Looks pretty, but gameplay loop isn’t engaging
Then, after (I’m pretty sure) completing a challenge, it isn’t ticked off. Do I have to complete all of them at once? I don’t know, and none of the menus or guide make it clear.
On top of that, while going challenge-hunting, you have to go smash some orbs. If you don’t, your challenge completions don’t count. It’s quite frustrating to play a casual game with a time limit.
The orbs themselves aren’t fun either. The only reward, as far as I can tell, for collecting all the shards from an orb is points. I once did that, but got disproportionately punished for touching the ground while scrambling to pick up shards. This high-variance low-expectation approach to points means it doesn’t feel good to get points. It still feels bad to touch the ground.
Overall, I decided I have no idea what this game wants from me, or what I want from this game, so I stopped playing.
Childhood memories
My comfort game
Muy chulo y diferente
Still holds up after 8+ years
The challenges hold surprising difficulty. Each one pushes a player to try different approaches and, ultimately, improve! With enough patience, continuously clearing challenges makes the hedgehog’s acrobatics feel much more natural.
Too bad a few elements of the game’s menus are blocked by my device’s notch. It’s a stain on the game’s presentation.
Overall, I’ve enjoyed rediscovering Wide Sky! It’s an appealing way to pass a few minutes at a time.
