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1 Originally released in Early Access back in 2023, and after a good amount of updates, version 1.0 of Forever Skies is now available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. Coming to us from developer Far From Home, this base-building survivor title impressed us back when we previewed it in August 2023. But does the full release leave a positive impression?
The Apocalypse Has Never Been So Peaceful
As a fan of this genre, I was rather excited to finally get my hands on it after playing the demo. Have you already played Forever Skies on Steam, or have you been eagerly anticipating it as much as me? I’d love to hear your thoughts on the game in the comments below! But for now, let’s get into the review and see what this game’s all about, shall we?
Gameplay
Upon booting up the game, you’ve got the option to jump straight into the campaign, either alone or with a co-op buddy, with three difficulty settings to choose from. Opting to play solo, the short opening scene set the stage for the adventure that was about to unfold. Starting off on a small tower, I was quickly bombarded with several tutorial missions, with barely a pause between finishing one objective and being given another. It was a little overwhelming considering I’d only been playing for about five minutes. With my food and water running dangerously low, it felt like I was already fighting for my life!
Whilst many survival games have you building a base from the ground up in one set location, Forever Skies gives you a ship to not only pilot but also call home. Much like how Raft plays out, but instead of a dilapidated plank of wood, you’ve got something more futuristic. You start with a cramped, one-roomed airship that you’ll struggle to find space for all the machinery necessary. Eventually, though, your tiny craft will grow to become a terror of the skies.
Once I’d had a chance to get my Zeppelin-esque craft up and running, the next several hours were spent floating from one abandoned tower to the next. Here I’d gather resources and unlock new recipes to upgrade the ship. Tedium did set in eventually, as the basics boiled down to go here, collect items, then go to the next similar-looking area. Rinse and repeat. Though I had to keep a constant eye on my vitals (hunger and thirst being the ones that most needed taking care of), there wasn’t much in terms of challenge. Though, this isn’t always a bad thing if you’re just looking for a game that rewards exploration and creativity.
Danger Below!
Eventually, you’ll get to go to the irradiated surface of Earth. This is where Forever Skies opens up a bit more and presents new challenges. Oxygen is your best friend down here. Running out means certain death. That said, breathing in the toxic air isn’t the only thing that can kill you. Mutant bugs and alien species aren’t looking for a friendly chat, which is where combat comes into play. It’s simple, but does break up the heavy amount of resource gathering you’ll need to do in order to progress. As dangerous as these places may be, they are vital for collecting items that can’t be found in the relative safety of the skies. Just don’t spend too much time down there without plenty of oxygen tanks in reserve!
You will also eventually need to contend with infections that result in all manner of issues. These range from causing your HP to slowly decrease, or suffering from hallucinations. These can be cured, but your immunity resistance will decrease as the story progresses, with only temporary buffs being able to heighten immunity for a short period of time. It’s an interesting mechanic, if occasionally irritating (though thankfully not Far Cry 2 levels of frustrating), and one that kept me pushing forward in a frantic attempt to find a cure.
Storied Skies
So, why are we crafting, surviving, and suffering through this post-apocalyptic wasteland once known as Earth? Our lone scientist (or scientists, if you’re playing co-op!) returns to the planet hundreds of years after a global ecological disaster effectively rendered it uninhabitable, covering the surface in a toxic dust and bringing the human race to near extinction. Now, in 2637, humanity is clinging to survival on the ARK space station.
Our character deploys to Earth to begin their search, hoping to find answers as to what exactly happened all that time ago. They also want to potentially find a cure for a virus that’s not only affecting them, but also many of the humans on ARK, as well as discover the fate of the recon team sent there previously. You’ll find snippets of story and logs of the lost expedition from data pads scattered about the world. These certainly help in fleshing out the lore behind the world.
Graphics & Audio
For the most part, Forever Skies is a visually striking title that — despite being set on an apocalyptic world — is full of vibrant colours and stunning vistas. Standing atop a tall structure looking down at the menacing dust clouds and strange debris floating around really is a sight to behold. It’s a cool, sci-fi aesthetic that, whilst not grounded in realism, has a distinct look and feel. Whether you’re taking in the sights from the skies or crawling through the murky dust clouds below, it’s impressive. Kudos to the developer for creating such a unique-looking title, instead of the generic browns and greys so often seen in games set in such desolate environments.
On the PlayStation 5 version of the game, Forever Skies does have some frame rate issues. It frequently struggles to maintain 30 FPS on Quality mode, making Performance mode the best way to play. Performance mode offers a much more stable frame rate at the cost of some texture and lighting details. Although I did still experience some frame drops during rainstorms. For the majority of the time, though, the game runs smoothly (on Performance mode, at least). There were only the occasional minor bugs, such as texture flickering and some slight object clipping.
The audio really impressed me, despite a lack of music heard throughout. It’s oftentimes quiet as you go about exploring, creating a sense of foreboding as you cautiously navigate a ruined facility with nothing but a few corpses scattered about for company. I would have liked a bit more ambient audio, for sure, but I can’t deny that using music sparingly is a good way of keeping players feeling that they’re never quite free of danger.
Longevity
The world is handcrafted rather than randomly generated, which does limit replayability somewhat. However, Forever Skies isn’t exactly a game you can finish over a weekend. There are plenty of areas to discover and explore, and even more items to craft. Sure, you could try and quickly blast through the story objectives as fast as possible, but that would detract from the core experience of the game. It’s well worth taking your time, finding secrets off the beaten path, and upgrading your airship into an absolute juggernaut.
Final Thoughts
Forever Skies is a slow burn of a game. Whilst the constant hunt for resources means you’ll never stay in one place for too long, it does take a while to start to feel like you’re actually making progress. That said, the environments were just begging to be explored and the often tranquil nature of the game made for a relaxing hunt for items, despite the frequent dangers of infection and beasts out for blood! Although it’s not always clear where to go or what to do next, the sense of discovery and satisfaction was a constant reward throughout.
For these reasons, I’m giving Forever Skies a Thumb Culture Gold Award.
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
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