Forever Skies Got Me Again, And Once Again Makes Me Wait

After waking up in the post-apocalyptic wasteland, among the overwhelming smog smelling like LA, my hero scanned a lot of items, caught some sort of virus, learned what to eat and drink in this world, and collected tons of raw materials to start the crafting adventure. Finally, a ship was built – a futuristic aircraft made up of diverse modules. And once the turbine was installed, we could even soar above the cloud of smog and explore the platforms on the ruins of skyscrapers. It became very addictive, but unfortunately after a while, the message displayed: "thank you for playing the demo...”

I was left feeling unsatisfied and hoping for some truly engaging adventure.

Until now!

Dug up after a year – still works

The first surprise upon returning to Forever Skies was that the save was still working. I'd used it almost a year before and I was conveniently able to continue the journey. Despite a different version of the game and a number of updates, everything worked as if I had played it yesterday. I didn't have to learn the ropes all over again, go through the plot introduction nor be reminded how to gather resources. Even my mangled ship was probably waiting for me in almost the same condition as last time. All I had to do was attach a new turbine to it and I could move above the floating smog. I was ready to return and explore the platforms once again.

My ship is a creation of a madman

I probably wouldn't have written this if I hadn't seen the presentation of Starfield and its shipbuilding a few days earlier. I was impressed by the thoughtfulness of the idea, with the camera view completely changing, allowing to enjoy ourselves a space-ship builder. In Forever Skies, construction is done in the first-person and we are assembling each part "with our own hands." The limited area of platforms on which we can land and move makes it rare to be able to see our own ship in its full glory.

Add to that the necessary sourcing of raw materials to produce the ship's components, the lack of patience and the desire to get on the road as quickly as possible – that's why my ship looks the way it does. I installed only the necessary elements, the floor panels in the amount that would somehow make it possible to walk, and I added some modules – wherever I could. Eventually, I ended up with something resembling a domestic micro-studio for rent. In one tiny room, side by side, there was the ship's control equipment, a machine for crafting parts, a kettle, and a water purifier. Right next to the bedroom I put a virus analyzer and a machine for conducting research. It was all a clever design. The module was next to the engine, which meant that fuel could be refilled right from the bed, plus everything was effectively shaded from the light by turbines, allowing the ship to kick out better performance.

Of course, a lot of this is my own fault and laziness. However, this doesn't change the fact that building a ship in FPP mode requires a lot of gymnastics in spatial imagination. Some kind of additional view would have been useful here, even if only in the form of a preview on the ship's computer screen. Starfield whetted the appetite to be a Bob the Builder and a spacecraft engineer in one.

We rush to meet a new adventure

Putting aside, however, the dubious charm of sleeping in a cramped cabin, next to an engine and a virus-analyzing machine, I admit that Forever Skies drew me in – or rather, took me out – somewhere further, beyond the smog. Looking at the clear sky, mountains, and the gloomy picture of what has become of the civilization, I could finally explore the platforms in peace, beckoning with various flickering lights. Once again, I was lured in by slow yet intriguing gameplay, in which the game on the one hand gives us a milestone to complete, but at the same time doesn't really tell us everything about it.

That was the case with the task to examine the greenhouse computer, for which I needed a knife. In order to do this, it was necessary first to obtain various raw materials, which involved traveling here and there. Each time, of course, we chose the direction and destination of the flight ourselves. The game allows us to feel great satisfaction from each such small achievement precisely due to the relative freedom. You can almost feel the "one more landing platform" syndrome here.

At last – deep exploration

The new version of the game also hides an important new feature – a quite large and complex level, which we cross on foot. The limited oxygen supply mechanic has been added here. On our own, we have to discover how to gradually extend our stay in the inhospitable zone. It involves returning to the ship and even making a couple trips outside, depending on the level of our supplies. The new location is a network of corridors and rooms, offering a nice change after rather simple and well-known platforms.

The first weapon, a crossbow, is added to the inventory, some enemies appear, and the story, which is delivered in pieces, continues. However, we quickly learn this is only a taste of things to come. At some point, we encounter the "wall" again, informing us of the lack of further plot, but fortunately, there is no longer a time limit – you can spend as much time in this world as you want. Well, the charms of Early Access...

The Charms of Early Access

I will definitely take the opportunity to renovate my ship and bring it to a state where it will resemble a budget version of the USS Enterprise. Besides, I have a lot of items and raw materials left to use or add to the machine's crafting base. So, I hope to fill my time somehow until the next update.

In Forever Skies, of course, not everything appealed to me as much as the slow exploration with a whole range of different mini goals to achieve. Landing platforms with identical appearance and content quickly became boring. There are only a few types of them, and they’re just copy-pasted into it, even if the layout of the stairs and rooms is different.There definitely would be a need for more variety and more surprising locations here than a radio tower or a greenhouse. Not sure if this is supposed to be the final version of the mechanics, but every death ended with a simple respawn on the ship. It kind of distorted the idea of survival mechanics. A greater penalty for failing to stay hydrated, eat and maintain high HP would have been useful. Traveling down the elevator, on the other hand, can cause huge FPS drops – at this point, the game can even freeze for a moment. But as I mentioned, the charms of early access are these.

Anyway, I got sucked into the universe created by the Polish Far From Home again. Into a world where you can feel like the last person on Earth, but at the same time not feel lonely or bored. This is one of those games for relaxing sessions with unhurried gameplay, while at the same time constantly presenting a mystery to discover and giving the impression that it will not be so peaceful forever. Soon, there will be bigger problems than the lack of fresh drinking water. It's just a shame that we have to wait again...