Post by: NWR_Neal on October 22, 2012, 12:54:57 PM
Worth the three-year wait?
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/32198
NightSky, Nicalis’ third eShop release from developer Nifflas, feels like a tech demo showing off a new 2D physics engine. It’s a gorgeous, atmospheric tech demo, but feels like a smattering of ideas that don’t form anything too cohesive. The game seems haphazardly organized, with some concepts introduced once and barely used in any interesting manner.
You control a ball in the moody world, or, at times, a button, or some platforms—the game switches the object you direct from one vignette to the next, as you try to reach the end of 10 stages. Sometimes, with the ball, you can go fast or slow at the press of a button, and on several occasions you can change gravity. However, it’s not consistent; what you can do changes from area to area.
NightSky is beautiful, though, and its subtle 3D effect does wonders to suck you into the world, as does Chris Schlarb’s ambient music. The gameplay just lacks substance, and feels like a polished vertical slice of a more intriguing and expansive game. Some of the mechanics introduced, especially when you control weird vehicular contraptions, or the gravity starts switching, are engaging and challenging, but most puzzles are best solved by launching off a ramp at varying speeds to land on a platform. That’s not clever or interesting—it’s just trial and error.
The game includes a harder difficulty, dubbed Alternative Mode, which dispenses with tutorial pleasantries and presents a more challenging and interesting experience using the same level backdrops but changes the geography and layouts. Alternative Mode avoids most of the frustrations of the normal setting, but still retains its trial-and-error heavy escapades.
The wait for NightSky on a Nintendo platform has been long, and, unfortunately, may not have been worth it. While the graphical and aural presentation is worth celebrating, the actual gameplay comes up short, feeling like the primitive form of a much better game.
Post by: Pixelated Pixies on October 22, 2012, 02:04:00 PM
I agree with everything you've said. Like you I found the actual gameplay to be severely lacking when I played it on Steam. This was a game I had been keeping an eye on for quite some time and had been waiting to see come to a Nintendo platform. I eventually broke down, however, and bought it on Steam as I was very curious about the game. Ultimately though I found the game to be unsatisfying. You put it best when you say it feels haphazard.
I really enjoyed the acoustic soundtrack, but other than that I found Nightsky to be altogether too insubstantial and inconsistent.
Post by: Art_de_Cat on October 22, 2012, 02:34:43 PM
Post by: NWR_insanolord on October 22, 2012, 04:26:26 PM
Post by: Pixelated Pixies on October 22, 2012, 05:12:43 PM
Post by: NWR_Neal on October 22, 2012, 07:30:36 PM
This game isn't bad. I actually agree with J.P.'s conclusion, and having read my review and playing it on PC, I might have reached the same conclusion. It's just that it feels disjointed, and that makes it lackluster and boring for me. I enjoyed parts of my time playing it, but it wasn't long-lasting, and I fell asleep during it in an anti-Endless Ocean manner. Falling asleep while playing Endless Ocean late at night is a testament to how soothing it is. Falling asleep during a physics-based platformer seems preposterous.
Post by: azeke on October 23, 2012, 12:29:44 AM
It was kinda eh back then, i see nothing really had changed with transition.
It's too easy and you just breeze through screens so fast, atmosphere is lost on you. It's kinda neat though, visuals and ambiance. Of course once you unlock hard difficulty it gets more interesting, but i think by that time the game already lost me.
And there was something about hiring some semi-famous (cave story guy?) for this game's story, only to discover that it's extremely thin. Even Mario games have more substantial story than that.
I would have cared back then three (or two? i forgot) years ago, but Nicalis is just so outrageously slow with releases i can't feel nothing but slight annoyance.
Post by: accc on October 25, 2012, 04:20:23 PM
Post by: NWR_Neal on October 25, 2012, 04:38:51 PM
It's an extremely well-made game. I don't think this review is unfair -- if the reviewer is someone who only enjoys games that feature a constant stream of in-your-face action, then he's probably not going to enjoy the soothing, atmospheric, slower-paced experience that this game provides -- but to suggest that it would be "preposterous" for somebody who likes these types of games to give it a 10/10 shows a lack of understanding of/respect for other peoples' opinions.
I didn't say that. I said it'd be preposterous to fall asleep during a physics-based platformer. I said I don't see how it could get a 10/10, but that's not me saying that person is wrong or anything. It's just me saying I disagree, which is also what that person would say if they read my review.
Also, considering my review highlights how the atmosphere was my favorite part, I'm not sure how you can say I only enjoy in-your-face action games.
Did you read the review?
Post by: accc on October 25, 2012, 06:15:56 PM
It's an extremely well-made game. I don't think this review is unfair -- if the reviewer is someone who only enjoys games that feature a constant stream of in-your-face action, then he's probably not going to enjoy the soothing, atmospheric, slower-paced experience that this game provides -- but to suggest that it would be "preposterous" for somebody who likes these types of games to give it a 10/10 shows a lack of understanding of/respect for other peoples' opinions.
I didn't say that. I said it'd be preposterous to fall asleep during a physics-based platformer. I said I don't see how it could get a 10/10, but that's not me saying that person is wrong or anything. It's just me saying I disagree, which is also what that person would say if they read my review.
Also, considering my review highlights how the atmosphere was my favorite part, I'm not sure how you can say I only enjoy in-your-face action games.
Did you read the review?
I didn't say that you only enjoy in-your-face action games, I said that somebody who does probably isn't going to like this game. Considering your review highlights how the laid-back gameplay taking a back seat to the atmosphere was your main criticism, the only conclusion I can draw is that these types of games simply don't appeal to you.
Did YOU read the review? Did you read my comment?
PS what's your opinion of Knytt Stories?
Post by: NWR_Neal on October 25, 2012, 06:30:20 PM
Sorry, still sore about you linking my use of the word preposterous to something I didn't say.
NightSky is a game that, to me, lacks the substance to have the style make up for it. It's a laid-back game, but that's not why I dislike it. I dislike it because its disjointed. I dislike it because it feels like a tech demo and not a full game. I don't dislike it because its laid back.
Does that clear up your assertion?
Post by: Fatty The Hutt on October 25, 2012, 06:32:22 PM
I am disappointed that NightSky is $9.99. I want it to be $2 less but I'll likely buy it anyway.
Post by: Pixelated Pixies on October 25, 2012, 09:52:46 PM
Nightsky is a very stylish game, but it lacks the substance to make up for the style. It's stylish game with a great soundtrack, but the puzzles and gameplay are largely forgettable.
Post by: azeke on October 26, 2012, 12:45:16 AM
I have yet to play Knytt Stories, but most of what I've heard/seen looks interesting.Oh, Knytt stories. Great game. There is also another game by the same guy called "Withtin the Deep forest" -- i liked it better back then because it gave you all abilities at once from the beginning.
I think it also exist as homebrew on DS...
Post by: LittleIrves on October 27, 2012, 11:08:08 AM
As for NightSky, haven't played it yet but have looked forward to it for a long time. The asking price might be a bit too much, but I feel compelled to give it a whirl.
Let's average out the two reviews ... 10 + 6 / 2 = 8. A good score!
Post by: NWR_insanolord on October 27, 2012, 11:35:34 AM
