I will never forget my first time playing Sky: Children of the Light
After recently finishing up a couple of reviews for this very website, I was planning to head back to my journey through the nine realms in God of War Ragnarok. But as I sat down to play last night, I decided that I didn’t want to commit to a long play session before dinner, so instead I booted up Sky: Children of the Light from developer thatgamecompany. You might know them as the creators of existential experiences like Journey, Flower, or Flow. My interest in the free-to-play MMO was only cursory, but what started as a quick “let’s check this out” before dinner became a two-hour experience that floored me. So much so that I messaged our Editor-in-Chief as soon as I was done, because if I didn’t tell someone I was going to explode.
Having played Journey on PS4, I had an idea of what I thought Sky was going to be like, and while my inclinations were somewhat correct, Sky has struck a chord with me that Journey never did. Sky begins with a tutorial that loosely guides you along while introducing you to the lore, but it really wants you to explore this gorgeous world on your own whims. I spent my initial hour exploring the first realm of the kingdom and discerning just what exactly has happened in the world of Sky. I won’t spoil anything I’ve learned so far, but as you explore you will free spirits across the realms with the light from your candle as you learn more about their stories.
The candle seems pretty central to all things in Sky, as it appears to be a form of currency, as well as one of the primary ways you interact with the world and with other players. Speaking of, interacting with strangers in the world is one of the most charming, endearing aspects of the game. This isn’t Grand Theft Auto Online where you can be endlessly “ganked” by a troll with a flying car, but rather every interaction I had in Sky amused me and made me feel something far more positive. I really don’t want to get too sappy, but at one point I came across a fellow player, who through in-game emotes and pre-made text chat, requested my help locating spirits. I obliged and we sealed our pact with the lighting of each other’s candle. We held hands as we wandered the area, locating spirits and unlocking rooms that were only accessible with the help of another. It was a brief but poignant interaction – one that I’ve never had in a video game before. While me and my new friend were exploring together, I also spotted a couple giving each other piggy-back rides between points of interest. These strangers would come and go often, and as I turned my back they would disappear, only for someone new to appear later on. It constantly reminded me that while I was on my own journey, I was certainly not experiencing it alone.
I ended my first session with Sky by attending an in-game “musical voyage”, which is a part of the current Season of AURORA. It features Norwegian singer AURORA, who takes you on a guided musical-storytelling experience alongside thousands of other players. I admit to feeling weird showing up for a musical performance within a video game, but like everything else so far with this game, it blew me away. You should experience it for yourself.
And so therein lies the magic sauce of Sky: Children of the Light. Between the wondrous, mysterious world and the touching interactions with complete strangers, there was something special about my first experience with this heartwarming MMO. Given the pedigree of developer thatgamecompany, I don’t know why I am so surprised by Sky. But it moved me in a way that I did not expect a video game would do, or even could do.
Sky: Children of the Light released on PlayStation 4 just last week, but is also available on Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android devices. If you decide to check it out, I hope that you have a similar experience as mine, and who knows – maybe we will connect somewhere along the way.
