SkyE

The featured game this week is SkyE, a collaboration between Anaryu and Yaomei.
(whom together form the unstoppable Anamei, destroyer of puns everywhere)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v115/Tellah/skye2.jpg

This is in every way you can imagine, a beautifully crafted game. There are some
issues with plot and ambience that hold it back from being truly great, however.
For starters, you'll pretty much NEED a controller if you want to really experience
this game to its' fullest potential. Alas, I had to make do with a keyboard, and
let me tell you, playing with a keyboard really takes a lot of the wind out of this game's

sails. (see title) you will be pressing the Z and X buttons. A LOT. Then Shift to fly and
the arrow keys to move, and well, maladroit hands (such as my own) will not make it far. If

you're playing with a keyboard, the controls won't be forgiving.

Visually, this game is right where it's supposed to be; Anaryu's characteristic art
pervades the game and you get to see more art than say, Outlaw City, where I only ever saw

THREE of his character designs. The designs themselves are nice looking, standard anime/manga fare, and work for what they're trying to portray. The battle graphics are
out of this world. After SkyE, I fear I may be unfairly comparing future RM games to
THIS standard, which is very well crafted. I like what he did in terms of when people
are talking to each other; the characters are opaque, and whoever happens to be speaking is

lit up so you know what picture corresponds to what character's name. The title screen?
GORGEOUS. It definitely sets you up for good things to come!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v115/Tellah/skye1.jpg

In the music department, well here I lost touch with his game. The title screen music is

BEAUTIFUL. I write this in all caps to truly emphasize how much I liked this because it

truly set me up for the adventure. The rest of the music, however, falls flat. It never

truly seems to fit the mood, and I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that the vocals

themselves are nonsensical sounding. Example; here is a clip of the battle music, along with

my translation:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/fxjeky

though wait no scout real lake on fire
scout meal lake on fire
stone me lonely tony's slowly closing
some man in black King Blasto now
lacking Blasto now, now
please call me meat so we slam a Chun dead yo dead

Totopos don't stink the ship (enema!)
Cannes yote with my own fair (enemies!)
Lots of patience! (What a dick!)
Scaned on your chinese tank

Kitsch, what a bitch.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v115/Tellah/skye3.jpg

Kitsch, indeed. It's almost as if they KNOW it's really tacky sounding. The rest of the

music fares no better; very distracting when you're trying to press Z and X over and over

again in order to blast monster-ghost things away...and I found myself lacking LOTS of

blasto in some fights. (there's also a problem with when you defeat them; they turn into
little energy balls that you absorb. For a couple of minutes there I thought I was supposed

to AVOID them, thinking they would hurt me. Not a good distinction is given between what
is supposed to HURT you and what HEALS you, In my opinion)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v115/Tellah/skye4.jpg

Speaking of which, what the hell ARE they supposed to be, anyway? Ghosts?
Plot-wise, nothing truly ever makes any sense. I never quite got what I was really
fighting for, what I was protecting and for what reason. All I knew was "oooo! new battle

scene! gotta blast more ghost thingies!" What are Rayths? What is happening to my reality?
who are we, and why are we here? You'll find yourself asking a lot of questions you'll never

get answers to. When you die, you'll just skip it all anyway to get to the battles again,

which are the crowning achievement of this game.

As I once said about Anaryu; I would hire this guy in a heartbeat to make an ingenious

battle system and program a game; he's an ACE at this, But I'd never trust my writing to

him.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v115/Tellah/skye.jpg

In conclusion, the game is fun in terms of mechanics and visuals. I think if RM Action Game
ever comes out, this one would be more suited to that program than standard RM. If you're

looking for depth and plot in your games, this one's not for you. You'll miss out on the
sidescroller-shoot-em-up goodness though, and that's your loss. Do play with a controller, though.