The Skies Reborn (November 12, 2020 – April 2021)
Genre: Sandbox-MMO | Developer: Skies Technologies | Platforms: PC | Payment Model: Free2Play
What kind of game was it? The Skies: Reborn was a free-to-play re-release of the apocalypse-themed MMORPG that launched in 2016, The Skies. The first version – also a sandbox apocalypse MMO – never made it past the EA phase.
Reborn was supposed to succeed and launched on Steam on November 12, 2020:
- You could explore a large map on foot or with vehicles and fight against gangs and mutants as well as in PvP against other players in fast shooter battles.
- You could upgrade your hero with new equipment and abilities
- In dialogues with NPCs, it was possible to make decisions that affected the world.
- You could become a trader, clan leader, bandit, or mayor of your own city and boost the in-game economy together with other players.
However, right from the start, the game received negative feedback from users and only had 14% positive reviews.
What led to its failure? Right from the release, there were said to be speed and wall hackers everywhere. Additionally, the performance and numerous bugs were heavily criticized. The game was said to be completely unoptimized.
The shop also sold items that gave you in-game advantages. These pay-to-win elements also contributed to the negative reviews.
The Skies quickly had almost no players after its release. In December 2020, the peak was just 12 concurrent users. By April, the servers were quietly shut down.
What are the best memories? The Skies Reborn had very few pleasant moments, as players were already complaining about hackers, bots, and bugs on release day.
To give you a glimpse into the gameplay, check out this video from YouTuber Blunted Barrels:
Are there alternatives or successors? Apocalypse-themed MMOs with a shooter setting are quite rare. The best games here would probably be The Division 2 and possibly the upcoming The Day Before.
The Day Before promises strong graphics and exciting battles in a world threatened by zombies. The release is planned for June 21, 2022. You can find all information here:
