Of late, the owners of PlayStation 5 have been blessed with the gift of sci-fi survival action: here comes Forever Skies. The game throws up to the players into a wrecked Earth, where the last hope for humanity is to make everything from the ashes—literally. And yeah, as it sounds, so looks it as intense.
Forever Skies, published by Far From Home, mixes some base-building elements with exploration and survival in a world where the air is toxic, resources are scant at best, and any choice could sometimes mean the difference between life and death. The game puts players in control of one lonely scientist returning to a home planet after a worldwide catastrophe only to find that the surface is uninhabitable. What is the answer? Live in the skies by crafting floating bases and scavenge all that is left of civilization stretched below.
Well, the trailer for such games shows some hardcore moody visuals – crumbling cities under dust storms, makeshift airships patrolling the skies and haunting leftovers of humanity spread across the desolate wasteland. It promises a pretty deep survival loop in which players have to manage oxygen levels and devise equipment while fighting some mutated beasts thriving in the repugnant environment.
This PS5 game is currently the only console version launched, although PC players were on it last year. Fairly good reviews emanated from the end users at steam, most praising it for the atmosphere and the tension derived from scavenger trips. Early hiccups have since included grinding a little feeling and somewhat repetitive resource gathering, but many have since been updated smoothed over.
It’s amazing how much Forever Skies can absorb hard sci-fi and not fantasy. The technology feels real-solar-powered airships, gas masks with limited filters, and makeshift tools constructed from scraps of materials. It’s refreshing in a genre that usually dwells on zombies or alien threats.
Currently, there is no multiplayer, but the developers have stated interest in developing this feature within future updates. For the time being, however, it is a solitary battle with nature, thematically and tonally integrating well with the isolation and desperation in the game.
This might be your next time sink if you like survival games with a strong atmospheric bent. Just don’t forget your extra tanks of oxygen!
Indeed, Forever Skies is now going live at PS5. Let’s see whether the second chance for humankind goes better than the first.
