Few people know what it means to fly. Most of us have been on an airplane, sure. But to say that sitting still in an airplane is akin to soaring through the sky like a bird is like saying a cold shower feels like skinny dipping in the northern oceans. You’re just not getting the full experience. Skydiving has always been on my checklist of things to do before I kick the bucket (I wish there was an easier way to say that). Which is why I was very interested in getting my hands on the PSN game, Skydive: Proximity Flight.
Skydive is a game about jumping out of an airplane, opening your parachute, and enjoying the view. And what I mean is that it’s not about that at all. The game is actually about BASE jumping in Wingsuits and completing various objectives. It’s about flying, buddy. And when I say it’s about flying, I actually mean it.
Okay, so it’s about flight (it’s in the name). What kind of flight? Is it a simulation game? That depends on whether or not you’ve ever seen a man fly through floating rings in the sky, in real life. Being that I’ve yet to fly in a Wingsuit, I cannot vouch for the accuracy of the game’s physics. I can only say that it seems like it would be pretty close to the real thing- at least to a certain extent.
You’re gliding , which means you’re usually taking a slight downward turn (how slight depends on your speed). However, the concept of reality gets thrown into question when you factor in different elements of the game. To start, there’s the floating rings in the sky, mentioned above. But those of you having Superman 64 PTSD can breathe easy. Flying through rings is not the only thing this game offers- although it does a fine enough job at it. Players can also activate adrenaline boosts that speed up your character, making it easier to get to rings or aid your character in a race. Holding the X button also enables the player to pull off tricks like barrel rolls and flips and well, that’s pretty much all you can do as far as I could tell.
Speaking of the X button, let’s talk controls. This is a motion controlled game, which I did not know going in. You control your character by titling the controller left, right, up and down. It feels very natural and adds a level of immersion to the game. It can also be problematic at times. This is most noticeable when attempting tricks. Sometimes it just doesn’t work the way you think it should. My character would often refuse to do his barrel roll until I had given up and tried to do one in the other direction. Performing backflips was also pretty difficult to pull off at times. Front flips were easily the the most simple way to rack up points (and lose altitude). The game also allows you to briefly rewind time, which can be especially helpful during races). The game can also be played with a PS Move controller, but I did not get a chance to try it out. If motion controls aren’t your thing, the game does support the analog stick as an option. It’s much easier to control your character and pull off tricks with this method, but it’s also less immersive because of it.
Now about that title, it’s called “Proximity Flight” for a reason. Flying in close proximity to the ground, mountainsides, water, etc. is rewarded in this game. Points rack up much faster when you put your character in danger. Adding tricks into the mix only escalates this further- and is the quickest way to fill up that adrenaline meter. On that same note, if you fail and do hit something, you’re deducted several of those hard-earned points. You’re also much more likely to fail.
Visually, Skydive is a bit of a mixed bag. The large environments are pretty cool to fly through (especially the canyons). Sometimes the game fills the sky with clouds. Not Superman 64 clouds- but actual clouds that you’re probably actually very likely to see up high in the mountains. So at least it makes sense. Even still, there’s usually a big enough world ahead of you. It really seemed like a design choice though, as some levels have a huge depth of field without a cloud in the sky.
Some elements, like the water, look pretty nice in the game. Trees are kind of a different story though. But you’re not playing this game to look at no stinkin’ trees! You’re playing it to make a human being fly through air!
When I first saw a trailer for the game, I thought, this needs have a 3D mode. A game that focuses so much on adrenaline and the feeling of flight would really benefit from that extra level of immersion. I was ready to write critical words of anguish, about what could have been. But I was pleased to discover that 3D is not only an option in Skydive- it’s mandatory. No, wait- I meant that it’s not only an option, but it’s customizable. So no, you don’t need to play the game in 3D, but if choose to do so, you’ll have options such as: 3D depth (similar to the 3DS slider) and 3D brightness (because those glasses make things darker- more games need this).
I was pleasantly surprised by how many things there were to do in this game. I was a bit nervous about it during my first playthrough. That’s because I racked up just over 20 trophies within my first hour of gameplay without trying (one of them being a gold). So trophy whore definitely have something to satisfy their incessant need to see that sweet icon hit the corner of their screen. But the trophies do slow down as the challenge ramps up. And ramp up it does. There’s enough challenges here to keep you playing for a while (and if that inner trophy whore is serious, you will be playing for a while- it’s got a trophy that requires you play at least one month after first booting up the game).
The game also has a racing mode (versus AI) and a freestyle mode, which allows you to create routes to share with friends. You can also unlock characters to play as. Several characters are already available at the start of the game, however. Most characters are pretty much just a different set of stats (weight, speed, etc.). However, you can unlock a few unique costumed characters like the Flying Squirrel, Dracula, and the Ghost. The squirrel was definitely my favorite, visually. I wished that the game had actually focused more on these fun ideas. The regular costumes are pretty forgettable.
The music is my biggest grip with the game. It feels like there’s exactly one song playing during gameplay. And that song is a rather generic guitar riff that makes Excite Truck’s soundtrack seem pretty rad. It fits the extreme sport vibe of the game, but it just. keeps. playing. Luckily, you can turn the music down (or off) and keep the sound FX’s in play. I’d recommend playing your own music, if you have the option.
Overall, Skydive: Proximity Flight is a solid yet flawed game. It’s clear that the developers really sunk their teeth into the sport and sought to bring the experience to players as best they could. There’s a lot to do, which gives the game a good amount of replayability. In some ways it seems unclear if the game is going for the sim or arcade crowd. And at times I found myself wishing it raced more towards the arcade. But Skydive is fun and should not be brushed off. If you’re in the mood to fly, Skydive: Proximity flight is well worth your time.
