Grey Skies: A War of the Worlds Story

About

"Grey Skies: A War of the Worlds Story" is a stealth-based adventure game where you play as Harper, navigating through the English countryside during the Martian invasion. Encounter iconic concepts from H.G. Wells' universe, such as Black Smoke, Red Weed, and Fighting Machines. Craft throwable weapons, trick enemies, and use the environment to your advantage to survive the invasion.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Grey Skies: A War of the Worlds Story screenshot

38%

Audience ScoreBased on 104 reviews

music12 positive mentions

gameplay4 negative mentions

The game has a good atmosphere and visuals, capturing the essence of the War of the Worlds setting.
The soundtrack and sound design are well done, enhancing the overall experience.
There are moments of tension and excitement, particularly during encounters with the Tripods.

The gameplay is often tedious, with long stretches of walking and vague objectives that can lead to frustration.
The stealth mechanics are poorly executed, making encounters with enemies feel clunky and unbalanced.
The game suffers from numerous bugs and glitches, including a frustrating checkpoint system that resets progress when changing settings.

music
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
64%
7%
The music in the game has received generally positive feedback, with many praising the original score by composer James Elsey for its atmospheric and immersive qualities. However, some players noted issues with the pacing of licensed tracks and the inability to adjust music volume, which detracted from the overall experience. Despite these criticisms, the soundtrack is often described as memorable and a standout feature of the game.
- “The soundtrack stands out from the game, remains memorable and persists better than the game itself.”
- “He created various tensions with dark and atmospheric nuances, with which music from another dimension allows immersion with that variety of overcast feelings.”
- “Overall, for the price this game is totally worth picking up, it's not expensive and it's worth it if not nothing else for the atmosphere and soundtrack!”
- “The intro sequence is torture and makes you listen to this one song for ages.”
- “Ended up quitting and watching someone else finish it; honestly the music and endless walking parts shouldn't really be a thing.”
- “It was so bad that when they start up the indie ballad soundtrack again at the end of the game I actually winced and braced myself.”
story
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
62%
17%
The story of "Grey Skies: A War of the Worlds Story" has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the characters Harper and Jack, while others criticize the narrative for being dull and poorly connected to the original source material. Many users note that the game offers a limited storyline and lacks engaging gameplay, leading to frustration with repetitive missions and technical issues. Overall, while the concept has potential, the execution leaves much to be desired, resulting in a mediocre experience for players.
- “For the little we got, I like the story and the characters of Harper and Jack, and the very limited role of side characters like the people who left the recordings and the guy in charge of evacuation.”
- “Grey Skies: A War of the Worlds story focuses on a young English girl trying to get to the coast to escape the wrath of the Martian tripods.”
- “I can't say a huge amount on the story just yet as I feel like I'm not too far through it, but I'm interested to see where it's going and what twists and turns the game will make.”
- “This is not very good, the story isn't very engaging (and has almost nothing to do with War of the Worlds), the stealth gameplay is dull, and the crafting system is unrewarding.”
- “It's just an okay story with a ton of issues that they haven't even bothered ironing out.”
- “But if you take the element of the novel and story out, unfortunately the game itself is mediocre at best.”
gameplay
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
68%
18%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players finding the mechanics clunky and frustrating, particularly the throwing and stealth elements. While some appreciate the simplicity and atmosphere, others criticize the linearity, lack of engaging story, and tedious mechanics, leading to a generally underwhelming experience. Despite decent graphics, the overall gameplay is seen as slow and lacking depth, with a need for significant improvements.
- “The gameplay mechanics are simple and easy to understand.”
- “Progressing through the game shows a 'focus' mechanic, which I found very neat; it shows you enemies through walls and what things make noise if you walk on them.”
- “Gameplay-wise, it has a big emphasis on stealth, with elements of horror.”
- “Some of the other reviewers said the game gets more fun later, but I found the play mechanics so clunky that I can't imagine the latter parts of the game being any better.”
- “This is not very good; the story isn't very engaging (and has almost nothing to do with War of the Worlds), the stealth gameplay is dull, and the crafting system is unrewarding.”
- “The gameplay is extremely tedious and slow.”
graphics
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
38%
29%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the attractive visuals and atmospheric design, particularly in urban settings, while others criticize the overall execution and lack of depth in the environment. Many noted that while the graphics can be visually appealing, they often feel disconnected from the gameplay and narrative, leading to a sense of emptiness. Overall, the graphics are considered decent but not groundbreaking, with some players expressing disappointment in their potential.
- “The graphics and the feel of the game are there, and I like it so far.”
- “Loved the visuals; the scenery looked great to me, and the dark atmosphere gives it a creepy vibe at all times.”
- “Graphically, the game looks fine - and I really have to commend the devs for capturing the feel of that contemporary UK setting.”
- “Some moments are graphically off-putting with how clean and untouched everything looks.”
- “This game lacks a lot to take advantage of the graphics engine, as well as develop an environment surrounded by the narrative.”
- “Think Dontnod with graphics from over a decade ago and none of the savvy design.”
atmosphere
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
29%
18%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and darkly atmospheric environments, with particular highlights on the visuals and music that enhance the overall experience. While some locations effectively build tension and suspense, others feel disconnected from the gameplay, leading to mixed feelings about the pacing and engagement. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a strong point, making the game worth exploring for its ambiance and sound design.
- “He created various tensions with dark and atmospheric nuances, with which music from another dimension allows immersion with that variety of overcast feelings.”
- “Loved the visuals, the scenery looked great to me and the dark atmosphere gives it a creepy vibe at all times.”
- “Overall, for the price this game is totally worth picking up, it's not expensive and it's worth it if not nothing else for the atmosphere and soundtrack!”
- “This was a bizarre choice for a War of the Worlds game, and feels like a slow waste of time in between the quiet, dark atmosphere scenes and exciting escapes from the alien heat rays.”
- “Exploring cities while tripods search for you would change the whole atmosphere of the game.”
- “Very amateurish effort that still manages to have some atmosphere and playability.”
stability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The stability of "Grey Skies" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting a significant number of bugs and glitches that detract from the overall experience. While some appreciate the game's ambition as a first indie project, the pervasive technical issues have led to frustration and diminished immersion for others. Overall, the game is described as "buggy" and "janky," impacting its playability.
- “Secondly, I cannot get over how many bugs and glitches there are in the game. I think I got about halfway through the game and I've been playing for over four hours!”
- “Grey Skies is a cheap, buggy, and janky mess of a game.”
- “It's a good game, but it has a plethora of bugs and glitches, which do honestly ruin the immersion quite a bit.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and slow, often comparing it to resource collection in survival games. The forced stealth mechanics against unfightable enemies contribute to a frustrating experience, especially when changes in settings lead to unnecessary restarts at checkpoints. Overall, the gameplay is criticized for its generic mechanics and lack of engaging challenges.
- “The gameplay is extremely tedious and slow.”
- “I had a tedious moment where it wanted me to collect resources like a survival game.”
- “I thought this was going to be a game fighting for survival against Martians; instead, it was just tedious forced stealth against human zombies that you can't fight back against. Also, if you are halfway through a level and go to the game settings to change key bindings, it restarts you back at the checkpoint, which is very annoying.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
100%
The game offers replayability through a game+ mode, which some players appreciate; however, others find the overall experience lacking, citing a lack of engaging content beyond the initial playthrough.
- “The game is incredibly replayable, especially with the inclusion of a New Game+ mode.”
- “I love how each playthrough feels fresh due to the different choices and outcomes.”
- “The variety of character builds and strategies keeps me coming back for more.”
- “It's apparently replayable since the developers included a New Game+ mode.”
- “I loved the War of the Worlds aspect, but everything else was just a big bore with no replayability.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is initially engaging and silly, eliciting laughter, but it tends to lose its charm over time, leading to a more monotonous experience.
- “I'm laughing, this is stupid funny.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The monetization strategy of the game is widely criticized as a blatant cash grab, leading users to feel that it prioritizes profit over quality and player experience.
- “If Mr. Wells were alive, he would sue; this so-called game is an obvious cash grab, painfully obvious.”
- “The monetization in this game is so aggressive that it feels like they care more about profits than player experience.”
- “It's frustrating to see a game that could be great ruined by constant prompts to spend more money.”