Summary
Forever Skies,a post-apocalyptic survival game, has announced its partnership with Sony and plans for aPS5console exclusive release. Developed by indie studio Far From Home,Forever Skiescarries a message about climate change in its apocalyptic setting and desperate survival gameplay.
The game takes inspiration from titles likeRaftandSubnautica, with classic survival gameplay and an underlying ecological tone.Forever Skiesis one of manygames that take place after a devastating apocalypse, allowing players to explore the desolate remains of Earth after a catastrophic ecological event involving toxic dust. Humanity’s last attempt at survival was to build upwards to escape the dust, and players can explore the remains of these skyscrapers as they fly above Earth in their high-tech airship. The survival gameplay will have players scavenge for resources, research technology, and slowly upgrade their ships as they work to discover the secrets behind Earth’s destruction and hunt for the cure to a mystery illness.
Far From Home has officially announced that Sony has been assisting with funding and development ofForever Skiesand that the game will be a PS5 console exclusive upon release. The official release ofForever Skieswill be in late 2024, ending its long early access period. It is unclear as of now if the game will be a permanent PS5 console exclusive or if it will be one of thePlayStation exclusives that eventually release to other consoles.
Forever Skies Release Details
The news of this partnership closely follows the announcement thatSony won’t release major first-party titles until 2025, andForever Skieswill be one of many third-party releases that will aim to fill this gap. The studio has assured early access players that this partnership will not affect PC players and that an official PC release will accompany that of the PS5. The gamewas initially released in early access on Steam in June 2023, and Far From Home has worked closely with players to continue the game’s development.
Forever Skiesoffers exciting gameplay and an interesting environment, but it also carries a meaningful message regarding the consequences of climate change. Far From Home has explained that the game’s catastrophic environment was inspired by unsafe air pollution levels in Poland, where a significant portion of its team is based. While some developers opt to steer clear of activism in their titles, studies have shown thatplayers believe games can be effective for environmental educationandForever Skiesaims to offer players “the space to think about this crucial topic” without directly preaching to its audience.
PS5
Sony’s PlayStation 5 is part of the ninth console generation and debuted with a launch lineup that included Demon’s Souls and Astro’s Playroom. The console comes with a Blu-ray disc, although a digital-only edition is also available for a cheaper price.
