Rodea the Sky Soldier (Wii U) Review

Rodea the Sky Soldier was originally a Wii game, which explains its dated visuals. The textures and overall topology of the environments look very sophomoric just about everywhere the eye can see. In many cases, twisting can be seen on cylindrical objects, such as large tree branches, and industrial domes. What makes things worse is that the soundtrack is dull and tends to repeat quickly. All the sound effects are incredibly scratchy and one, in particular, happens very often; when a hostile shoots projectiles, a loud ear-piercing sound continuously gets produced, notifying the player constantly. Fortunately, one iota is given to Rodea the Sky Soldier: a charming girl named Ion provides lovable acting and theatrics throughout the game's experience. Ion also has the option to be displayed on the GamePad, making it possible to see what she is up to in her ship during the game.

Aside from Ion, Rodea the Sky Soldier malfunctions completely in the presentation, and manages to fail clearance for take-off in the gameplay itself. Rodea's flight mechanics are a complete mess; nothing feels put together when trying to target landing areas, since the camera and speed of the character is far too frantic. The camera moves either too slow or too fast. Simply moving the camera with the right stick goes too slow, or using the right and left bumpers are far too jerky and quick to make precise flying movements. Hit detection is extremely hard to calculate when homing in on an enemy, since the game does not utilise shadowing very well, but if actual chains and finesse can be attained with the shoddy mechanics, rewarding gameplay is found. Content is plentiful, and the story lasts upward of 15 hours, with lots and lots of parts and medals to find, which grant upgrades and unique unlockables.