WinningMediaHD

0 comments by WinningMediaHD on Apr 28th, 2013

Hello readers, and welcome back to Winning Media HD's Review Blog.
Today we are going to review the Puzzle Platform App Game, NightSky. 

NightSky was Developed by Nicalis, Inc , and takes the gamer on a platform inspired journey through a beautifully coloured and diverse world, where we are expected to control a strange sphere, and succeed in getting it, in Layman's terms, from one side of the screen to the other.

As simple as this sounds, the game actually becomes increasingly difficult as it begins to fool around with concepts such as gravity, which in turn hinders the players ability to control the sphere, in an ordinary way. The developer very cleverly uses a variety of concepts, from the use of friction, to reverse gravity, speed and the integration of external items, to challenge the player throughout.

Each area is essentially broken into roughly around 3 screens, and the puzzles within these areas use rocks, cannons and wheels, to essentially encourage the player to examine their environment, and puzzle out exactly how these object will enhance, or hinder, their ability to complete the puzzle before them. The further you progress the harder these puzzles become, and eventually begin to combine many of the elements we mentioned before.

NightSky reminds us somewhat of games like Journey, which use beautiful environments and original ideas to allow the player to experience something different, within a concept which is somewhat becoming tired and old.
Platform/Puzzle games are certainly not anything new in and of themselves, given that platform is probably one of the oldest game genres around, but what Nicalis has done with NightSky, is create something unique within a genre which has been done to death.

The ideas and concept within this game were certainly ambitious, considering that it has been developed for iOS devices, which use touchscreen control. There are moments within this game, which become very frustrating, essentially because the ideas developed to progress sometimes just do not work. One section in particular stands our for me, which forces the player to use speed to propel the sphere into the air, and then in turn quickly swipe in the opposite direction once airborne, which is supposed to make the sphere counter balance and float in the desired direction.
For example the effect you would get if you threw a light ball into oncoming wind.
This idea is interesting, and would have been a great way to overcome many obstacles in the game....if it worked!
Instead you find yourself frantically swiping away at the screen, and just as you are about to finally do what was intended....the game resets the level?!?!?!  Why, you ask...well the developers decided to take advantage of the quick reset touchscreen ability...but to do that you basically have to double tap the screen with two fingers, so when you are frantically swiping at the sphere to get it to do what is necessary to progress, the game thinks you are double tapping to reset the level!
Although this is an awful problem, most of the time it doesn't actually happen. But it certainly is not nice when it does! 

All in all, NightSky is actually a really good game. Its challenging and beautiful in its design, and for anyone who enjoys puzzle games, it is certainly a must.
We have given NightSky a Winning Score of:  7/10 , with a 3 point drop for, as per usual , its control and development issues.

Here is the Link for our Walkthrough of NightSky Part 1 of 3: (Next 2 part coming soon!)
Youtube.com

We hope to do a reviews for Deadly Premonition - The Directors Cut and Dead Island: Riptide as soon as possible. We will be waiting until we have completed the games this time, however,  to give an accurate account of our experience of the games and their stories. So look out for those :-)

All the best and thanks once again for your time,
Tal @ Winning Media HD