Darkened Skye

Sometimes you feel like a nut; sometimes you don't. If you are newer to action/adventure gaming, or if you merely hanker for a rainbow of lighthearted fun to appear as you gaze up at the darkened third-person action/adventure gaming sky, then fire up that mouse and keyboard and get ready for a yummy treat!

What's great about Darkened Skye is that it's self-aware and doesn't try to be anything more than what it really is. The humor is excellent and doesn't really let you down. It is extremely hard to cover a marketing campaign as big as this one, but Boston Animation, with the help of Simon and Schuster's secret coverage, really did a good job. If you like fantasy worlds, the Skittles commercials, or witty, tongue-in-cheek games, this one is recommended for you.

To off-handedly dismiss this title as just another marketing gimmick would be a mistake. While it is true that the recurring theme of Skittles is touched upon, the development team had the insight to work the product tie-in in a respectable (if that is possible) way that actually fits quite snugly into the overall theme of the game. The sometimes-awkward gameplay dynamics and annoying platforming requirements can harsh your buzz at times but on the whole you’ll find this game to be 1part annoying and 3parts entertaining, so, you do the math. At the very least snuggle up with a bag of Skittles and give this game a rental.

It’s not very often that you’ll come across a game whose story revolves around small multi-colored-shell candy, and even less frequent that a game of that nature actually turns out to be worth playing. But the developers of Darkened Skye didn’t seem to get the memo, as this game is not only a clever marketing ploy to promote Skittles candy but also surprisingly entertaining.

Darkend Skye proves to be a novel attempt in the action-adventure genre by Simon and Schuster Interactive. Some more polish and this game could be better but currently, it’s average.

Darkened Skye is duidelijk geen topgame. De stemacteurs hadden meer hun best mogen doen, en de wereld is zo spaarzaam aangekleed dat het voelt alsof God op de details bezuinigd heeft. De humor is flauw en de besturing wiebelt op cruciale momenten. Toch wist dit spel mij te boeien, voornamelijk dankzij de kleurrijke personages en de muziek. Voor een fanatiek adventure gamer zijn de puzzels te makkelijk, maar wie graag op avontuur gaat, zal zich niet vervelen. Iemand nog een paar Skittles?

Though you wouldn't know it from glancing at its box, Darkened Skye is, of all things, a tie-in for a recent Skittles candy marketing campaign. Instead of having to "taste the rainbow," you'll need to put it back together in this third-person action-adventure game. Long ago, a great rainbow shone over the skies of Lynlora, dropping magical artifacts known as Skittles to the earth. Recently, the evil Lord Necroth has destroyed the rainbow, hoarded most of the Skittles, and banned magic from the realm. Now it's up to you to help the sarcastic heroine Skye find the ancient prisms that can restore the great rainbow. This might sound like an inane game idea based on accounting instead of good sense--theoretically, that's true, but in practice, it's a bit far off the mark. Darkened Skye turns out to be a colorful and fairly entertaining game that's surprisingly funny.

In Darkened Skye's defense, it's important to first note that this game -- in all likelihood -- probably did not start off with a bizarrely surreal connection to Skittles candy. The evidence is in the obvious time that someone took to create its characters, backstory, look, and feel. And then, presumably, the call of quick cash was too much to bear, and they made everything dirty with the stench of cheap marketing tie-ins.

Dit kan een leuk spel zijn, maar je moet wel openstaan voor een brainless verhaaltje met een gezonde dosis humor.

The latest offering to come from Simon and Schuster Inc. is a massive first person RPG stuffed full of goodies and treats for even the most hardened gamer. Darkened Skyes follows the highs and lows of Skye of Lynora, a young heroine who has been sent to save a world cloaked in darkness. Lynora is the only person in this dark and miserable world who can save everyone from Dread with her magical powers, lethal battle stick and sidekick Draak (who doesn’t look too dissimilar to Monica Lewinski in the morning!). Upon first glimpse, Darkened skyes appears to be a dark and mystical fairy-tale version of Tomb Raider – how wrong I was!

Darkened Skye is a third-person action adventure not all that dissimilar in nature from F.A.K.K. 2, Heretic II, or even Alice. But unlike those games, (the upper echelons of the genre), Darkened Skye doesn't feature much the way of exciting gameplay, groundbreaking visuals, or intense, relentless action. What it does offer is a lighthearted, comical foray into a genre traditionally overwhelmed with dark, brooding, or overtly serious efforts. No underlying meat and potatoes accompany this candy, but as any self-respecting kid will tell you, sugar alone can sometimes be enough.

If you tried, do you think you could imagine a fantasy world that relied on the magic of Skittles, you know, the candy? Darkened Skye is a third-person action game that does its best to show the grandeur of these little trinkets. The game recently got published in Europe, so that’s why it was reviewed now, instead of when it hit the US shelves – January 2002.

All things considered, Darkened Skye is a better game than a Skittles-licensed game has any business being. Sure, the actual gameplay isn't the most compelling, and the graphical presentation could've used some optimizing, but its sharp, self-deprecating wit helps motivate you to the next puzzle or platforming section, if only to hear another one-liner. But if sarcastic humor and some cringingly bad puns don't sound like your idea of good comedy, you should probably pass on Darkened Skye, as the game doesn't really have much else to offer.

Als die hübsche Skye eines Tages erfährt, wer sie wirklich ist, staunt sie nicht schlecht: Als strahlende Heldin soll sie ein Fantasy-Reich vor dem Untergang retten. Der Schlüssel zum Erfolg sind Skittles - eigentlich Drops im Smarties-Format. In Darkened Skye jedoch nutzen Sie die Leckerlis für insgesamt 20 Zaubersprüche vom Enthüllungs- bis zum Waffenzauber.

Although Darkened Skye hits the high notes with it’s humor, it has a few too many flaws to make it a permanent part of your gaming library. However, if you want to see how funny a game can be, go for the rental. (Not only that, you get to see one of the strangest commercial tie-ins ever.)

If you’re looking for an enjoyable game full of fun, good humor, and some fast paced action at the end of a solid oak staff, Darkened Skye is the game for you. Once completed though, it has little replay value, unless you leave it for a few months and come back to it once your brain is partially purged of the memories of the game. The first time through, however, you’re guaranteed to find Darkened Skye an enjoyable experience that’s a pleasure on the eye and not too taxing on the brain. Don’t expect Zelda... hell don’t even expect Starfox Adventures quality. And you’re sure enjoy this game.

A few years ago (in the UK at least) an advert was run for Skittles where a young maiden escaped from an evil witch and rode to a stone circle. When she placed her hands in the imprints in the altar a rainbow appeared and the sweets started to rain down. It seems that sparked someone's imagination and the basic storyline of the advert has been turned into a game, Darkened Skye.

Darkened Skye really has some amazing moments, especially in the script. The jokes will make you have some fine moments, but that's not enough to make this a must-buy. If you really believe a well done script is all it takes to have a fun experience, buy it. If not, then give this one a rental.

The entire Darkened Skye gameplay experience is nothing new or exciting if you've played any remotely similar third-person adventure title during the past five years on any system. It's a short-lived adventure that experienced gamers will pass with flying colors (pun) and little intrigue. While the control is solid and liberating, the combat and action elements feel rushed and void of depth. Items and spells are always a good touch, but those in Darkened Skye are so standard that only newcomers or true Skittles® fanatics will find them interesting. After hours of collecting magical Skittles® running quickly through a barren 3D world, and I'm left only with an uncontrollable urge for something sweet from the vending machine.

Darkened Skye could have been a great game given more development time, but unfortunately, too often it devolves into nothing more than a lackluster Tomb Raider clone. If you can get past the monotonous arcade elements, there's a lot that the title has going for it, including imaginative characters and a script bordering on hysterical. The Skittles licensing isn't as oppressive or heavy-handed as one would think, and even the game's characters often prove they're in on the joke with their witty dialog. Hardcore fans of releases like the Tomb Raider series or possibly MDK2 will want to give Darkened Skye a good look. However, most players will find that the poorly executed gameplay mechanics are too high a barrier to overcome.

Darkened Skye is one of those games that you will like for it's originality or dislike for it's overly difficult platforming content. Of course deaf gamers have the added factor of there being no subtitles, which of course affects our evaluation of the game. The use of Skittles in the game is intelligent and doesn't get in the way of the game at all. The biggest drawback with the game though has to be the subtitles omission, because deaf gamers miss out on the quality of the games' script and humour.

So what does a sarcastic gargoyle with a bad sense of humor, a handsome flirt who disappears every time there's trouble, and the obligatory wise old knows everything cross between a turtle and a frog have in common? No, it's not bad breath. Sorry, it's not their talent manager either. All three are helping a warrior hero adventure goddess…who can't swim.

Ein drei Jahre altes Spiel, das aussieht wie vor acht Jahren – braucht das wer? Nö, das gehört in die Rumpelkiste der Spielegeschichte. Es sei denn, Sie stehen auf schlagfertigen Teeniegirl-Humor à la Buffy oder American Pie. Eine so charmant rotzige Art wie die von Hirtenheldin Skye hat bei Spielen immer noch Seltenheitswert. Zum Schmunzeln und Kichern durchaus zu empfehlen – als Spiel immerhin erträglicher Standard, wenn auch arg repetetiv.

In the end, I can only say that the game's pretty lengthy, offering you a lot of diverse, though claustrophobic areas to explore. If it's adventure you seek, adventure you shall find! However, some of the puzzles are too easy and won't present much of a challenge. Ooops, wait, wait, the game has one more aspect worth mentioning. Namely, the music tracks, which have a good quality and they are nicely synchronized with the in-game atmosphere and action. The sounds are not bad, though they could use a wider variety. Overall, I'd say this is a game meant for gamers who are a bit younger and who enjoy cute sarcastic babes for main characters. So, it all boils down to jumping around bashing recurring enemies with your staff and listening to your un-witty sidekick.

Rather than mixing action, adventure and puzzle, a narrower focus with more snide remarks and witty writing would have led to a better game. Darkened Skye could have made a great graphic adventure. I'd rather have one thing done perfectly than three things done with mediocrity...but you can do worse than taste this rainbow.

Bon, on ne va pas s'étendre sur le sujet des heures et des heures. Darkened Skye est un jeu raté qui ne trouvera ni son public chez les amateurs d'aventures (les énigmes sont bien trop nulles) ni chez les fans d'action (les combats sont super mous). Reste les mangeurs de Skittles...

Reviewing games is usually a very enjoyable experience for me, as it combines two activities I am especially fond of - writing and playing videogames. Unfortunately though, there are games that are so drab, unimpressive and downright mediocre in their execution, that the normally pleasurable act of writing a game review becomes a tedious chore. Oxygen Interactive's third person action/adventure title, Darkened Skye, is one of those games.