Nightsky

 
Developer: Nicalis
Steam Release:  March 2011
Hours Played: 5.8
Similar To: Element4l / Flat Kingdom / Gish / Leo's Fortune  / Unmechanical
Rating: 4/5 Parsnips



GAMEPLAY
This simple, minimalistic platform puzzler has you controlling a small black ball across a silhouetted landscape that is jam-packed with beautifully designed puzzles. Its ambient and subtle atmosphere, along with its complete lack of urgency, makes it almost zen-like and is one of the most relaxing and absorbing titles money can buy; a testament to the fact that top-of-the-range graphics and frenetic gameplay is not a prerequisite to defining a top quality game. Most of your focus will be on a small black ball. You manipulate this with left and right arrow-keys but may also speed it up, put the brakes on or invert its gravitational pull by using the A or S key. Its simplicity is its strength - no fancy combinations or complicated moves here. All the while you have to guide the ball to the exit on the right hand side to move onto the next. 
 

BALANCE & PACE
The only other keys in use are the Enter and the up and down arrow keys to activate or scroll through switches or to release items. The ball is also sometimes embedded inside airborne or vehicular contraptions for an added twist. Puzzles are varied and inventive and there is no time-pressure which makes the experience relaxing. That's not to say there is an entire absence of frustration and bafflement; some screens can be very perplexing but generally the game is perfectly pitched and the degree of difficulty is spot-on putting you in that sweet-spot. I didn't need to resort to a YouTube walkthrough but felt stretched and challenged enough. The game is saved at regular 2-4 screen intervals so if you mess up you just press Space and have another crack. Restarting is instant and you never have to do large chunks over again.

PRESENTATION & DESIGN
This game has been developed with ambience in mind and in instilling a zen-like calm to the user. It is not out to hit you over the head with heavy, over-the-top graphics. The soundtrack consists of a lone acoustic guitar and soft synthesised notes with a hint of other gentle sounds like the rustle of the wind. Graphics, likewise, are minimal with the landscape rendered in black to give a silhouetted look while a variety of colours light up the background. The ball hits surfaces with a satisfying chink suggesting it could be marble or metallic. You play the game in a large central tile framed with a large black border - one of the few negatives of this game. 



PROGRESS SYSTEM
Nicalis sticks to the less-is-more style and greets the player with a straightforward start-menu that simply lists the names of the areas in the game. Next to the area is a circle to show either an area is complete, is started but not finished, or padlocked to show it's locked. A player can either continue from where they left off or have another go in a previously completed area where screenshots are scrolled through, giving you the choice to dive in wherever you want. The settings-menu is done outside the game in a Windows-98 style box with a miniscule amount of options. Navigation is quick, sharp and instantly intuitive. There are no stats or time-attack options. 



CONCLUSION
Nightsky is a stylish game filled with charm and class. You get a genuine buzz when completing certain areas and a feel-good sense of achievement - a sign of a quality game. Areas can take an average of about 20-30 minutes which means on the first playthrough you could complete the game in about 5 hours. Some have complained that this is too short but I'd rather play a game supposedly "too-short" than the more common problem of playing a game that's "too long." Finally, the restricted size of the screen along with no option to change the resolution or to re-configure the keys are some of the very few negatives. You are also taken out of the game when clicking Settings to a small window in the desktop which can slightly ruin immersion but the game as a whole is exquisite making these minor gripes almost negligible.