Wednesday App Review: Skyward

skywardlogo

I have always been a sucker for good art with bright colors and great lines. I’m kind of like a month to that effect; give me some good art and I’m hooked. So, it’s probably no surprise that I downloaded the app Skyward and tried it out. This simple tapping game borrows the simple art style and muted colors of the acclaimed (and absolutely beautiful) game Monument Valley, which we reviewed a few months ago. However, despite the almost identical look of this game, the gameplay is vastly different. Unlike Monument Valley, which is a puzzle game that makes you think spatially and abstractly at the same time, Skyward is really an insanely simple game in which the point is to beat your own top score. While I’d love to say that this game has some elements of Monument Valley (which is probably my all-time favorite app at the moment) don’t let the pretty screen shots fool you–it really only borrows the color scheme. This app is an endless tapping platformer and nothing more. The concept of the game is to “walk” two discs that rotate around each other across various constantly changing landscapes. There are tiles that make the game more challenging by speeding up or slowing down, and the pathways also move in a vaguely Escher-like style. Tap your circle when it’s not on a solid surface, and game over.  That’s literally all there is to this game. The higher score you get, the more pathways you unlock and the more challenging the game becomes. However, the basic gameplay doesn’t really change at all. Skyward was created by copycat app developer Ketchapp which isn’t exactly known for its originality. The company has coined several almost-rip-offs which commonly copy game mechanics or even graphics from other more popular games. While I can’t say I was super impressed with Skyward, if you are a fan of tapping games then this one really isn’t all that bad and is probably one of the more fair tap-based games that I’ve encountered. It’s more about timing and quick thinking than chance, and the app style really is rather pretty. As far as tapping games go, you could do a lot worse. Originally released for iPhones, Skyward is available for Android devices as well. The app is, fortunately, free to download as I don’t know it would be worth the money. There are pop-up ads between levels which are more than a little annoying and while you can pay $1.99 to remove the ads, I don’t know that it’s worth the effort. At least it’s pretty to look at. Still, if you have time check it out for yourself and let me know what you think!]]>

Posted in