Black Skylands

Item: Black Skylands
Rating: 72
Author: VaporLens

Last updated: 2025-07-12

Summary

Great value and enjoyable experience
Beautiful pixel art and atmosphere
Fluid and dynamic combat
Weak story and ending
Repetitive gameplay loop
Removed/simplified features from early access

Emotions

Satisfaction30%Disappointment21%Frustration14%Enjoyment5%Excitement5%

Reviews (sample size): 866
Helpful reviews: 79%
Unhelpful reviews: 20%
Protest reviews: 1%

72%
Helpful reviews with positive sentiment
28%
Helpful reviews with negative sentiment

Positive points: 2074
Negative points: 1682
Gameplay points: 992
Perf. points: 22
Rec. points: 421
Misc points: 156

Point	Description	Importance
Great Value & Enjoyable Experience Description The game offers significant value for its price, providing a fun and relaxing experience. It's praised for its engaging gameplay loop, appealing visuals, and overall polished feel, making it a worthwhile purchase, especially on sale. Importance 97%	The game offers significant value for its price, providing a fun and relaxing experience. It's praised for its engaging gameplay loop, appealing visuals, and overall polished feel, making it a worthwhile purchase, especially on sale.	97%
Beautiful Pixel Art & Atmosphere Description The game's pixel art style is consistently highlighted as beautiful, detailed, and visually captivating, contributing significantly to the overall atmosphere. This aesthetic, combined with the unique steampunk setting, creates an immersive and charming world. Importance 32%	The game's pixel art style is consistently highlighted as beautiful, detailed, and visually captivating, contributing significantly to the overall atmosphere. This aesthetic, combined with the unique steampunk setting, creates an immersive and charming world.	32%
Fluid & Dynamic Combat Description The combat system, encompassing both on-foot gunplay and aerial ship battles, is highly praised for its fluidity, dynamism, and responsiveness. The seamless transitions between these combat modes and the variety of weapons contribute to a satisfying and engaging experience. Importance 30%	The combat system, encompassing both on-foot gunplay and aerial ship battles, is highly praised for its fluidity, dynamism, and responsiveness. The seamless transitions between these combat modes and the variety of weapons contribute to a satisfying and engaging experience.	30%
Engaging & Emotional Story Description The story is consistently described as engaging, well-written, and surprisingly mature, with interesting twists and a satisfying, often emotional, ending. It effectively immerses players in the world and characters. Importance 27%	The story is consistently described as engaging, well-written, and surprisingly mature, with interesting twists and a satisfying, often emotional, ending. It effectively immerses players in the world and characters.	27%
Extensive Weapon Customization Description The weapon and equipment modification systems are a major highlight, offering extensive customization options. Players appreciate the variety of weapons, mods, and the ability to tailor their loadouts, which adds strategic depth and replayability. Importance 17%	The weapon and equipment modification systems are a major highlight, offering extensive customization options. Players appreciate the variety of weapons, mods, and the ability to tailor their loadouts, which adds strategic depth and replayability.	17%
Ship & Base Upgrades Description The game features a robust system for upgrading and customizing both the player's ship and base. This provides a continuous sense of progression and allows for strategic choices in tailoring the gameplay experience. Importance 14%	The game features a robust system for upgrading and customizing both the player's ship and base. This provides a continuous sense of progression and allows for strategic choices in tailoring the gameplay experience.	14%
Engaging Airship Mechanics & Setting Description The airship mechanics and the unique sky-punk setting are highly praised. Players enjoy the fluid airship combat, the ability to upgrade their vessels, and the overall immersive experience of flying through a world of floating islands. Importance 13%	The airship mechanics and the unique sky-punk setting are highly praised. Players enjoy the fluid airship combat, the ability to upgrade their vessels, and the overall immersive experience of flying through a world of floating islands.	13%
Rewarding Island Exploration Description Island exploration is a core and enjoyable aspect of the game, with players appreciating the constant rewards, secrets, and unique twists found on each island. The grappling hook movement between islands further enhances the exploration experience. Importance 12%	Island exploration is a core and enjoyable aspect of the game, with players appreciating the constant rewards, secrets, and unique twists found on each island. The grappling hook movement between islands further enhances the exploration experience.	12%
Flexible Progression & Customization Description The game offers a casual and flexible progression system, allowing players to grind for gear if desired but not requiring it. It provides ample customization and upgrade opportunities without feeling overly complex or demanding. Importance 10%	The game offers a casual and flexible progression system, allowing players to grind for gear if desired but not requiring it. It provides ample customization and upgrade opportunities without feeling overly complex or demanding.	10%
Unique Genre Blend Description The game is recognized for its unique blend of genres, primarily as a top-down action RPG or shooter with steampunk and open-world elements. This distinct combination, often compared to Zelda or Hotline Miami, sets it apart. Importance 7%	The game is recognized for its unique blend of genres, primarily as a top-down action RPG or shooter with steampunk and open-world elements. This distinct combination, often compared to Zelda or Hotline Miami, sets it apart.	7%
Entertaining Boss Fights Description Boss fights are highlighted as entertaining, unique, and challenging, particularly on higher difficulties. These battles contribute to the dynamic and engaging combat experience. Importance 7%	Boss fights are highlighted as entertaining, unique, and challenging, particularly on higher difficulties. These battles contribute to the dynamic and engaging combat experience.	7%
Significant Post-Launch Improvements Description The game has undergone significant positive changes and improvements since its Early Access phase, with many players noting a more polished and streamlined experience in the full release. Some early access features were removed, which was a mixed bag for players. Importance 7%	The game has undergone significant positive changes and improvements since its Early Access phase, with many players noting a more polished and streamlined experience in the full release. Some early access features were removed, which was a mixed bag for players.	7%
Responsive & Passionate Developers Description The developers are commended for their passion, responsiveness to feedback, and commitment to improving the game. Their open communication and helpfulness have positively impacted the player experience. Importance 5%	The developers are commended for their passion, responsiveness to feedback, and commitment to improving the game. Their open communication and helpfulness have positively impacted the player experience.	5%