Sky Oceans: Wings for Hire

About

"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.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

+11

71%

Audience ScoreBased on 56 reviews

story24 positive mentions

stability4 negative mentions

The game features stunning graphics and a vibrant art style that draws inspiration from classics like Skies of Arcadia.
The story is engaging with deep characters, and the turn-based combat can be strategic and rewarding once players understand the mechanics.
There is a clear passion from the developers, evident in the character design and overall presentation, making it a charming experience.

The game suffers from numerous bugs and glitches, including issues with controls, sound, and quest progression, making it feel unfinished.
Combat can become repetitive and frustrating, with some players finding the mechanics boring and the difficulty unbalanced.
Many players have reported that the game feels like an Early Access title due to its lack of polish and numerous technical issues.

story
67 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
60%
4%
The story of "Sky Oceans" is generally praised for its engaging and colorful narrative, reminiscent of classic JRPGs, with charming characters and intriguing plotlines that keep players invested. However, many reviewers express frustration with significant bugs that hinder progression, affecting both main and side missions, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite these issues, the combination of stunning visuals and a compelling storyline makes it a game worth exploring for fans of the genre.
- “The art is stunning, and the story just keeps pulling me in.”
- “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.”
- “I might change this review in the future should they ever actually fix the game so I can advance its plot without clipping to death randomly when looting or flying around.”
- “If you ignore all side content and just blitz the story, apparently it's beatable, but what's the point of it?”
- “Dangling plot threads, hooks that go missing, dialogue trees that stop or are broken, a control system that is desperately in need of tuning and cleaning, equipment lists that are bugged and broken... but under all that, there's the potential for a real winner.”
graphics
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
38%
8%
The graphics of "Skies of Arcadia" and its successor "Sky Oceans: Wings for Hire" are widely praised for their vibrant, colorful art style reminiscent of Studio Ghibli and classic 1900s cartoons. Reviewers highlight the game's aesthetic appeal, noting its ability to balance a relaxing visual experience with an intense storyline, making it a standout in the JRPG genre. While most find the graphics charming and engaging, a few express discomfort, indicating that the visuals may not resonate with everyone.
- “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.”
- “Sky Oceans: Wings for Hire reminds me a lot about the classic JRPG, Skies of Arcadia; the unique art style graphic itself is the game highlight (I was basically drawn by the art style before playing the story).”
gameplay
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
45%
15%
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 players find the lack of facial expressions in 3D characters unsettling, and the overall experience can feel repetitive at times. Overall, the game is praised for its nostalgic retro style and the developers' evident passion, with gameplay ratings averaging around 6 to 7 out of 10.
- “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”
- “Gameplay: fair (a bit repetitive, cannot increase animation speed)”
- “There is some fun to be had but in the first 20ish minutes of gameplay...”
music
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
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 experience, although some mention occasional issues with playback. Overall, the music is considered a strong aspect of the game.
- “Also, a very important note: the soundtrack is incredible.”
- “Music - sounds pretty good sometimes (when it plays properly), which I'll just count as a win.”
- “Good soundtrack.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Players have praised the character development in the game, particularly highlighting the strong design and appeal of characters like Glenn. The overall character design has received a high rating of 9/10, indicating a positive reception among fans.
- “I've been following this game for some time because of character design, and now that I got to play it, I fell completely for Glenn and company.”
- “Character design: 9/10”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
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 reported various bugs, there is optimism that the developers will address these issues in future patches.
- “The controls are janky, in-game sound often overlaps which then glitches, then dies out and you end up playing a completely silent game. The sound effects of what you're walking on don't match (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.”
- “Before buying, I'd heard about a few bugs and glitches, and as of writing, there are indeed some. This is the kind of issue that the devs will likely be able to fix in a patch.”
- “The controls are janky, in-game sound often overlaps which then glitches, then dies out and you end up playing a completely silent game. The sound effects of what you're walking on don't match (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.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game features a compelling concept and stunning visuals; however, players consistently note that the interaction mechanics require significant optimization to enhance the overall experience.
- “Good idea and beautiful art, but interaction should be optimized a lot.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
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 escaping and establishing a base with fellow refugees. This blend of absurdity and adventure contributes to a lighthearted tone throughout the missions.
- “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'.”