Skywind Temple

Although we have managed to build machines that can take us across the sky, people are still dreaming of a way to experience flight without anything too clunky. While there are special suits that allow you to glide and feel like a bird for a few minutes, you still have to get on an airplane and jump first, unless you find a really tall vertical drop.

Skywind Temple is an indie production developed for Ludum Dare 35, and it’s obviously not a complete game, given the fact that it was designed in 72 hours. However, it’s actually quite polished and enjoyable, not to mention replayable. The fact that it supports multiplayer modes is a great advantage as well because it can keep you and your friends busy for a while.

In short, the main idea is that you are in control of a wizard that can change shapes between human and bird. When he is in his human form, he can cast a magic shield or attack with his staff, which is how the combat works. However, it only takes a push of a button to turn into a bird and fly away from danger, at least if you are quick enough to evade your enemies along the way.

The map is designed to encourage flight as much as possible, which is why it is split into separate floating islands. They are not very far away from each other, but jumping is not enough to get to them, so your shapeshifter powers definitely come in handy. Unfortunately, the flight controls are a bit too sensitive and annoying, especially if you decide to use a controller, which is highly recommended.

There are multiple game modes to choose from as well if you decide to play in multiplayer, although they are not very original when it comes to gameplay mechanics. You can also train with the single player mode, but there doesn’t appear to be an AI yet, which means that you can only practice your combat moves against real human players. Thankfully, at least the graphics are pretty smooth, even if some of the objects are not exactly finished or textured.

In the end, Skywind Temple may have a few bugs and glitches, but it’s a jam game after all. In spite of that, the game is actually quite fun, especially if you have some friends to enjoy it with.