Skyhill - Review @ Game Watcher

SKYHILL PC Review

It’s difficult not to be attracted to the premise of Skyhill. Developed by Russian code-house Mandragora Games, Skyhill whisks players to the top floor of a hotel skyscraper following the aftermath of World War III, where with flesh-eating mutants now roaming about the place, they are forced to survive a one-hundred floor descent to the exit. Self-described as a ‘click and survive game’, Skyhill combines two-dimensional procedural generated levels, combat and crafting to create an experience which while might appear unique and fresh, sadly fails to fulfil its potential.

Undoubtedly the biggest problem lies in the variety, or rather, the lack of it. Despite embracing a procedurally generated content model, Skyhill’s searchable interiors all feel far too similar to one another. A big reason for this grating as much as it does is that the level layouts themselves are horrendously simplistic, with a main lobby and a single room on either side being the de-facto layout repeated throughout the game’s hundred or so floors.

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SKYHILL VERDICT

Ultimately, Skyhill brings to mind 11-bit Studios seminal survivalist opus This War of Mine, though in doing so it invites comparisons it can’t possibly survive as the former feels much more reduced in scope and flair than the latter. While entertaining for the most part then, Skyhill’s ease of play and encouragingly gentle roguelike mechanics are not quite enough to allow the game to reach the ambitious heights of the structure that it takes as its namesake.

TOP GAME MOMENT

Getting a close call by eeking out a kill with just a few HP left.

Our score:

6.5 - Average

Good vs. Bad

+ Easy to pick up and play with a neat hunger/health dynamic.
+ Roguelike gameplay empowers rather than punishes with each new attempt.

- Level layouts are extremely basic.
- Combat is unsatisfying and devoid of flair.