This news has been a long time coming: after years of development and anticipation, you'll finally be able to play the retro-Zelda-inspired Isles of Sea and Sky in just a few short weeks when it releases on May 22nd. It's a colorful, tropical adventure spanning islands and oceans, letting you explore in whatever direction you choose and solve a huge number of puzzles in non-linear fashion.
This release announcement comes just after our article about exciting games coming out in May— and if this news had arrived a week earlier, it would 100% be on that list. (The game even won "Most Anticipated Game" in our first-ever Thinky Awards.) Isles of Sea and Sky got a lovely new trailer to go along with its name change last year. If you haven't seen it yet, check it out below: it gives a great impression of the vibes and puzzles you can expect from the game.
The inspirations behind the charming pixel-art style feel clear, bringing to mind classic Game Boy Color RPGs and adventures. In this case the gameplay is very puzzle-centric: as seen in trailers and screenshots, huge arrays of blocks, flowing waterways, locks & keys and other puzzle elements always seem to be filling the screen.
I love the visible variety of environments and thematic puzzle pieces that go along with them, as well as the general "mysterious and mystical" vibe of the statues, carvings, symbols and bells littering the world. And who wouldn't be enticed by the promise of navigating a chain of puzzle-islands on the back of a giant turtle?
You can wishlist Isles of Sea and Sky on Steam to be notified when it launches later this month, May 22nd. Even in a month packed full of exciting game releases, I know this is one that many people will be making time for.
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