Skyworld is not like many other VR games. It sounds like a first-person shooter up in the clouds like Sky Front, but it couldn’t be more different. Skyworld is a board game up in the sky that is rivaled by games like Settlers of Catan, Risk, Life, and many other popular games that have made their way to virtual reality. Although this game deviates from said titles slightly, this game is still considered a great board game.
You will need to muster up as much strategy as you can with this game, and you need to make sure to watch your opponents closely. There is no way around the fact that the competition online is always good, and the AI is smart enough to outsmart you multiple times a game. It doesn’t feel unbeatable, but it feels like it is good enough to make you come back as often as you would like.
Getting Up and Running
This game is only 4 GB in size, which seems pretty small for how expansive this game is and the different options you have inside of the game. If you are connected to an insanely fast internet connection, this game will take a few hot minutes to download and will be ready and installed before you can take a bathroom break. If you are connected to snail-like internet, then this download could take up to 45 minutes.
For just $24.99, you can own this game on any of the virtual reality stores. Steam has this game, as well as the Oculus Store for the Rift platforms and the Quest as well. If you are on the PlayStation platform, you can own this game as well and the price is often on sale. This game will install like any other VR game and getting into the game itself is as easy as ever.
Type of Game
This is a strategic board game that can be played solo or with competitors online. The better you are at strategy games in general, the better you will be at in this game. There are plenty of moving parts in this game and keeping track of your possessions while remembering all of your capabilities and abilities you have been given in this game.
Throughout the game, you will learn things that will help you down the road. You cant go back to see what you learned, so remembering what you are shown early on is just one more thing you can do to earn a leg up in this game. There is no way to get around the fact that this is a strategy game. There aren’t any crazy twists in this game, as you won’t be shooting a gun or driving a race car anytime soon.
Player Perspective
Most virtual reality games are played from the first-person perspective, and this game only deviates from that slightly. There are mixed perspectives in this game, but you are never actually changing perspective. You see your hands as if you are in first-person, but you have a reach that unmatched and you can do almost anything. It feels like you are a god in the game. You are also third-person controlling your armies. It is a fun game that doesn’t require changing of perspective and perfect control.
Theme and Story – Score: 10/10
Right from the first page of the tutorial, you are going to know both the theme and story. They are not only storing while you are getting into the game, but they are strong throughout the game. The devs did a fantastic job of not breaking off anytime throughout the game. In virtual reality, we often see games get bipolar disorder throughout the duration of gameplay. This game didn’t participate in that trend, and the theme was fun to be in. The only bad part is that we were able to be in the fights a little more, but playing god doesn’t get that benefit.
Controls – Score: 8/10
The only knock here is the rotation and height of the table. It wasn’t clear early on how to do it, and when we did know how to, there was no indication of when or how it could be done in times of need. Other than that, interacting with your controllers inside of this virtual space was easy and fun, and didn’t overcomplicate it one bit. We had a great time in this game, and the controllers were one of the true factors into that.
Music and Sound – Score: 8/10
The music was very appropriate for what you were experiencing inside of this game. The sounds were able to transition you very well too, as you would feel a sense of relief when you would hear them. You weren’t hearing heavy beats as you were setting up for battle, but you were hearing some tunes that made for a relaxing yet engaging experience. The sounds and music play a big part of the immersion in a game, and this only helped us.
Player Movement – Score: 7/10
Player Movement is limited in this game, but it gets the job done. There are multiple times in this game that you want a closer look or want to get a different angle at something, but your movement is hindering when it comes to this. If this had been slightly better, or even eliminated the need to move around with our feet, this game could’ve been receiving a much higher score. What we had in the game was enough, but the movement in here feels like it is one update away from being perfect.
Kinetosis – Score: 9/10
Because there isn’t much player movement in this game, you don’t get too motion sick at all. In fact, there is only one scene in the entire game that takes you on a motion trip. When you are going to and from battle, the devs didn’t think it would be important to fade to black. Instead, they put you in the loop of perspective of going down to the board. It wasn’t a good idea, and luckily it didn’t happen too often inside of the game.
Environment and Immersion – Score: 8/10
Even though the game is basically in a floating cloud, the environment is one that you are still going to want to be inside of virtual reality. The theme is strong, the music and sounds work well, and the movement is very bearable compared to other top VR games. It is not perfect because of the setting, but it is as close as you are going to get for a board game inside of VR.
Overall – Score: 8.3/10
This game is walking away with one of the highest scores we have yet to give out, and that’s no accident. The developers of this game didn’t try to reinvent the wheel, and that is to their advantage. This game did everything right while maintaining a game that is fun to be inside of. It is rare to find a board game this engaging, regardless of the medium. If you are looking for an afternoon full of fun, do not hesitate to go out and download or buy this game.
