Recent reviews by emi_anemone

I started playing this game in Spring of 2021. I have put upwards of 500 USD into this game, whether it be purchasing their tangible merchandise, IAP, or gifting items to friends. Your jaw's either on the floor, or you've played Genshin Impact, and this number does not impress you. Either way, I hope this solidifies that I have enough experience to give a sufficient review.

This game restores a part of my faith in humanity every time I make friends with someone who I don't share a common language with, because nonetheless, we managed to bond over silly emotes. Every time I absentmindedly step away from my phone, leaving my avatar standing out in the rain, I always come back to a stranger holding a candle up to me to make sure I don't die. Without fail. Every. Time.

This game is beautiful, and heartwarming. It brings a perspective on connection that other games don't.

I could put up with--frankly--predatory prices on cosmetics. There is no world in which programming a singular cape should cost 15 dollars. Ever. 3 dollars for earrings that you can't see under most hairstyles is BONKERS. The FOMO marketing is vicious and leaves you with post-buy clarity, wondering, "...why did I spend that much money on an item that doesn't even suit my taste?" But, hey. Something, something, they have to feed their families.

The socialmedia-ification of the game? I could simply ignore every message begging for hearts. I could tolerate that, especially since the game gives you no real options for getting one of their main forms of currency outside of begging for it. "B-b-but, we want you to give hearts as gifts, you shouldn't be trading gif-" Wow. That's crazy. Get back to me when you stop making desirable items cost ludicrous amounts of hearts, and then I'll care! But, I digress. I made it work.

What I cannot forgive or understand is why they couldn't have put a singular, firm push in resolving other platform issues when working on the PC version's movement.

What was the point of spending so much time developing a PC edition and player testing it if it still has glaring issues that would simply make it more intuitive to play with a controller? I'm not pretentious about whether PC or Console is better, especially when it comes to accessibility for all players. However, the point of accessibility is making it possible to use a variety of platforms to access a game.

Sky is the only game I have ever seen that has *mouse deceleration.* In what multiverse could you possibly see a beneficial purpose for punishing a player for wanting to quickly pan their camera?

Why can you hold CTRL to free your mouselock, but you can't use it to do aerial movements with your character? You can literally use your mouse to click on your character. Why not just let me turn my character the way you're allowed to on phones? Why am I stuck with the clunky movement system relegated to analog sticks?

Why can you not *jump in place?* They have the animation implemented. When you stand against a tall wall, your character jumps straight upwards. Why is it not an intended feature when I press space and don't press movement keys?

When Sky on PC was announced, I was excited to finally be able to communicate with other players through a keyboard, seeing as it is the form of text I'm most comfortable with. Prior, it felt like I had to dodge long conversations and meaningful discussion because I was preoccupied trying to wrestle my phone's autocorrect into submission, only for it to bite me and give me rabies.

However, I seem to have traded in my legs for the ability to talk. Dye my hair red and call me Ariel, I guess.

I figured the aforementioned clunkiness was being swiftly addressed and would get cleared up before official release during the beta testing process. It wasn't.

It's with heavy heart that I select the thumbs down button on a review for a game I love so dearly. However, I cannot recommend Sky on Steam in good conscience. So, if you enjoy mouse and keyboard gameplay, here's my advice: download this game on your phone. Play through to the end a few times. Meet some people. Dress your character up. See if they have any fun events lined up. Do some quests. And then?

Well. I don't need to demand that you drop the game and uninstall, because the lack of replayability and horizontal phone keyboard will compel you to do it REGARDLESS!