Mac Format - UK (2019-12)

Sky’s story is compelling even without dialogue; every

element feels so carefully crafted.

Soaring through the sky feels truly

majestic, especially when you’re

in the Daylight Prairie.

94 | MACFORMAT | DECEMBER 2019

B

ack in 2017, Apple showed off

Sky: Children Of The Light at

its iPhone X keynote. Now it’s

finally arrived on iOS. On the surface, Sky

is a game about saving your ancestors’ spirits

and forming constellations in the heavens.

But it’s much more than that, and it would

be a shame to see it only in those terms.

The goal is to restore stars to the sky. You

play as a Child of Light, and must collect fallen

stars as you progress through the provinces.

You run, slide and fly through different

kingdoms, each with a different feel and style.

Co-operation is at the heart of Sky. As you

meet other players, you can interact with them

and explore the world together, earning

different gestures along the way. If you interact

with enough players, you can earn musical

instruments from spirits you meet, which

you can play with other real people.

As the name implies, light plays an important

role in the game. You use it to ignite candles

and spread light back into the world, to power

your wings as you fly from one area to another,

and to protect you from the darkness and the

creatures that lurk within.

Sky suggests you play the game with

headphones, and players who do will be richly

rewarded. From soaring strings to gentle

breezes and piano notes softly intertwining,

there’s hardly a more lovely, perfectly crafted

audio experience in mobile gaming.

A shining example

Equally as gorgeous are the graphics, which

are some of the best we’ve seen in an iOS game.

You’ll want to spend hours in the Daylight

Prairie soaring through the fluffy clouds and

grassy pastures. It’s in these moments that Sky

is a profoundly peaceful game – but not every

realm is so serene. Restoring light to the sky is

not an easy journey, and the darkest lands are

among the game’s most atmospheric. Make

sure you enable the 60fps setting for an even

better experience.

What’s perhaps most amazing about Sky is

that it’s free. In-app purchases unlock extra

candles, quests and rewards, but your

experience is in no way hindered if you don’t

buy them. Instead, you can experience a true

flagship iOS game without spending a penny.

How often can you say that? ALEX BLAKE

Image credit: Thatgamecompany

You run,

slide and fly

through

different

kingdoms

Sky is a masterpiece

of iOS gaming that

needs to be

experienced.

HHHHH

Beautiful graphics

Superb audio

Smooth 60fps

gameplay (if enabled)

Rewarding

cooperative emphasis

VERDICT

Free (offers in-app purchases) FROM thatgamecompany, thatgamecompany.com NEEDS iOS 9 or later

Sky: Children Of The Light

One of the best iOS games of the year