difficulty level and moderate replayability.”
“If it's on sale, go for it, but keep in mind I 100% completed it in an hour and a half, and there's not really any replayability outside of trying to speedrun it.”
“Overall, the game is an enjoyable time, but some consideration should be put into whether it's worth the $8, considering its fairly short length and minimal replay value.”
“I don't think the game has much replay value once everything has been found - and, again, finding everything is fairly easy.”
“There is no replay value in this game.”
“The replay value is poor since once you complete a level it's no good playing it again.”
- atmosphere13 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its charming, relaxing, and immersive qualities, enhanced by cute graphics and a soothing soundtrack. Players appreciate the carefree vibe, which alleviates stress during platforming and combat, making for an enjoyable experience. Overall, the combination of beautiful visuals and engaging music contributes to a delightful and atmospheric gameplay experience.
“Finally finished it and I can tell you the atmosphere and soundtrack are absolutely awesome.”
“The atmosphere of this game is gorgeous and immersive.”
“The platforming is okay, the combat is simple, and the overall atmosphere of the game is cute, with the chibi princess protagonist and witch girl.”
“I was drawn into the carefree atmosphere of the game.”
“It's suited to the atmosphere in the game, and it's really soothing to my mind.”
- humor7 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by a mix of funny and cringe-worthy dialogues, simple yet amusing puzzles, and humorous graphical glitches. While the script and voice acting are often hilarious, the writing tends to be naive, suggesting a target audience of children. Overall, players find the humor enjoyable, contributing positively to the game's charm despite some control issues.
“The dialogues are funny and cringe-worthy.”
“Puzzles are rather simple yet can be funny.”
“The script and voice acting are downright hilarious.”
- character development7 mentions
- 71 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 29 % negative mentions
Overall, while the game features charming character designs and appealing aesthetics, many users feel that there is a lack of meaningful character development, with some finding the dialogue repetitive and unnecessary. The visuals are praised, but the depth of the characters themselves is seen as insufficient.
“I love her character design, and it is a lot of fun to watch her hair and bow bob up and down as you play.”
“Pro: nice aesthetics, charming character design.”
“It has beautiful graphics and cute character design.”
“For starters, there is no character development or anything of that nature.”
“They were clearly going for that 'cutesy' anime style when it comes to the character design and voices, but it's annoying, and it's unnecessary how often we get dialogue from the princess just thinking out loud about the crystals and the witch.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that grinding in the game can be a mixed experience; while some players appreciate the challenge and flow of certain sections, others find it tedious and frustrating, particularly when navigating traps. Additionally, there is a lack of grinding-related achievements or secrets, which may disappoint those looking for deeper engagement.
“No grinding, no secrets to find, no boss to plan several hours to defeat.”
“Some accelerator controls are fine, but it can be tedious in some parts when you go off the stage if you're not careful enough. It can be frustrating in certain sections with various traps that can send you into a painful, whimsical world of regret!”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Grinding achievements: none.”
