Thatgamecompany is most famous for Journey (2012), a soothing and spectacular looking experience.

And in 2019 it returned with this thing! Sky is an open world indie adventure game. It looks nice. Does it play good? Let’s have a gander.

Sky: Children of the Light

Sky was actually released as a mobile game first. This may have turned a few heads in confusion, but it also functions well as a console port.

It’s available on the Nintendo Switch as a free download. It may follow onto PC and other stuff as well.

Plot!? Yes! There is one. The aim of the game is to explore a kingdom up in the air with lots of lovely clouds. This is pretty much the most cloud heavy game we’ve ever played.

You must explore seven realms, all of which represent a different stage in human life.

There’s also a kind of home hub you can revisit whenever you want to. And, swoon, look at it all Sky looks rather fantabulous.

Sky has obvious cinematic qualities from the off. It’s a game you can just as easily watch rather than play. The “challenge” isn’t exactly there, but that’s the point.

It exists as a form of relaxation and artistic expression, if you will.

Sky is lovely to look at. Glorious at times, with all sorts of clever architectural and structural things to dwarf your very being.

It makes its influences from Journey very clear. At times it’s like playing a pretty obvious sequel to that jaunt.

The difference in Sky is the focus on the social elements. You meet other players, unlock new abilities, befriend folks, chat, and send gives. So it’s kind of like Journey meets a mini-MMORPG.

In many ways we think it’s designed for people who wouldn’t normally play video games.

It’s very pretty to look at, offers a basic level challenge that’s engaging, and wraps around all the social aspects so many folks love.

For seasoned gamers, you’ll find the gameplay rather simplistic. But then you can also just get out there and do stuff like this. Behold!

It’s kind of along the lines of Alto’s Odyssey in that it’s here to relax and inspire with its visual and audio delights.

Nothing wrong with that! Which is why it won Apple’s mobile game of the year in 2019.

The thing really is if you’re a fan of Journey. If so, you’ll dig on this. If not, this is likely to grate on your nerves a bit.

As pretty as the game is, there’s a stop-start element to proceedings which makes playing it more like watching a film.

But the realms, clouds, flying mechanics, and general sense of relaxation should be enough to woo most players out there.

We can recommend the thing if you’re looking for a more relaxing time of it this summer.

Sky: Children of the Light’s Soundtrack

Vincent Diamante composed the soundtrack to Sky and it’s a big part of the game’s appeal.

Although it’s somewhat predictable in its approach, soaring this way and that with an orchestral sweep, it does work a treat for the game’s sensibilities.

It’s nice background music and you’ll find it adds a chillaxed vibe to your existence. Innit.