Sky Odyssey

The Good
"Sky Odyssey" is a true videogame. Not an interactive movie, or driving simulation, there are no save points made out of small white creatures or a required 40 hours of gameplay. This game rewards the player with points - the same kind of points in old classic arcade games like "Missile Command" and "Space Invaders". The better a player is - the higher their score is. "Sky Odyssey" was inspired by Nintendo's Pilot Wings series. Right off the bad players should know what they are in for: non-violent gameplay based on skill, timing, and practice flying through the skies in a variety of locations, not how many people a player can kill within 30 seconds.

There are a variety of planes to fly from the early 20th century and their performance changes as the game progresses. One of the greatest levels in the game is a particular water level that requires the player to land their plane onto an aircraft carrier in the middle of a storm. Very cool indeed. There are many other fun moments, but I won't ruin them here in this review.

Controlling the planes is fun and challenging, (but not frustrating), and the level of difficulty changes through the game. For an experience of flying that ranges from exhilarating to ephemeral, check out "Sky Odyssey".

The Bad
There are only a few technical quips to be made about the game. Primarily they are the first-generation PS2 visuals and the very basic midi-music. The visuals are not bad by any means, but when compared to the Ace Combat series the visuals for "Sky Odyssey" do show aging. Likewise, the music is very basic; there is no simulated orchestral score here. But, it is important to note: these are just technical comments and in no way affect the fun gameplay.

The Bottom Line
This is yet another videogame passed over by the masses. Perhaps it was because of the ambiguous title: "Sky Odyssey", or perhaps it was because of the non-violent gameplay. Either way this title never received the accolades it deserved - the biggest disappointment was no sequel. A later generation iteration of this type of gameplay would have been very interesting.

This videogame is truly for anyone and everyone. That does not mean, however, that the game compromises fun and interest for easy and accessible gameplay. Instead the game's level of challenge is as difficult as the player desires to make it - and not via a difficulty setting. As the player gets better and better at the game, so does their desire to perform, and better involves more difficulty. Few games can reflect the given mood of the player - if the player is angry then their flying may be more aggressive; if the player looking to cruise the skies and just look around, this game can accommodate.