Skyling: Garden Defense was developed and published by Mighty Studios. It was released for Xbox One on April 18, 2016 for $4.99 CND. A press review copy was provided to XenAndCL and has no bearing on our final review of this game.
Skyling: Garden Defense is an action adventure arcade style with 30 levels of crazy! You find yourself in a garden playing as Bloom; the star of the show. She must touch every square in the garden in each level to restore the plants and flowers while dodging Blight, Sluggies, Rooks and other monsters! Some levels a sleepy cat can be used to protect Bloom from dangerous monsters by blocking pathways as well as setting them on switches to activate elevators. Skyling is inspired by arcade classics like Pac-Man, Q*Bert, and Crystal Castles making this game suitable for all ages and skill levels.
There are 30 levels of mayhem that uses a three star scoring system, along with multiple control options. This game really does get addictive as you want to do better each time. Some maps are more intricate than others and some take no time at all, but don’t get too cheeky as you will soon find yourself cornered with nowhere to go. If you keep a cool head and stay focused your garden will sprout once again defeating the nasty Blight for good!
Skyling is a quirky yet challenging game to play with that old school feel. The levels are all done in 2D isometric environments which really add to the look and feel of the game play. With a slight shift in viewpoint allows for easy movement through the maps. The story is refreshing; a nice change from a shoot’em up FPS or a zombie apocalypse. Don’t get me wrong I love a great zombie apocalypse but this game really challenges you to use your head and think your way through. One slip up and you are done! Thinking a few steps a head is important in order to get through and to take your time. If you rush it as I found myself doing, you will get caught.
Over all I give this game a definite thumbs up for easy game play, cute characters with a fresh story and quick to pick up. I am not going to lie there were some rage moments thrown in with some victory screams. If you like an old school arcade adventure maze game you will like Skyling: Garden Defense.
CuteLibrarian’s Rating: 4/5
Xenmic’s Rating: 4/5