We had the opportunity to preview the Sky Beneath demo and in this article we will share our first impressions with you
Sky Beneath is a puzzle platform 3D that revolves around the manipulation of gravity and is currently scheduled for 2021. The title marks the debut of the small software house Mindhaven Games but, despite it being their first job, it seems to be really interesting. We had the opportunity to preview the Sky Beneath demo and in this article we will share our first impressions with you.
Two friends on an adventure
In Sky Beneath, players will take on the role of Cassie, a girl who crashed on an alien planet with her spaceship. Due to the abrupt landing, the protagonist was left without an arm but luckily she was rescued by Annie, an inventor who built her a robotic prosthesis. Over time the two girls have become close friends and are now teaming up to try and find a way to repair Cassie’s spaceship.
The demo begins with the protagonist intent on entering the interior of an ancient alien mining facility with the aim of recovering technology capable of helping in ship repairs. Unfortunately, however, it is not easy for a human to move around this place and consequently searches are proceeding slowly. Fortunately, thanks to an intuition of Annie, Cassie is able to find a new gravitational core for her suit that will allow her to explore the structure by moving easily on walls and ceilings.
The developers stated that fiction will play a very important role in Sky Beneath and that in the course of history, players will have the opportunity to delve into the past of the protagonists and the planet on which they are located. Obviously in a demo lasting about an hour it is not possible to deepen all these aspects but, despite this, for now the incipit of the game has failed to convince us. Of course, it is impossible to evaluate the history of a title from a test so well, but for the moment the topics covered know too much already.
Gravity Control – Sky Beneath Preview
Now let’s move on to the point in our preview where we analyze the most important element of this Sky Beneath demo: the gameplay. Basically the game controls are really very classic and simple. The protagonist will in fact be able only to run, jump, interact with some devices and move blocks. However, starting from a certain point in the demo, Cassie will get the main ability around which the whole game revolves, that is the ability to manipulate gravity.
By holding down the left mouse button and moving it in one direction you can in fact change your center of gravity, thus being able to walk without difficulty on walls and ceilings. Thanks to this new skill you can easily explore the structure and solve the numerous puzzles that are hidden inside.
During the demo we were able to solve some very classic puzzles which required the application of weights on platforms, but not only. Towards the end of the test, in fact, we came across areas where it was not possible to use the powers of the suit. In these areas there is only one fixed center of gravity for all objects and consequently we will not be able to move freely. In some cases, however, it is possible to activate machinery capable of affect the gravity of the whole room, thus allowing you to interact with the environment from another perspective.
The mechanics of gravity is extremely interesting and can be applied to a large number of different puzzles. Unfortunately, however, we did notice a few during the demo camera management problems which make changing the center of gravity very annoying. In particular, when gravity moves forward, the camera ends up “get stuck”Between the protagonist and the previous floor, generating a very annoying effect.
A few more refinements – Sky Beneath preview
From a technical point of view Sky Beneath for the moment seems to be enough stable, as we only rarely encountered drops in FPS during the demo. Currently, however, the game suffers a lot from a graphical point of view. Overall the settings are not bad at all but carefully observing the textures and details there is a certain lack of care. In addition, Cassie’s model (which should be one of the most polished elements of the game) turns out extremely plastic and the woody animations they certainly do not help to make the protagonist more alive. Fortunately, however, at least dubbingor of the two girls seems to be of good quality and manages to lend a little more credibility to these characters.
Conclusions
Now the point of our preview has finally arrived where we take stock of Sky Beneath. This title is based on the very interesting idea of the change of center of gravity and consequently has the potential to offer players many different challenges. During the demo we only solved some very classic puzzles, but in the full game we hope to see some truly original sections. Quickly changing center of gravity is hugely fun and satisfying, so it would be a real shame not to take full advantage of this mechanic. From now to launch, however, it is important that Mindhaven Games focus on improve camera management, as it could be a problem that can significantly damage the experience of many players.
Sky Beneath will be available for PC in the course of 2021, but for the moment we don’t know a precise release date yet. In the meantime, if you are interested in trying the game, you can download from Steam the demo that the developers will be making available shortly. If you are interested in staying up to date with all the news on the title and much more, keep following us here on TechGameWorld.com. Furthermore, in case you want to buy some games at an advantageous price, we suggest you take a look at the many offers on Instant Gaming.