Wayward Sky Review

Title: Wayward Sky
Developer(s): Uber Entertainment
Publisher(s): Sony Interactive Entertainment

Platform(s): Playstation 4
Release Date: October 10th, 2016
Price: £15.49

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Game modes: Single Player
Activities/Collectables: Windchimes, Automata capsules

Extra notes:
Requires PlayStation VR and Playstation camera,
Playstation Move controllers optional

Time played: 3 Hours (2 hours to complete game)
Extra notes: Played using the Playstation Move controllers

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Who is it for?:
Anyone who owns a Playstation VR

Who isn’t it for?:
Anyone who doesn’t own a Playstation VR (simple as that)

Replayability:
Not too much. There’s windchimes and automata capsules to be found throughout the game that unlock some small features in the main menu but apart from that there isn’t much incentive to play through the game again for a little while.

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By Shaun Quaintance – In my first Dorknado article, I rambled on about how VR could breathe new life into genres other than the FPS through the initial limitations of VR and the new design opportunities it allows, one of those other genres included the point and click adventure game. Wayward Sky, a point and click adventure game developed by Uber Entertainment, is a great example of why for once in my life it seems I was onto something.

The story of Wayward Sky sees you play as Bess, a young pilot who has crashed on a floating fortress in the sky where her father, who was also on the plane, has been captured by a robot and taken further into the fortress.

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Going into the game knowing of its short length I was expecting a fairly bog standard plot of crashed on mysterious floating fortress in the sky (who hasn’t?), father taken by big bad robot (as always), hunt down big bad and fly away from fortress with father on a magically repaired plane.

However, I instead witnessed a heart-warming story of family and friendship. Using a gradually introduced cast of loveable characters filled with their own unique charms and a backstory that gives meaning and purpose to your journey, as well as further bringing the fortress and its inhabitants to life, Uber Entertainment have created an enjoyable story that culminates in a finale that left me with a glowing smile on my face once it was all over.

While it did remain light in terms of character progression and story complexity (and to be fair it would be near impossible to achieve either of those in the time the game lasts) Wayward Sky still manages to create a story and world that feels complete.

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Well executed gameplay compliments the story to create a great overall game. I have never really been a fan of point and click adventure games, I tend to find it harder to immerse myself in the world than I do with other genres, however, the presentation and incorporation of VR in Wayward Sky ensured that was never a problem this time round.

The navigation aspects of the game take place in a third person camera that hovers above the level allowing you to look around and take in the scenery as you use the move controller to direct Bess through the world. When it comes to solving a majority of the puzzles or an important set piece the camera switches to a first-person view of Bess where the Move controllers now play the roles of her hands. This is where Wayward Sky is a better point and click adventure game, in my opinion, the use of multiple styled cameras allows you to get up close during more personal moments or take in the whole scene during bigger set pieces.

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The puzzles throughout Wayward Sky aren’t complicated in the slightest, it would always only take half a minute at most to understand the puzzle, find the solution and execute it. There is, however, multiple types of puzzles from switches to zip lines, each puzzle set also evolves enough throughout the game with slight changes to the rules, mechanics and complexity to prevent any kind of boredom setting in.

The pacing is another aspect that I feel deserves praise. There was never a moment where I was rushed to the next area or forced to do anything tedious before progressing, I was able to take in the world and characters as fast or as slow as I wanted (including being able to stop and play fetch with a chicken, that’s another thing to tick off of the ol’ bucket list).

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Now being a VR game there are a few necessary things I feel I should cover quickly before wrapping up. During my entire time with Wayward Sky, I didn’t experience any drift or motion sickness, I played the entire game in one sitting without resetting the headset or even taking it off for a quick breather. The drifting, or lack of it, could be due to my VR set up however I do still experience drift in a few other games. As for the motion sickness, or lack of it again, the slower pace of the game as well as the camera only moving when the player does help immensely with keeping the player grounded and not feeling disorientated.

Overall Wayward Sky is probably my favourite VR experience so far. It felt like a complete game with a meaningful story whereas a fair amount of other VR games currently feel like short demos to whet your appetite for what’s to come. Sure it doesn’t do anything overly new or innovative when it comes to the actual puzzles and mechanics and there isn’t much in the way of replayability other than the story but it’s how it presents itself that creates a unique, loveable and immersive experience that is more than worth the price of admission for any VR owner.

Keep on gaming.