I’ve always enjoyed the shmup game genre (despite being atrocious at them), and Sky Force Anniversary has been one I return to over and over again since its addition to the PS+ collection way back in October 2017. It does a great job of recapturing the joy and obsession of playing classic shmups like Capcom’s 19XX series with the benefit of not having to blow a roll of quarters just to reach the end of the campaign.
Much like the greats of its genre, Sky Force Anniversary is a wildly colorful and chaotic test of reflexes and memorization — especially in its later levels and at higher difficulties. Its controls feel tight and enemy waves of attacks are plentiful and aggressive without feeling impossible. I never feel like I’ve lost a level because of anything other than a mistake I made. The game strikes a balance between risk and reward by challenging you to maintain kill streaks, grab powerups, and complete optional objectives that you may balk at the first time you play a level but will undoubtedly feel the itch to try after you down the level’s boss the first time.
Other than its gameplay, Sky Force Anniversary isn’t especially compelling. The sound design evokes classic arcade games of its ilk, but the music doesn’t standout at any point. The game was originally a mobile experience, and it looks like one — albeit one with a decent graphical refresh. And there’s essentially no narrative though that’s not uncommon with this genre.
As stated up top, Sky Force Anniversary was a PS+ game more than 4 years ago. If you’ve had a PS+ subscription since then and, like me, compulsively add every free game to your library, SFA is definitely worth your time. Doubly so if you’re at all fond of shmups.
What I like about Sky Force Anniversary
• The layers of replayability built into the game make for a satisfying loop. From in-level incentives, like learning enemy and collectible patterns, to growth that carries through the campaign, like upgrading your ship, there’s always a sense of progression.
• If you have a Vita, Sky Force is a perfect portable game. It’s a very easy game to pick up for short bursts. Levels take about 5–10 minutes to complete, and progression feels better when chipped away at rather than taken on in lengthy gameplay sessions.
• The sound design really plays on my nostalgia for the days of playing shmups at the arcade. Especially satisfying are the “pew”s and “KA-Chooom”s of the weapons and the progressively grander announcements of “NICE” and “WONDERFUL” as your streak grows.
Why you might want to skip Sky Force Anniversary
• Sky Force is a simple, dumb-fun game. There’s basically no story and its graphics are good but not great. If a game primarily focused on gameplay doesn’t appeal to you, you may not be satisfied with Sky Force.
Much like the greats of its genre, Sky Force Anniversary is a wildly colorful and chaotic test of reflexes and memorization — especially in its later levels and at higher difficulties. Its controls feel tight and enemy waves of attacks are plentiful and aggressive without feeling impossible. I never feel like I’ve lost a level because of anything other than a mistake I made. The game strikes a balance between risk and reward by challenging you to maintain kill streaks, grab powerups, and complete optional objectives that you may balk at the first time you play a level but will undoubtedly feel the itch to try after you down the level’s boss the first time.
Other than its gameplay, Sky Force Anniversary isn’t especially compelling. The sound design evokes classic arcade games of its ilk, but the music doesn’t standout at any point. The game was originally a mobile experience, and it looks like one — albeit one with a decent graphical refresh. And there’s essentially no narrative though that’s not uncommon with this genre.
As stated up top, Sky Force Anniversary was a PS+ game more than 4 years ago. If you’ve had a PS+ subscription since then and, like me, compulsively add every free game to your library, SFA is definitely worth your time. Doubly so if you’re at all fond of shmups.
What I like about Sky Force Anniversary
• The layers of replayability built into the game make for a satisfying loop. From in-level incentives, like learning enemy and collectible patterns, to growth that carries through the campaign, like upgrading your ship, there’s always a sense of progression.
• If you have a Vita, Sky Force is a perfect portable game. It’s a very easy game to pick up for short bursts. Levels take about 5–10 minutes to complete, and progression feels better when chipped away at rather than taken on in lengthy gameplay sessions.
• The sound design really plays on my nostalgia for the days of playing shmups at the arcade. Especially satisfying are the “pew”s and “KA-Chooom”s of the weapons and the progressively grander announcements of “NICE” and “WONDERFUL” as your streak grows.
Why you might want to skip Sky Force Anniversary
• Sky Force is a simple, dumb-fun game. There’s basically no story and its graphics are good but not great. If a game primarily focused on gameplay doesn’t appeal to you, you may not be satisfied with Sky Force.