Lila's Sky Ark (PC) Review

There is no denying how charmingly unique Lila's Sky Ark's graphics are. One attribute that really helps the environment feel more immersive is the changing weather, such as heavy rain followed by bright thunderstorms. As bizarre as the stages and characters stand out, though, the characters' movements are fluid for being pixelated, and everything flows together quite well. The soundtrack also compliments much of the adventure and the boss battles that take place all around.

A great deal of the story is ambiguous, only being slightly revealed as progress is made. Hints are also unlocked as the main protagonist, Lila, recovers scattered letters written to her parents across the map. It becomes strongly apparent there are some unresolved feelings within her, but much of the narrative remains a mystery for a lot longer than what is necessary. For full context, the main objective is to excessively explore and speak with strange entities. For this reason, more casual gamers may want to sit this one out as they may be left with more questions than answers.

While combat has an initial charm with Lila being able to gather boxes and vases in her backpack, some of the heaviest drawbacks come from the battle system. The only way to attack is by hurling collected objects, which is reminiscent of The Legend of Zelda's classic pot throwing. Boss fights have a unique difficulty tied to them, but when only armed with the ability to toss around pottery and rocks, the thrill of the battle loses its appeal. There is also a limit to the amount of items Lila can carry in her bag that is not sufficient for longer battles, but enemies will eventually drop more material, such as a tree branch with further reach.

Most of the gameplay focuses on quick missions and optional tasks. It is quirky, weird, and tries to be different. Unfortunately, the overall journey is lacking and does not result in a fun experience. There is an initial curiosity to question the strange reality Lila finds herself in as she is the only human amongst strange beings and machines, but there is no encouragement to continue the story as it remains obscure and vague throughout.