If there’s a single thing that’s been proven this year in video games, it’s that Star Fox 64 cast a long shadow. Nintendo’s series has essentially aped the Star Fox 64 formula for two decades, even putting out a second remake this year. Equally, dozens of hopeful rail-shooters have tried to follow in its footsteps, but none have taken the mantle so far. Wild Blue Skies represents one of the best chances we’ve seen at a true spiritual successor to the hallowed Star Fox 64.
And yet, the game’s biggest problem is that it similarly sticks far too close to the tried-and-true formula, almost matching Star Fox 64 beat-for-beat in some cases. At times it feels like a homage, while at others it feels far too derivative. It’s a shame, honestly, because there are moments where Wild Blue Skies absolutely shines, when some of its missions truly break the mould.
In Wild Blue Skies, you play as Bowie Stray, leader of a mercenary group called the Blue Bombers. This might sound familiar, but your ragtag band is called in to save the day when the evil scientist, Grimclaw, launches an invasion to take over the world. As you hunt down the despotic villain, you’ll fly through a handful of rail-shooter and full-range movement levels, with multiple branching story paths that lead to different missions, and your squadmates having to sit out for a level if they take too much damage.
“…there are moments where Wild Blue Skies absolutely shines, when some of its missions truly break the mould.”
That’s right, Wild Blue Skies is Star Fox to a tee, both in terms of structure and the second-to-second gameplay. You pick up laser power-ups to increase your shots up to two tiers, bombs that can clear the screen, pull off barrel rolls to reflect enemy missiles, and have a charged homing shot. The good thing is that Wild Blue Skies does, by and large, nail having silky-smooth controls, especially in the on-rails sections, which consistently feel phenomenal to play. But oddly, that bristling pace doesn’t entirely translate to the full movement sections, where you either take on giant bosses or engage a Star Wolf-esque enemy squadron called the Predators.
I can’t exactly put my finger on why these sections don’t feel as good, but I largely think it’s because of the reduced sense of speed. Whereas the rest of the game feels fast and frenetic, these free-roam sections feel surprisingly sluggish, with enemies floating around like a lazy bumblebee drunk off pollen.
Another element here is that I found Wild Blue Skies to be remarkably difficult at first, even as someone who’s played countless rail shooters. Eventually I realized the reason for this is that the rate of item spawns (health restoration, laser upgrades, etc) is incredibly low, while it’s also extremely easy to lose your laser upgrades after taking only three or four hits.
This creates a very deliberate learning curve to the game, where you need to emphasize dodging and avoiding damage as much as possible, and keeping an eye out for those rare upgrades. Ultimately, I didn’t see this as too much of a negative, as it simply gives Wild Blue Skies a different gameplay feel, although I imagine that initial hump to overcome might be tough for some players.
It’s a shame, honestly, because the on-rails segments are so good, particularly due to some brilliant level design. Roughly a third of the game’s levels are almost exact carbon copies of similar levels from Star Fox 64, including the opening mission that’s a clear homage. But the rest of Wild Blue Skies’ missions absolutely flourish with some fantastic design. My clear favourite is a canyon level where, midway through, you fly up a giant waterfall as giant rocks and enemies try to destroy you. Another has you flying through wispy cloudtops as a giant mechanical dragon slithers in and out of your view, and peppers you with projectiles.
These unique missions show the promise of what Wild Blue Skies could have achieved, and what something more willing to break out of that Star Fox formula could. While I absolutely loved the adrenaline rush of these moments, there are unfortunately other aspects of Wild Blue Skies that, again, feel far too derivative.
Visually, I think the game is a treat, with a great cel-shaded style that looks fantastic in motion – with bright pastels and colours that make the world pop. But these character designs often don’t feel imaginative enough to support that style. Bowie and his squad feel distinct enough, but enemy ships and bosses don’t have enough personality, often feeling like generic sci-fi ships, clashing against the genuinely great design of Bowie and the Cloud Cutter ships.
The other disappointing aspect here is the story. I never expected Wild Blue Skies to have a complex story, but what’s here is practically non-existent. You have story beats, but shockingly little dialogue between your squadmates during missions. Despite Star Fox’s short runtime, there’s a lot of characterization that happens in those bite-sized missions.
Even without the cutscenes of the recent remake, Star Fox 64 immediately lets you know who each of these characters are, and why you should care about them. That’s simply not something that happens with Wild Blue Skies, and even after fifteen hours with this game, I simply did not care one iota about a single character. There’s simply no emotional core to latch onto, no reason to feel a sense of camaraderie with these characters.
That’s not necessarily a dealbreaker for a smaller-scale experience like this, but I would have liked a little more personality injected into the experience – and that’s something that I think could have helped the game stand out from its inspirations, as well.
As a smaller-scale package inspired by the rail shooters of the 90s, Wild Blue Skies has a lot of good going for it. The sheer feel of flying is fantastic, and some of those key missions are some of the best I’ve ever seen in this style of game. But I did find myself wanting, wishing there was just a little more of that succulent meat on the bone. A disappointing story and characters, along with an occasional reluctance to step out of the shadow of the past, end up holding back Wild Blue Skies from reaching its full potential. But if you find yourself hankering for more Star Fox this year, this certainly fits the bill.
