Title: Skyborn
Genre: RPG/Sci-Fi
Platform: PC
Developer: Dancing Dragon
Release Date: March 2012
Recently, I stumbled across a gem in the indie RPG market; a little game called ‘Skyborn’. I immediately fell for it when I saw the concept art and setting; a futuristic steampunk world full of winged beings and airships!
Skyborn follows the adventures of Claret Spencer, a mechanic with a short temper and a taste for adventure. After her brother sells the family shop, Claret is out of a job and decides to steal and airship and run away. However, the airship she steals belongs to a man named Sullivan, who happens to be quite respected in society. With his reluctant assistance,
Claret makes her way to the city, where we meet the Skyborn. The Skyborn are a ‘superior’ race with distaste for humans and half-breeds. With Sullivan by her side, Claret takes it upon herself to lead the fight against the oppression of the Skyborn!
Made by Dancing Dragons, whose other titles include the ‘Deadly Sin’ series, Skyborn is a fresh and interesting game. The setting is absolutely stunning, and the attention to detail is absolutely fantastic.
To go along with the main storyline, there’s plenty of optional little side quests to keep you entertained! From missing wedding wings to fighting your way through the city’s arena, you won’t be stuck for something to do!
The fights are all turn-based, which I’m normally not a fan of, but in this case, they were executed brilliantly. With so many weapons to choose from and forge (which can then be personalised and augmented) there’s also the fact that certain characters have magic abilities, intricate fighting styles, and even healing. The enemies and bosses are creative and extremely tough! I was very surprised at the strength of the later enemies, and it took me up to 10-15 attempts before managing to conquer them!
The game operates on the ‘level-up’ system, and twice during the game, you get to further your parties abilities with a class change, giving you a lot of options for diversity in your fighting style. Corwin, a friend of Claret and a half-breed, is your group’s resident mage. Claret is a sharp gunslinger and Sullivan is a skilled swordsman. You do get two extra members of them team later on, but hey now, I can’t spoil it all!
Everything is this game was so intricate and beautiful, especially the soundtrack! For an indie game, I was extremely surprised at the quality of the music and sound effects. To accompany the stunning soundtrack, the concept art was some of the most beautiful work I’ve seen. The artist, Brittany Fuerst, is very well suited to this genre, and I hope to see more great work from her!
All in all, if you were to sit down to Skyborn and play right through it, there’s about 6 hours of gameplay, but I guarantee you, you’ll enjoy every second of it thoroughly! Between large cities and magical forests, you’ll never be short of fun quests and lovable characters!
Good Points
Creative quests
Gorgeous Art
AMAZING plot
Engaging Gameplay
Bad Points
A little bit short
…That’s it. Seriously.
Rating: 9/10
Editor-in-Chief, part-time super villain and hoarder of cats. If you can’t find me writing, I’m probably in the kitchen!
