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.
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- Cute graphics and character design that appeal to fans of anime and platformers.
- Engaging puzzles that introduce new mechanics in each level, keeping gameplay fresh.
- Relaxing atmosphere with a charming story that is simple yet enjoyable.
- Very short gameplay, typically completed in under 2 hours, which may not justify the price.
- Combat mechanics are simplistic and can feel clunky, lacking depth and variety.
- Voice acting and dialogue can be cringeworthy, detracting from the overall experience.
- story532 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The story of "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 appreciate its heartwarming themes and charming presentation, many criticize it for being predictable, shallow, and lacking depth, with a writing style that feels juvenile. Overall, the game offers a light, family-friendly experience, but those seeking a more complex or engaging story may find it lacking.
“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 cutesy and sweet, and the voice acting, while not amazing, was fitting for the characters, and helped bring them to life.”
“It's a good, relaxing game with a cute story and mechanics that don't overstay their welcome.”
“The plot is paper thin and the characters control horribly.”
“The story for me isn't it, it was very predictable and slightly annoying.”
“While there is a storyline present, it may come across as shallow and forgettable.”
- gameplay336 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 mechanics alongside environmental puzzles that vary across the six short levels. While the game introduces new mechanics in each stage, the overall experience is often described as clunky and lacking depth, with combat feeling unsatisfying and repetitive. Despite its charming visuals and relaxing soundtrack, many reviewers suggest that the gameplay may not justify its price, recommending it primarily for casual players looking for a light, cute experience.
“The gameplay is solid and every level centers on a new gimmick to keep things fresh.”
“Each level introduces new mechanics and presents you with interesting puzzles.”
“Despite the length (1-2 hrs), it manages to introduce a new puzzle mechanic each stage and provides enough challenge to feel rewarding.”
“The gameplay is the worst part though, combat feels sluggish and unsatisfying as you beat up skeletons that vary little over and over though 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.”
- graphics257 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Forward to the Sky" are generally praised for their cute, colorful anime-inspired art style, which many players find charming and visually appealing. However, some users report performance issues and occasional graphical glitches that detract from the experience. Overall, while the visuals are considered a strong point, the game's short length and technical shortcomings prevent it from reaching its full potential.
“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 that with having beautiful scenery to look at and explore.”
“Forward to the sky was a great experience, filled with cute graphics and a relaxing atmosphere.”
“Oh for this level of graphics, considering my strong hardware, the performance is complete and utter garbage.”
“The graphics are fair, if a little boxy - think late N64 or early PS2 grade.”
“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: bad controls, bad combat, bad platforming, horrible puzzles, bad collision, bad trap placement, the most boring voice acting I have ever seen, bad sound effects, and that menu... there is almost no text in it so you have no idea of what anything does, and it's not really because the text would ruin it, because it is ugly as hell even without text.”
- music168 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 find it forgettable or repetitive. While the soundtrack enhances the overall experience, opinions vary on its memorability and mixing quality. Overall, it contributes positively to the game's charm, with many players appreciating its soothing melodies and thematic appropriateness.
“The music in the game was good, nothing too grandiose or epic, but genuinely sweet and fits the game very well.”
“The soundtrack is excellent and is the perfect background noise for one to work on their puzzle and platforming skills.”
“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.”
“Movement and combat feel spongy; the music is short, looped stockware; and the story is completely forgettable.”
“Poor mixing and orchestration for the music; volume levels and sound qualities are inconsistent.”
“The soundtrack is kind of forgettable.”
- stability32 mentions
- 6 % positive mentions
- 6 % neutral mentions
- 88 % negative mentions
The game's stability has received mixed feedback, with some players noting occasional graphical glitches and frame drops that, while not game-breaking, can disrupt gameplay. Others have described the game as "too buggy" for a platformer, citing issues with collision detection and controls. Overall, while some players found the glitches manageable, many felt the game lacked polish and stability.
“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.”
- emotional30 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 that leaves a positive impression. While some elements, like voice acting, may feel awkward, the overall narrative and charming visuals contribute to a wholesome experience that players find worthwhile.
“It's short, not too difficult, and it's backed by a simple but heartwarming story.”
“Heartbreaking story but a good ending.”
“Story was really nice and emotional for a short game.”
“So beautiful you'll want to cry.”
“So beautiful you'll want to cry.”
- optimization28 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 18 % neutral mentions
- 71 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with players reporting severe performance issues, including stuttering and framerate drops, even on high-end hardware. Many users find the game unplayable due to these optimization flaws, particularly on CPU and Mac systems, overshadowing its appealing graphics and gameplay. Overall, the lack of effective optimization significantly detracts from the gaming 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.”
“The controls and interface have significant issues that impact overall enjoyment.”
“Oh for this level of graphics, considering my strong hardware, the performance is complete and utter garbage.”
“The stuttering and constant framerate issues make this game unplayable for me.”
“I can't recommend it... while the game looks very cute and fun, the performance is absolutely terrible and unplayable.”
- replayability28 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
Overall, the game has been criticized for its minimal 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 further diminish its replay value, making it more suitable for a one-time playthrough or speedrunning attempts. While some players found it enjoyable, they recommend purchasing it only during sales due to its limited replay potential.
“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.”
- atmosphere26 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its charming, cute, and relaxing qualities, enhanced by beautiful graphics and an immersive soundtrack. Players appreciate the stress-free platforming and simple combat, which contribute to a soothing experience. Overall, the game's bright and cheerful ambiance, along with its engaging story and well-executed music, create a delightful environment that captivates players.
“Finally finished it and I can tell you the atmosphere and soundtrack are absolutely awesome.”
“The atmosphere of this game is gorgeous and immersive.”
“I was drawn into the carefree atmosphere of the game.”
“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.”
“Forward to the sky was a great experience, filled with cute graphics and a relaxing atmosphere.”
“It's suited to the atmosphere in the game, and it's really soothing to my mind.”
- humor14 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 hilarious voice acting. While some players appreciate the lightheartedness and comedic elements, others note that the writing feels naive, suggesting a target audience of children. Overall, the humor adds a charming layer to the gameplay experience, despite some technical hiccups.
“The controls are annoying to use, especially in battle, and the script and voice acting are downright hilarious.”
“I love this game; it is quite funny, has a good story, and it is not easy to get 100%.”
“Puzzles are rather simple yet can be funny.”
- character development14 mentions
- 71 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 29 % negative mentions
The reviews highlight a strong emphasis on charming and aesthetically pleasing character designs, particularly noting the cute anime style and appealing graphics. However, there is a significant criticism regarding the lack of character development, with some players finding the repetitive dialogue from the main character to be unnecessary and detracting from the overall experience.
“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.”
- grinding8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while some sections offer enjoyable flow, others can become tedious and frustrating, especially when navigating traps. There are no significant achievements or secrets to uncover through grinding, leading to a lack of depth in this aspect of gameplay. Overall, the need for repeated attempts can detract from the enjoyment.
“No grinding, no secrets to find, no boss to plan several hours to defeat.”
“Grinding achievements: no”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“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's frustrating in some flowing sections with various traps that can send you into a painful, whimsical world of regret!”
