With only a dark silhouette of an orb and scenery, developer Nicalis sets the stage for the hauntingly beautiful “NightSky.” Set on a 2D plane this puzzle game is a treat for the eyes and mind.
The story starts with a black glass orb that makes its way to a young boy’s bedroom which begins an inner monologue displayed on screen in text. When the boy questions where the sphere has come from the player suddenly assumes the role of the once thought inanimate object.
This begins the strange journey of the mysterious sphere which shows how exactly it ended up where it did. From forests with curiously odd animals to factories with gears that are always in motion, you’re taken on a trip through fantastic worlds.
Game-play is simple with basic movement left to right. As you progress you’re able to use different powers such as an ability to speed up and the ability to alter gravity. In some levels these powers are disabled as well as the ability to move your orb. Not being able to move or use your abilities alters the game completely which makes you have to utilize objects such as pinball flippers in addition to cannons to move your sphere along.
Throughout the game the player is introduced to various vehicles that all control differently. There are basic cars that are moved by rotating left to right plus advanced machines that fly which require constant movement to maneuver.
There is no checkpoint system in place but rather multiple chapters within the ten unique worlds. This becomes a problem when you have to redo the same difficult parts repeatedly. Some of these parts include having to move a ball with your sphere with quick movements. When you fall off, you must restart the chapter from the beginning.
Though the game starts with basic techniques for movement, the difficulty increases as you progress through the worlds. Complex mazes that rotate in mid-air are just one of the obstacles that soon become common as you near the end of your journey.
From clever level design to beautiful in game visuals, “NightSky” is an adventure not to be missed.
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