The studio’s approach to multiplayer appears even more bold this time around. That’s becauseSky: Children of the Lightis a fully-fledged MMO, the most social of all multiplayer genres, even if it’s a unique kind of MMO.Skydistinguishes itself from the crowd at every turn, from the near-complete lack of dialogue to the absence of RPG and action mechanics, so central to the genre.
6There Is No Written Dialogue
Except For Occasional Narration
For many players, MMOs are a social experience. For others, they arelavishly produced worldsto lose themselves in while surrounded by passersby players. Usually, a big part of those worlds, the one created by the in-game fiction and the one brought to life organically by the other players, is driven by dialogue.
Not so inSky: Children of the Light. Quest givers, helpful NPCs, and not-always-helpful players don’t communicate with written or spoken dialogue. Most NPCs and fellow PCs don’t communicate at all, and those who do use mostly actions and mimicry. The exception is the narration, which sometimes voices characters from the story’s past, and players that have a high level of friendship with one another.
5It’s Not An MMORPG
Sky Is An MMO Adventure Game
Mostolder MMOs likeWorld of WarcraftandRuneScapeare real-time RPGs with a focus on combat. Meanwhile, newer titles usually play more like action RPGs or, occasionally, survival games where progression is tied to materials instead of experience points. Either way, most MMOs seem to be built around mechanical progression. Not so withSky.
Sky: Children of the Lightis instead a story-focused adventure game where cooperation with other players is part of both the narrative and the puzzle. More experienced players can help novices through the first areas of the game, but it’s their expertise that makes the difference, not their stats.
4It’s Very Story-Focused
A Story Unlike Any Other MMO
MMOs usually have a story. They can be ascomplex as a constantly evolving narrativethat unravels over decades, or as unintrusive as the mini-stories of aDisney Dreamlight Valley.But regardless, all of them risk being promptly ignored by many uninterested players, as well as everyone going through it for a second time.
On the other hand, it’s hard to ignore the story inSky: Children of the Light. The reason is twofold. Every step taken through the narrative informs what the player is allowed to do: their current, unspoken objective; whether they can fly and during which section. But the game also directs the player in more immediate ways, taking control of the camera or simply impeding movement in the wrong direction.
3It’s Designed To Be Completed
And It’s Not A Live Service Game
While it’s true thatSky: Children of the Lightcan be played over and over with no end in sight, it’s not trying to be a live service game. Meanwhile, the vast majority of MMOs reward players who put in countless hours. It’s refreshing, then, to notice thatSkycan be completed in about five hours.
That isn’t to say that players can’t take their time, orstick around after the main story is overto complete daily quests. Few of the players that can be found near the start area of the first kingdom are just starting their quest. Many are returning players running some errands and helping newcomers find their way.
2It Doesn’t Feature Combat
It’s All About Exploration Instead
To say thatSkydoesn’t feature combatis correct, but it can lead to misunderstanding. Not every minute of this game is as peaceful as the beginning makes it out to be, and conflict can occasionally take the spotlight for large sections of time. That said, direct conflict rarely involves the player character. Most of the story (and drama) is focused instead on uncovering this world’s past.
The reason why this makesSky: Children of the Lightstand out so much from other MMO games is evident: most games are built around trials and conflicts, and most of those conflicts are at least partially resolved through combat. MMORPGs and Action-MMOs are especially reliant on fights, makingSky’s lack of combat a big departure from the genre.
1Making Online Friends Is Different
Think Journey, Not World Of Warcraft
Players inSky: Children of the Lighttend to help each other a lot, at least when compared to many of the busier MMOs. It’s not rare to be driven through the first sections of the game by a more experienced player, learning obscure mechanics by imitating their new friends. The curious part isthat all of this happens without dialogue.
Players can talk with one another, but only after they reach a high friendship level. Even then, there is no global chat, only direct messages with big friends, and no voice chat. Nothing stops those players from exchanging contact information, obviously, but it’s clear that the game is trying to foster a different kind of connection between players and within its world.
