Sky Oceans: Wings for Hire

Most retro-inspired RPGs harken back to the days of pixel art and SNES classics. However, there's a treasure trove of hidden gems lost in the vast sea of sixth-generation consoles. Sky Oceans: Wings for Hire is a love letter to that overlooked era of gaming, when RPGs dared us to dream beyond the limits of 2D visuals.

With its solid combination of story-rich gameplay and peerless minimalist presentation, Sky Oceans has everything it needs to establish itself as a major player in the indie landscape. This Chilean RPG might just be the best spiritual successor we'll ever get to Skies of Arcadia, complete with the fantastical setting and innovative gaming mechanics.

Sail the Skies

The game's name makes it very clear: Sky Oceans puts you in charge of a band of sky pirates, led by the dashing Glenn Windwalker. At its core, the game presents a basic "good vs. bad" story, but don't let that deceive you. Developers Octeto Studios made doubly sure every emotional moment in Sky Oceans hits you right in the feels.

Sky Oceans' setting has the player navigating vast open worlds filled with intrinsically designed flying machines. While the Skies of Arcadia inspiration won't be missed by die-hard RPG fans, animation lovers might also notice just how much the game borrows from Studio Ghibli films, making the game feel like a spiritual successor to the Ni no Kuni series.

Turn-Based Warfare

Surprisingly, Sky Oceans opts for a more traditional battle system. While most indie RPGs try to reinvent the wheel with unique mechanics, Sky Oceans is a mostly straightforward affair. The UI has the player issuing commands to each crew member, while the enemies appear right in front of you, mostly like Shin Megami Tensei.

The combat itself is nothing to write home about. Sky Oceans presentation, however, makes even the most repetitive combat loops feel unique. Each battle is accentuated with special cutscenes featuring 2D portraits of your characters. In the end, you'll feel like you're playing a new Persona title with all the cutscenes you'll see during an average encounter.

That said, the fact that battles take place during dogfights does add an element of excitement to the whole experience. The best way I could summarize Sky Oceans' gameplay is Skies of Arcadia meets Crimson Skies. If that doesn't sound like the perfect game already, this game might not be for you.

Wonders to Behold

The world of Sky Oceans is simply gorgeous to look at and explore. You'll spend dozens of hours flying on every map, just to see what the world has to offer. In an industry that's become increasingly preoccupied with excessive details and massive maps, the substantial and generous maps of Sky Oceans feel like a blessing in disguise.

There are some pacing issues here and there – it's almost unavoidable for an RPG. You'll find yourself exploring the same locations time and time again, as you complete sidequests and grind for the ultimate party setup. However, when a game looks as good as Sky Oceans, any amount of grinding can be easily forgiven.

Pros

• Beautiful visuals and well-designed characters
• Touching storytelling
• Engaging turn-based dogfights

Cons

• Can feel grindy at times