Legend of the Skyfish | Review | Switch

by Michael Brandse

A passable puzzle game

Legend of the Skyfish is a puzzle game built around a single mechanic. The main character carries a fishing pole, which you can use to defeat enemies and pull yourself to other objects. Basically, it's like the hook-shot from the Legend of Zelda games. Initially, when looking at the trailers of this game, this is what made me think this is like the Legend of Zelda, but that's not correct. Whereas the Legend of Zelda series is more about exploration, this game is almost a pure puzzle game, with the goal being to get to the end of every stage using your fishing hook to get past all the obstacles. I kind of wish the game trailer was a bit more clear in that aspect.

The game is split into 3 different worlds, each with 15 separate stages with the final stage of each world being a boss battle. Each world introduces a new gimmick that is then used to spice up the puzzles a bit. Unfortunately, due the the high number of stages in a world, puzzle gimmicks tend to outstay their welcome, and at around stage 10 you are really starting to wish that the world was done. 

I believe it would have been better had the game had more worlds with fewer stages, rather than the other way around. The puzzles are not that hard either, and there was never a time when I was truly stumped about how to reach the end of the stage. The gimmicks are nothing you haven't seen before; timed switches, doors that need unlocking, moving platforms, those sorts of elements. The puzzles don't really do a lot to use these mechanics in interesting ways, so if you have played games like these before it will be very unlikely that you have any trouble solving them.

Graphic wise the game looks nice enough, but like with the puzzles, there is no a whole lot of variation to go around. I wasn't a big fan of the animations though; the characters feel a bit floaty and stiff. Music is okay, though rather forgettable.  

All in all Legend of the Skyfish is a passable puzzle game. It doesn't do anything new or interesting for the genre, nor is it really challenging, but if you like puzzle games and are starved for one, it may be interesting to try it out. Just don't go in expecting a game like The Legend of Zelda, because it's not. You will find more enjoyment if you buy the game for what it is; a puzzle game. 

Score 6.0