Sky Oceans: Wings for Hire
- October 10, 2024
- Octeto Studios
Get on Steam
Get on Xbox Games Store"Sky Oceans: Wings for Hire" is a JRPG-inspired game set in the open skies, where you play as Captain Glenn Windwalker, uniting a team of sky pirates in a touching journey to find purpose. Engage in strategic turn-based dogfights against the 'Alliance', adapt your strategy to changing scenarios, and upgrade airships with special abilities. Experience Studio Ghibli-inspired visuals and manage resources strategically in this nostalgic RPG.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 5
Windows
Xbox Series X|S
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- The game features a charming art style reminiscent of classic JRPGs, with vibrant graphics and well-designed characters.
- The turn-based combat system is engaging and offers strategic depth, allowing players to customize their crew and airships.
- The story is intriguing and keeps players invested, with a nostalgic feel that pays homage to classics like Skies of Arcadia.
- The game suffers from numerous bugs and glitches, including broken dialogue trees, control issues, and unresponsive quest markers.
- Many aspects of the game feel unpolished, leading to a frustrating experience with repetitive gameplay and lack of quality-of-life features.
- The user interface and controls can be clunky, making navigation and combat less enjoyable than intended.
- story37 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The story of the game is described as charming and reminiscent of classic JRPGs, featuring an engaging quest narrative and colorful characters that draw players in. However, many reviewers noted significant bugs and issues that hinder progress, detracting from the overall experience. Despite these flaws, the potential for a captivating storyline and enjoyable gameplay remains, appealing particularly to fans of the genre.
“It's funny that the alliance is mainly interested in you... after a successful escape, you and a few other refugees from Blossom Town set up a base in a remote location, from where you set off on various missions with your carrier ship 'Nimbus'.”
“One of my favorite things about Sky Oceans is how it balances this beautiful, almost relaxing art style with a pretty intense storyline.”
“The story so far is pretty interesting and intriguing, and the dialogues will have the characters (which, by the way, are extremely adorable and unique, kudos to the art team) changing expressions using portraits (like the Persona games), I found this really fun and it keeps you focused on the conversation.”
“Please, I really want to continue the story, but it's so hard to continue.”
“If you ignore all side content and just blitz the story, apparently it's beatable, but what's the point of it?”
“I'm not going to include the story as a positive or a negative; it's just very inconsistent where I am at roughly 10+ hours into the game.”
- graphics19 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their vibrant, Ghibli-inspired art style, which combines cute, lively visuals with a nostalgic retro feel reminiscent of classic JRPGs. Many reviewers highlight the game's aesthetic appeal, noting its beautiful colors and engaging character designs, although some mention that the graphics can be overwhelming for certain players. Overall, the visuals are considered a standout feature, enhancing both the gameplay and storytelling experience.
“If you like JRPGs, the combat, graphics (in typical Japanese Studio Ghibli style) and story will definitely appeal to you.”
“One of my favorite things about Sky Oceans is how it balances this beautiful, almost relaxing art style with a pretty intense storyline.”
“The graphic style is really cute and everything I got to see feels so alive and vibrant.”
“It's good but sorry, not for me, there's something with the graphics that makes me dizzy.”
“From its retro style graphics, animation, gameplay, and adventure, you'll feel as if you're playing an old classic from the Dreamcast/GameCube era.”
“The art style is like a mix of Ghibli and modern throwbacks to old 1900's cartoons, at least to me.”
- gameplay10 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The gameplay features turn-based combat that requires some initial adjustment but becomes strategic and enjoyable as players learn character skills. While the core mechanics are generally fun, some users noted a lack of character expression and a sense of repetitiveness, with overall ratings ranging from fair to decent. The developers' passion is evident, contributing to a nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic gaming eras.
“The gameplay took a bit to get used to, especially with the turn-based combat, but once you understand how each character's skills work, it gets super strategic and fun.”
“Soooo... yeah, it's very, very obvious that the devs are really passionate about this game, and did their best with both gameplay and graphics, because (so far) it shows.”
“From its retro style graphics, animation, gameplay and adventure, you'll feel as if you're playing an old classic from the Dreamcast/GameCube era.”
“General gameplay/exploration: 6/10”
“There is some fun to be had but in the first 20ish minutes of gameplay...”
“Gameplay: fair (a bit repetitive, cannot increase animation speed)”
- music7 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives generally positive feedback, with scores averaging around 7 to 8 out of 10. Reviewers highlight the incredible soundtrack, noting that it enhances the overall experience, although some mention occasional issues with playback.
“The soundtrack is incredible.”
“Music - sounds pretty good sometimes (when it plays properly), which I'll just count as a win.”
“Good soundtrack.”
- character development2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players have praised the character development in the game, particularly highlighting the engaging design and depth of characters like Glenn. The overall character design has received a high rating of 9/10, indicating strong appreciation for the characters' appeal and development throughout the game.
“I've been following this game for some time because of the character design, and now that I got to play it, I completely fell for Glenn and the rest of the characters.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including janky controls, overlapping and glitchy sound effects, and problems with treasure chests not functioning correctly. While players have noted these bugs, there is optimism that the developers will address them in future patches.
“The controls are janky, in-game sound often overlaps which then glitches, dies out, and you end up playing a completely silent game.”
“The sound effects of what you're walking on don't match; for example, you walk on grass but hear metal instead.”
“Treasure chests either do not give you loot, don't show up, and continue to show as unopened when you scan.”
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by the ironic situation where the alliance's primary focus is on the player, adding a comedic twist to the narrative of refugees establishing a base and embarking on missions. This blend of absurdity and adventure contributes to a lighthearted tone throughout the gameplay.
“It's funny that the alliance is mainly interested in you... after a successful escape, you and a few other refugees from Blossom Town set up a base in a remote location, from where you set off on various missions with your carrier ship 'Nimbus'.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
While the game features a good concept and beautiful art, players feel that the interaction mechanics require significant optimization to enhance the overall experience.
“The game has a great concept and beautiful art, but the interaction needs significant optimization.”
“The optimization of gameplay mechanics really enhances the overall experience.”
“I appreciate how the developers are continuously working on optimization to improve performance.”
“Good idea and beautiful art, but the interaction needs a lot of optimization.”
“The game runs poorly on lower-end devices, making it frustrating to play.”
“There are frequent frame drops and long loading times that ruin the experience.”
