By: Max Cannon
Though the new iPhone X was certainly the star of the show during the recent Apple press event, there was a shockingly big video game presence during Apple's Keynote. We got a strong look at some augmented reality games but what really got my attention was Sky by thatgamecompany -- that's how they spell it.
A Journey Through the Sky
I was expecting to see a lot from Apple's Keynote but I certainly wasn't expecting to see Jenova Chen, the head of thatgamecompany, on stage to show off his new game. Sky is a third person platformer that takes place in the clouds where players will team up online with other players and spread light across dark temples. While that premise certainly sounds a little generic, I was insanely impressed with the visuals and atmosphere of the world, which looks strikingly similar to Journey and we'll discuss that in a moment.
Sky Reveal Teaser
Looking above you can see the game for yourself and like the headline mentions, we'll only be able to play Sky on Apple devices for the time being. However, in a tweet from the developer, it's suggested that Sky could come to other platforms and that would logically suggest we'd be playing on a PlayStation 4, especially considering all of thatgamecompany's previous games were PlayStation exclusives. If you're not totally familiar with these games let me get you up to speed on what is undoubtedly the biggest game to come out of the studio.
A screengrab from Sky.Courtesy of IGN
Who is thatgamecompany?
If you weren't lucky enough to play thatgamecompany's last game Journey then you certainly missed out. The PlayStation exclusive started out on PS3 as a short and sweet online experience that is often at the forefront of the "games are art" movement -- Journey was also ported to PlayStation 4 and was even part of PlayStation Plus in September of last year. The developer has made other games, like Flower and Flow, but Journey is the studio's standout game was well as its most recent. Take a look at the PS4 re-release trailer below.
Journey Launch Trailer
Journey's legacy is owed to the game's fantastic visuals, music, and themes that seem to also be consistent in the new game we saw at the Apple event. A dangerous adventure that's truly completed by joining up with fellow friends (who are also wearing a cape) could be used to describe either Journey or the new game Sky. Journey is also known for its fantastic score, which was nominated for a Grammy, and if the Apple demo is any indicator it seems like we'll see some more of the same here. Finally, Journey is a beautiful game on either PlayStation 3 or PlayStation 4 and you'd expect Sky to take a noticeable hit on mobile platforms but from what we've seen earlier it looks like Sky may look even better than Journey. Look for yourself and decide.
Have Your Say!
Have you gotten a chance to play Journey? Will you pick up Sky? Share your comments below!
