Sky Shepherd

Disclaimer: I'm friends with several of the developers. This game's strongest aspect is its audio - the music, sound effects, and atmosphere are all very well done. It's possible to get lost in the main area and not be sure what you're doing or where you're supposed to go, but the flying controls well so it's fun flying around and gathering your herd. I just wish you could fly a bit faster. The second part of the game is unfinished and quite buggy, but it is possible to beat. Overall, I thought the good outweighed the bad. It won't take you longer than a lunch break to beat, but it's worth trying, especially for free.

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This game is very beautiful with smooth gameplay and relaxing music. But it lack content and what this game actually is a flying simulator. It's a fun game to relax and flying while enjoy the scene but nothing else

[h1]Overview:[/h1] '[i]Sky Shepherd[/i]' is a third person flying game where you explore a floating world herding odd looking creatures and light up various balloons scattered around the world. The game is [i]very[/i] short and can be finished in about 10 minutes assuming you don't have much trouble finding all the balloons. The plot (if you can call it that) consists of you, the last survivor of a skyfaring tribe (whatever that could have been) flying around a world with an objective that's left mostly unexplained. It's a short yet decent experience but holds very little content in it. It comes off more like a demo or prologue for a bigger game rather than a full game itself but nonetheless, it's fun, relaxing and can keep you busy for a few minutes to say the least. [h1]Gameplay:[/h1] Being a simple flying game, all you do is soar across a floating ancient world with ruins scattered amok while herd creatures and command them towards hot air balloons. The world itself is actually pretty big with plenty of interesting things to discover but at the same time it also feels very empty. Although the little bird creatures aren't hard to find nor are the balloons, I still couldn't help but notice how much of the map is unused. I suppose most of the map is there for the player to simply explore but these landmarks comes off more as something that was neglected rather than something that was meant to be appreciated. After lighting up all the hot air balloons, a big monstrous creature creeps out of the clouds and pursues the player, spitting huge balls of acid that the they must dodge. This is where the action bit of the game comes in to play but it barely lasts a few minutes and before you know it, you've beaten the game. It's unfortunate because right when the game starts to get interesting, it's like the developers just pull the rug from underneath you. It's not necessarily a bad thing but the game really makes it seem like there's more to it but it just abruptly ends. Despite that however, I still enjoyed the game on a casual level and honestly, it isn't for everyone. I can see and understand a lot of people getting bored playing something like this and throwing in the towel long before they reach the second part and I get it. '[i]Sky Shepherd[/i]' is a game for people who just want a relaxing experience without the need of an in-depth story or innovative gameplay. [h1]Controls:[/h1] This is definitely a game you can easily pick up and play. Although the game recommends the use of a controller, it's just as easy playing with a mouse and keyboard albeit it's a tiny bit more awkward. The control scheme is strictly controller based and cannot be rebound but for a game this simplistic, it's not really an issue. The only thing that slightly bothered me was the inability to freely look around. The camera is fixated facing forward and you cannot look around unless you fly in that specific direction. This makes it a bit harder to search for balloons and creatures because you're vision is limited to just what's in front of you rather than around. [h1]Graphics:[/h1] To be honest the game does look pretty decent but only if it's played in 144hz or 60hz refresh rates, otherwise the game begins to look rather grainy. The world alone is beautiful with vibrant colors and lighting that make soaring through the sky feel pretty nice. The stone-like monoliths [i]do[/i] look a bit stretched out and some areas of the map also don't look as good as other more focused parts looking very empty, plain and bland. Despite the visual style looking above mediocre, I still didn't find much interest in exploring the world fully. [h1]Audio:[/h1] If you like the sound of whistling wind, then you'll enjoy this game because it's the one thing you'll always hear. The other sound effects are okay and fit the setting well enough and music is also calming. That being said however, it can also put players to sleep, especially those who already find the gameplay boring. [h1]Conclusion/TL;DL:[/h1] '[i]Sky Shepherd[/i]' is a very short third person flying game that behaves more like a demo than an actual game. There are only two segments in the game to which both end rather quickly and honestly offer little overall content to the player. The gameplay is very casual and relaxing which may turn off players who want something more engaging but for a short and calming experience, '[i]Sky Shepherd[/i]' isn't bad. Just don't expect anything amazing.

Kinda pointless. Like a tech demo for a rough engine.

amazing skeleton! not much substance.