Old Skies by Wadjet Eye Games
Old Skies centers around ChronoZen, an innovative company that allows people to travel back in time to experience a specific place they want to visit and even change the past if they want. There’s a catch: you can’t change things in the past that may alter the future in major ways.
Our protagonist, Fia Quinn, works for ChronoZen as a guide, accompanying clients into their desired pasts and helping them to change them in whichever ways they desire.
Very Short Stories
Each chapter deals with a specific client and the time period they want to visit. Time periods range from the Prohibition era, the corporate and sleek 2040s, to the rough 1870s (as we saw in our demo preview). Each chapter is a self-contained story filled with unique characters and plots. My favorite, a murder mystery filled with plenty of heartfelt moments and twists, took place the day before September 11, 2001.
The best chapters feature fleshed-out characters that are easy to understand and even empathize with. Since Old Skies is segmented into self-contained chapters, each only a few hours long, it can be hard to get invested, and this was an issue for me in the third and fourth chapters, as characters seemed to take more of a backseat. Thankfully, the rest of the chapters are more interesting, and the characters and scenarios more engaging.
Fia Quinn and her fellow ChronoZen employees suffer here, as well. Since Old Skies is so focused on segmented stories, Fia doesn’t get as many moments to shine as I would have liked. The absence of a more overarching narrative feels a tad underwhelming and narratively inconsistent.
All the puzzles one would expect from any adventure game are present here – figuring out locked door codes, talking to characters to unlock dialogue options with others, learning where to use items – and they aren’t too obtuse or difficult. They are expertly crafted; all the clues you need are if you pay attention and read, which makes them feel rewarding.
Time and Time Again for Puzzles
Since Old Skies deals with time travel, there’s a time-bending twist to much of the gameplay. Getting stuck means that you can go back a little further back in time to change the future to convince people or overcome obstacles. There’s even an instance where you have to avoid yourself; otherwise, you’ll create a game-ending time paradox. It’s fun to see how your decisions affect the timeline and characters.
While there are a number of instances where Fia’s life is in danger, ChronoZen’s technology means dying isn’t a big deal. Rewinding a couple of minutes gives you just enough time to prevent Fia’s death. This mechanic shows up often, and the first couple of times it’s neat, but these sequences rely too much on trial and error.
What makes them worse is that you have to die multiple times, choosing different options just to unlock more options. Redoing these sequences multiple times detracts too much from the narrative tension, making for moments that are more frustrating than fun. That being said, Old Skies does take full advantage of its time-altering backdrop in some mechanically clever and interesting ways.
Bold Skies
Visually, characters have a nicely animated and hand-drawn look, and the environments and backgrounds are wonderfully detailed. I really liked the liberal use of bright colors. For example, using purple during nighttime scenes really makes them come to life. Old Skies is so eye-catching, I looked forward to what I’d see next. It reminds me of some of the best-looking classic point-and-click adventures.
The vocal cast is fantastic across the board. Every line of dialogue is voice-acted, so their talents are on full display. Every performer here delivers, from the largest roles to the smallest. Wadjet Eye Games continues to employ some of the best voice actors in the business.
Music stands out, as well. From the futuristic synths during the 2040s – my favorite – to the noir-inspired jazz during the Prohibition Era scenes, each track fits its time period wonderfully. A hint of somberness to many of the songs gels nicely with the often-melancholic narrative themes found within each chapter.
The Verdict
Ultimately, I really enjoyed Old Skies. It can feel a bit inconsistent at times, but its issues are overshadowed by plenty of fantastic writing, satisfying puzzles, and superb vocal performances. Those looking for a great old-school adventure game should definitely check this one out.
Old Skies is available via Steam.
Check out the official trailer for Old Skies below:
