Written yesteryear Bernard Julius Paje
Title: Rainbow Skies
Developer: SideQuest Studios
Publisher: EastAsiaSoft
Price: $29.99
Genre: RPG
Also Available On: PS3, PSV
Back inwards 2012, a real cool strategy purpose playing game yesteryear the cry of Rainbow Moon was released. Developed yesteryear talented German linguistic communication studio Sidequest Studios as well as published yesteryear Eastasiasoft, this PlayStation exclusive indie precious rock garnered generally positive reviews as well as was considered a cult classic yesteryear many a strategy RPG fan—this reviewer included. Being an absolute nut for non bad strategy RPG games, I bought the game on PSN as well as roughshod inwards dear amongst the game instantly. While I did non acquire a Platinum trophy for it, I loved every infinitesimal I played of this game until the goal credits. It is packed amongst a LOT of content, as well as the initial tease of a sequel titled Rainbow Skies a yr later on had me really light-headed for to a greater extent than strategy RPG greatness. While this said sequel was slated to survive released on 2014, delay after delay pushed the unloosen appointment of the game farther as well as the steady unloosen of other games I am interested inwards made me forget well-nigh it for awhile.
Fast frontward to May 2018—a June 26 unloosen appointment was announced for the game. “YES! FINALLY!”, I internally exclaimed when I learned of this information. After to a greater extent than than 5 years of waiting, Rainbow Skies is at nowadays some beingness released. Fast frontward fifty-fifty to a greater extent than to right now—I am really playing Rainbow Skies! Five years is hardly a long fourth dimension when it comes to the evolution of a sequel for a game every bit large every bit Rainbow Moon, but I think playing it similar it was yesterday. I am well-nigh to discovery out how skilful this novel game is compared to a strategy RPG game I really loved dorsum then, so getting the jeopardy to review it is genuinely a please for yours truly. So hither nosotros go...
The story of Rainbow Skies is non connected to the foremost game at all, so playing the foremost game is totally optional prior to diving inwards to the sequel. The game begins inwards the tiny floating isle of Arca, where nosotros are introduced to 2 of the game's primary protagonists, Damion as well as Layne. It is the morn of Damion's exam to obtain a Monster Taming Certificate, as well as the events that follow volition Pb to our heroic duo's descent to the globe underneath Arca. As shortly every bit the events inwards Arca unfold, nosotros are at nowadays introduced to the primary woman somebody protagonist of the game, Ashly. She is a rookie spellcaster, as well as during her magic grooming her path volition intersect amongst that of our manlike somebody duo's. Awkwardly, Ashly accidentally casts a Spell of Binding intended for a monster on Damion as well as Layne instead, thence making the trio forcefully natural springtime to each other. As expected, their foremost bespeak every bit a political party volition survive to undo the spell—rightly so, because they cannot seem to stand upwards each other at all. On the route to unbinding the spell though, our intrepid trio volition come across numerous other missions, sidequests as well as battles. I idea the higher upwards narrative feels real drawn out as well as overplayed though, but fearfulness non because the story volition acquire meliorate after the higher upwards story arc.
Upon starting a novel game inwards Rainbow Skies, I was greeted amongst an pick to either start amongst some help—in the shape of coins, basic equipment as well as diverse items awarded during the course of teaching of the game—or fly it as well as start out without whatever paw holding. I commonly tend to play 1 flat higher than the normal difficulty setting for most games when given the option, so I chose the latter. I am non for certain what the game would possess got given me had I chose the former, but so far the difficulty of the game’s initial areas was only right. For context, I also opted to play Rainbow Moon via the Hard difficulty setting, as well as piece the difficulty was manageable inwards the starting fourth dimension I idea that it ramps upwards all of a precipitous after moving on to the side yesteryear side major area. For the sequel, they implemented a scalable difficulty setting that you lot tin increase or decrease at for certain points inwards the game. Higher difficulty equates to greater experience, to a greater extent than Rainbow Coins (the game's currency) as well as meliorate rewards. To unlock a higher difficulty level, you lot require to win a for certain issue of battles. If you lot think you lot are over your head, as well as so you lot tin decrease the game's difficulty anytime—the caveat of decreasing the difficulty though is that you lot require to unlock the side yesteryear side flat again. Overall, this is non bad mechanic that you lot tin optionally dive into if you lot desire a to a greater extent than challenging quest.
Rainbow Skies has the same presentation as well as artistic vogue every bit the foremost game—in fact, both games expression every bit good similar for my tastes. Granted, the sequel's graphics are far to a greater extent than detailed as well as colorful compared to that of its 5 yr old predecessor but you lot volition definitely acquire a sense of deja vu if you lot possess got played the foremost game. And similar the foremost game, Rainbow Skies' graphics are e'er at a consistent 60fps. Exploration is also to a greater extent than or less the same, every bit you lot guide your primary grapheme inwards a 3D isometric world. You tin also consider enemies on-screen, every bit good every bit know how many enemies you lot volition create out as well as what their average levels are prior to touching them as well as entering battle. If you lot possess got the thirst to grind for experience points as well as upgrade items (called Skill Stones), you lot tin produce so anytime at the press of a clit when an 'Ambush!' warning pops upwards at the lower left of the screen. At the measure difficulty the require to grind is minimal at best, but if you lot desire to grow stronger faster as well as so you lot volition probable desire to elbow grease as well as increase the difficulty to a flat that is to a greater extent than tailored to your play style. H5N1 fundamental produce goodness of playing on a higher difficulty is that you lot tin easily acquire to a greater extent than Skill Stones. These come upwards inwards iii colors—blue, cherry as well as yellow—and tin survive used to upgrade your character's fundamental stats.
Battles are the primary highlight of Rainbow Skies for me because they are non similar traditional turn-based battles constitute inwards most RPG's. Upon encountering a grouping of enemies, you lot are thrust into a smaller isometric grid where your characters as well as enemies are placed similar chess pieces. Like the master copy game, battles inwards Rainbow Skies are similar to tactics/strategy games where grapheme placement is fundamental to victory. Initial battles are slow as well as straightforward, but every bit you lot progress deeper into the game you lot volition survive faced amongst seemingly insurmountable odds at times—I was 1 fourth dimension shocked to move inwards a battle amongst my political party of iii as well as and so faced amongst at to the lowest degree xx enemies on the field. Thankfully, you lot tin salve anywhere—a non bad characteristic for whatever game inwards my opinion—and the game hardly penalizes you lot for losing inwards battles. When faced amongst a lot of opposition, I constitute that a skilful strategy was to refrain from picking upwards the items dropped yesteryear slain enemies—these are treated every bit obstacles that rest on the map as well as tin really hinder enemies from getting to you. This way, you lot tin delay the approach of your enemies as well as either create for their attacks or pelt them from afar amongst long hit fire.
Another unique chemical constituent of battles inwards Rainbow Skies is that your grapheme tin produce multiple actions per turn. As a grapheme levels up, he or she volition acquire to a greater extent than actions per turn, as well as this adds a lot of strategy to battles. For example, amongst iii actions you lot tin motility beside an enemy 1 foursquare away as well as and so laid upwards on it twice or cast a long-range magic spell on it iii times. Defending is also a fundamental mechanic that you lot should possess got all your characters produce because it volition greatly trim down the harm they volition possess got from enemies' attacks. Granted, defending uses upwards 1 action, so if you lot think you lot tin kill an enemy yesteryear unleashing all your characters' actions on it without defending as well as so move for it! But again, enemies tin striking hard fifty-fifty at the base of operations difficulty setting, so brand for certain to excogitation ahead as well as non only recklessly attack. The foremost fourth dimension I won a battle amongst to a greater extent than than xx enemies felt really satisfying—I owed my victory to efficient grapheme placement as well as knowing when to laid upwards on or defend correctly.
A fundamental improver to Rainbow Skies over the foremost game is the introduction of the Pokemon-like Monster Training system. Once you lot unlock this inwards the game, you lot tin acquire eggs from monsters that you lot defeat inwards battle. Hatching an egg volition acquire you lot a monster of your ain that you lot tin add together to your party. Each primary grapheme tin survive assigned amongst 1 monster partner, effectively doubling the size of your political party inwards the process. Like the game's primary characters, monsters tin survive leveled upwards as well as their stats tin survive upgraded amongst Skill Stones every bit well. Each monster also has several usable attacks unique to them. Most of these are are entertaining to lookout adult man but volition hardly bargain a lot of harm inwards the start. To brand your monster companions really useful, you lot volition most probable require to produce a flake of grinding amongst the ones you lot excogitation to utilization often. Lastly, a line-fishing minigame is introduced well-nigh halfway into the game. This is quite a fun albeit optional agency to dabble on inwards Rainbow Skies which volition aid you lot rapidly acquire to a greater extent than Rainbow Coins. Completionists going for that elusive Platinum trophy require to invest inwards this agency however, because 1 trophy volition require you lot to acquire lots of unique fish types to earn.
As much every bit I loved Rainbow Skies, I experience that it is far from perfect. One matter that I constitute really apparent on initial bootup of the game was that it shares a real very uncanny resemblance to Rainbow Moon. The graphics, piece overall better, soundless looks quite dated yesteryear today's standards. During battles, I loathe how the game allows you lot to optionally skip cinematics. For for certain particular moves as well as monster attacks, the game mentions that you lot tin skip their animations yesteryear asset the R shoulder button. However, the timing required to produce so tin survive a niggling finicky to execute—it seems that the game does non allow you lot to skip a combat or spell animation the foremost fourth dimension it is played on every fight. When you lot think to skip a long as well as elaborately animated monster laid upwards on as well as the game fails to register your asking to skip it, it is quite a pain. Hopefully this is rectified shortly via a patch.
Overall, strategy RPG aficionados volition move nutty amongst only how much content this game has. Those who possess got played the foremost game volition experience that Rainbow Skies looks, sounds as well as feels a lot similar it. While this tin survive considered a skilful thing, some people consider 'more of the same' a agency for a game developer to salve on evolution costs. Do non worry though, because that is non the instance for Rainbow Skies—this game is pure strategy RPG bliss! The battles inwards this game are real fun as well as require a lot of strategy to consistently win, as well as the fact that you lot tin scale the difficulty to your liking adds an splendid residual of risk versus reward. If you lot similar strategy RPG's as well as so definitely pick upwards Rainbow Skies. Oh, as well as piece you're at it, banking concern gibe out the foremost game, Rainbow Moon, every bit well.
YAY!
- Battles are fun as well as require lots of strategy.
- Lots of sidequests as well as post game content.
- Scalable difficulty is implemented real well.
- Winning really tough battles where the odds seem against you lot feels so satisfying.
- Cross play betwixt PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3 as well as PlayStation Vita.
NAY!
- Looks, sounds as well as feels a lot similar its predecessor.
- Story takes a piece to develop as well as move interesting.
- Attempting to skip a combat or spell animation is finicky as well as does non e'er work.
REVIEW SCORE: 8.5/10
Share This :
comment 0 comments
more_vert