In Wadjet Eye Games’ new point-and-click game, Old Skies, you play as Fia Quinn, a chronoverse employee who jumps back in time to help clients fix mistakes, ask for advice, or enjoy one last good meal at their favorite diner. Throughout the game you have multiple clients that all have different needs and wants, from a boxing champion who is wishing to retire and get advice from the person who inspired her, to an artist who wants to find out their true identity.
One of the key gameplay mechanics involves looking up the different characters and the people that surround them. By doing this, Fia is able to get more information and use that information to her benefit, whether that is to convince people to leave or tell her useful information. She will even make bargains to get the information she needs. In one such instance, she convinces a couple to give her information about a painting in exchange for getting rid of a cop that’s in front of the woman’s home. There is also a rewind system that happens when Fia dies, which protects the client and Fia, but the client never remembers what happens. Because of this, Fia has to figure out how to get out of the situation on her own using the resources she has around her. This mechanic is fun, yet it gets very frustrating when Fia dies over and over no matter what you choose until finally the answer clicks and everyone is saved. Finding information is some of the best moments in the game because the path to getting to that information changes and contorts as Fia changes the past to get the outcome her client wants, all the while making sure the timeline doesn’t change to the detriment of the “present.” Small things can change, but if something is high priority, then that event, company, or person cannot be changed, otherwise the whole timeline will fail.
The puzzles are a lot of fun, with a few exceptions. There was one puzzle in the 1920s that I got stuck on for a little over 30 minutes, and this was not the first puzzle I had gotten stuck on. Most of the puzzles are straightforward enough, but some don’t have enough starting information in order to complete them in a timely manner or require you to die over and over again to get the information you need. Often times, the game is very easy, yet there are moments when you have to keep looking for information and the mechanics become more complicated. When you finally get to the climax of every episode, the answer is the simplest thing. It takes out the suspense and makes you feel lesser for not getting the simple mechanic.
The inventory system and quick travel bar are one of the best systems I have seen, for the main reason that everything is easily accessible. Yet, the game also has some bugs that pertain to the inventory system, as I often had to click on the character, which sometimes wouldn’t work, or combine items that wouldn’t combine.
Narratively, Old Skies is some of the best writing I have seen since AfterLove Ep. It focuses on the topic of finding oneself and when one event happens and changes everything, Fia starts to spiral into realizing what her life means, why she got into this job, and why all of her current jobs are interconnected. By focusing on self-discovery while also working through other people’s own past mistakes or agendas, Fia’s own journey becomes a complex and fulfilling one.
The art style is beautiful; when in the side-scrolling view, I loved the character and background designs. Yet, when up close for important moments in the game, the art style really struggles. There are barely any facial features and often times the drawings are very rough. The animation is the heart and soul of Old Skies, specifically its 2D animation, with the walking animations and costume changes being done exquisitely. The artists did a great job having the players feel immersed in the different times Fia jumps to. The old western, the 1920s, the early 2000s, and even the 2040s feel realistic and lifelike. The backgrounds and settings also help a lot with drawing the players into the different era.
The voice acting is done incredibly well and there’s a lot of talent behind the voice actors. I especially love Fia’s voice actor’s performance and how she switches to an American accent in one scene. The voice acting makes the characters more believable in their actions, justifications, and emotions, inherently allowing players to connect to every character they get to know.
Old Skies is a fun, yet frustrating game that has one of the best narratives I have seen. Yet, there are many areas that need work and/or could be improved upon, such as some of the art choices for the close-ups, game mechanics, and the inventory storage. But, other than those few issues, the game is enjoyable and immersive.
Sara reviewed Old Skies on PC with a provided review copy.
