Skybolt Zack

With a polished, colourful visual style and an excellent, reactive soundtrack, Skybolt Zack is a game with a unique feel and rewarding gameplay for players who are up for the challenge. It can be brutally unforgiving, however – and, given the tight level design, the cost of making just one tiny mistake can often feel overly punitive. It's not for everyone, then, but for those players who do get their heads around Skybolt Zack's fast pace and colour-based mechanics, there's definitely enjoyment to be had here.

Skybolt Zack is an action-packed, engaging but all-together a little too unforgiving action-platformer-rhythm-thing. Despite its unforgiving nature, It is a game that even the most useless of people (me) will have fun with and will offer a huge amount of replayability for those looking for a challenge due to the unique difficulty system. Looks, sounds and plays great, the first outing from Devs Must Die is one well worth giving a go.

Skybolt Zack is a gem of a game. The focus on speed and execution is well done, but the variety in levels and enemy designs ensures that the act doesn't get old. The various pathways do a great job of adding in some replay value, and the challenge modes give hardcore players something else to work with. Combined with a solid presentation, Skybolt Zack is one of those games that may be a pleasant surprise when compared to some of the bigger indie games in the field.

Unique and high quality indie games like Skybolt Zack don't come around often so if you enjoy 2D action games then give it a try.

It’s definitely channelling Sonic, even beyond those homing attacks. From the opening’s lead guitar lick and the vibrant blue sky of the title screen, it feels like an homage to the Sega classics of old. The colourful and chunky art style, much like the recent Mechstermination Force, straddles the line between modernity and retro cool, and it’s a visual treat for fans.

Skybolt Zack is a hard to put down, quite enjoyable, if mildly shallow, game for anyone who enjoys speed-running and score maxing. That, combined with the excellent visuals and soundtrack, makes Skybolt Zack well worth a play-through.

Like a bolt of out of the blue, Skybolt Zack has truly won me over.

As far as Skybolt Zack’s experience is concerned, it is a solid offering that will appeal to players looking for something they can play over and over again to perfect their best time or score. For those of you looking for a more casual experience, approach with caution. Skybolt Zack may look like harmless platforming fun, but it makes you sweat for it.