High In The Sky Demo

Certain arcade games maintain their appeal even years after they are released, especially if you can replay them on a regular basis without getting repetitive. The gameplay mechanics must be sturdy for this to happen, and it is also a good idea to let the players try new things if they feel like it. Hence, it’s always fun to put a new strategy into practice as long as the game allows it.

High In The Sky is an arcade game designed to help you fill a couple of minutes every day, by allowing you to train your coordination and reflexes. There is no story and no complicated mechanics you have to get familiar with. Instead, all you have to do is make sure that your ball does not fall from the track. You can also rush to the finish to get a good time, but that’s obviously not enforced in any way.

The gameplay is responsive and alert, even if nothing much is happening on the screen most of the time. While the ball itself moves rather slowly, you constantly need to balance it and make sure that it stays on the desired path. There are traps to look out for as well, not to mention weird terrain shapes to negotiate. Thankfully, you only have to use one hand to move, but you still have to put a bit of an effort into it.

The game allows you to practice as much as you want before you try to do a speedrun, because it’s mandatory that you know the levels by heart to stand a chance. Each level is available for practice, but there are some differences as well. Thus, there are checkpoints after every section, so that you do not have to replay the entire level if you happen to fall during a difficult part.

As far as the visual quality is concerned, there’s not much to talk about in the graphics department. Other than the ball, a few basic 3D objects and the static backgrounds, not much else has the potential to distract you. Still, the camera cannot be controlled at all, which might be an annoyance when you cannot see the way ahead and you have to use the trial & error approach.

All things considered, High In The Sky was not designed to revolutionize the gaming industry, which is why it’s as basic as it gets. On the other hand, it is also very difficult, which makes you go back and do your best to pass the levels. As long as you can deal with the frustration, there’s a lot of fun to be had with the game.