Though we’ve been taught to expect otherwise, good things can come in cheap packages. That nugget of frugal truth in mind, to say that SKYPEACE is cheap would be… ahem… cheapening, the potential fun you get out of it. Well, as much fun as you can get out of yet another endless runner. This time you’re soaring through the hazard-filled sky on hoverboards, so, given that all the action takes place above the clouds, that would instead make this an endless… flier? Sky-surfing? That scene in Back to the Future Part II? It all works.
You play as one half of the game’s brother and sister1 combo, Surf and Pure. It’s nice to have the option to choose, but it’s pure-ly (haha, get it?) a gender swap, as one character’s gameplay is exactly the same as their sibling. It’s no matter. On the surface, the objective is basic, with you collecting coins and and scattered jewels on some simple— albeit nice-looking— backgrounds (the 3D effect works well here, without being a distraction). The point is to build and maintain a combo of coins without getting hit, netting you a high score and a higher grade at the end of the run. Enemies will naturally block your efforts to do so, although you have no means of fighting back, requiring some slick— and quick— maneuvering.
The game does a very good job of lining up enemies and hazards in a way so that you can avoid them artfully …
Rather than give you absolute freedom of movement, SKYPEACE places you in a smallish grid on the left side of the screen. Picture a game of Tic-Tac-Toe, with its straightforward and diagonal moves, and that’s the extent your own movement options. Despite that apparent limitation, it’s really all you need. The game does a very good job of lining up enemies and hazards in a way so that you can avoid them artfully, continuing unimpeded in your combo run while still tacking on enough hazards to challenge you.
Later levels (out of a total of 10, mostly day / night cycles on similar backgrounds) increase the number of enemies, making it harder to avoid resetting your combo and missing out on that elusive ‘S’ rank. There is a shield powerup that makes life easier, as well as vortexes that boost your speed (at the expense of earlier warnings to upcoming threats). Your sibling will also drop in once per stage to give you temporary invulnerability, zipping you through all hazards and nabbing every coin for the duration.
… there’s some surprising depth and challenge here …
Despite the bright visuals and excellent arcade-y gameplay, it’s over far too quickly, even if the budget price foretold as much. You’ll likely revisit the previous stages anyway, aiming for a better score2, or to complete one of the game’s numerous fake achievements (in the form of cutesy titles). That should help extend the life of the game somewhat. SKYPEACE still isn’t terribly long or steeped in content, but there’s some surprising depth and challenge here for completionists, more than worthy of the dollar asking price.
Indiepitome 