EDIT: 2/26/19 Record name change.
EDIT; 9/11/18 The issues I describe below of needing to acclimate in order to avoid hitting objects has substantially been dealt with admirably in several ways, in more than one update. MUCH more intuitive now. Thank you!
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Full Disclosure: I LOVE TO FLY!!! (As a gamer, I mean.)
As such, I have a substantial number of Steam-based games that allow me to indulge this joyous affliction, the most recent being the wonderfully designed and remarkably addictive and entertaining Risky Wings (previously UBERFLIGHT.) Admittedly, flying games basically do one thing, and the measures of such games are:
1) HOW it does that single thing, and
2) how WELL it performs that singular task.
I feel I can say (with minimal exceptions, noted below) that UberFlight performs the task of player-controlled flight uncommonly well.
Perhaps the most important aspect of most games (and reviews!) is how quickly a player can get up to speed. A game that is overly complex or detailed, or with awkward controls, can be the best game on Earth, but few players will ever know. UberFlight (UF) makes this almost a non-issue with its exceptionally well-designed learning curve. When originally issued UF neither had, nor needed game information (to begin playing, perhaps beyond the very standard and intuitive controller setup. Controller STRONGLY recommended!)
The objective of UF is simple enough; fly at a pre-set, player-selected speed, earning higher scores proportionate to greater risks. (Close calls are key!) Where learning curve comes into play is in the choice of four speeds, and the increasing difficulty of each of five regions/levels. The goal is to progress to each next (locked) region. Along the journey players will encounter runes that must be collected in total to reveal the portal to the next world. BUT, travel costs power, and when power (as tracked by HUD) runs out, the run is over. Fortunately, each region provides numerous power orbs that transfer energy to the flyer; the closer to the power-up the greater the power transferred. It only takes a short time to be able to fly almost endlessly (and that is actually a game mode, should you simply wish for a Zen experience. Also available is a score-chain mode, which I haven’t exactly gotten the hang of yet.)
Each hard-earned experience level assigns a point, and in UF (as in many games) points equate to upgradeability. So, another aspect of learning curve is the opportunity to upgrade flight aspects based on strengths and needs for each player. Unfortunately, at this point in game development of five regions, the choices feel a bit limited (though I feel them to be perfect for the current game. What I mean is that, for better or worse, it’s currently quite common in gaming for the exhausting of available upgrades to equate to exhausting both player interest AND game content.) Hopefully success for UF will lead to an expanded game with greater upgrade possibilities.
Oh, but where UF REALLY shines is each of the five levels/regions! Since the developer created a game in which the specific geographies of each region are procedurally generated, no two runs will ever be just the same. Additionally, players have frequently come to expect a certain degree of similarity between levels in such games, but NOT UberFlight! (Developers in many such cases presume that providing individual level variety (procedurally generated) is necessary, but to provide vastly different levels is just too great an expectation.), The very beautiful levels vary from each other so much as to almost seem to be in different games! Yes, the goals are the same, but the journey encountered is absolutely not! I could try and fail to explain with descriptions, but the screenshots and video on the Store Page can do far more than I can.
As far as Steam enhancements, UF has achievements and leaderboards for those players that are interested. Cloud support, so crucial for gamers who travel or play on multiple PCs, isn’t something I’ve checked for yet, but I’ll update when I know.
Is UberFLight perfect? Well, not yet, though if developer activity is any indication (HINT: It is!), then that degree of excellence most assuredly should be reached. I can’t help but notice that the number of reviews seems to be limited to….well, me. I can only speculate that’s somewhat a factor of price. While I feel the price is reasonable, I confess to considering refunding to wait for a lower price. (After an hour or so I realized I was NOT letting go.) Flying games are frequently a bit pricier, perhaps due to the requirement for superior graphics combined with the time involved to design them. Hopefully the first discount price offered will generate a sales boost to get the ball rolling.
While the replayability of UF is high, the quantity of upgrades and the current five levels/regions seems to indicate a shorter game than might be expected for the price. (Again, a price I was happy to pay, but not all Steam players have that option.) After six hours I’ve come very close to opening the fourth level, and for a player with my limited skills that seems a very fast progression. Yes, I could play on a harder speed/difficulty level, but that’s not entirely the point. Some might argue that the game itself is where the completion time should reside, not necessarily the difficulty setting. Just spending more time due to difficulty isn’t really the same as extra and/or enhanced content. But if this makes UF in its current form any less fun, please allow me to correct that impression.)
This player would like to see additional camera angles. (First-person POV at the very least.) Without elaborating unnecessarily, some angles would take away or create unmanageable difficulty (i.e.- top down), but variety, and the option for in-flight switching might appeal to any number of players. This might also contribute to helping players with the acclimation issue in regards to player positioning for obstacle avoidance. Yes, there WILL be collisions, but this is pretty much the only issue in UB that begs (minor) accommodation, so perhaps there are design options available.
The only other possible issue that comes to mind is the use of the right stick for movement. Though instructions indicate this stick is unnecessary (and its use, at least for this player, is far from intuitive), one can’t help but think it could possibly be more useful if only it somehow felt more natural to use. But I can't think of any way that's a design flaw.
UberFlight is the sort of game that I love to play, and to support. UF was developed by what is basically a one man(?) shop, yet offers far more than many larger games with access to less limited resources. These are difficult times for up-and-coming game developers, and hopefully what UberFlight offers to the gaming world can be returned with equal enthusiasm by Steam gamers that recognize and enjoy quality games made by passionate developers.
Thank you.
(For more such stuff, I humbly suggest joining and perhaps following: https://steamcommunity.com/groups/TheGamingDen
Thanks, friends!)
