Developed by First Ascent Studios, Sky Wolf – Run and jump! is a physics-based mobile game where you guide a wolf to run and jump through different territories under limited time while achieving objectives to level up. We played before and after its recent huge update and it is quite the addiction once you get the hang of it.
Sky Wolf is actually quite simple. The animation and colors itself are contrasted beautifully and the art style is also simple in as everything from our wolf to the trees in the background are black silhouettes. The only colors that change are the sky backgrounds as we move through the territories and the leaves shimmering off the trees. Paired up with soothing music in the background, it creates a mesmerizing scenario and world to dive into. With its most recent update, the visuals have improved immensely with sharper images and colors. The design is smoother and the new menu and starting a round page is improved to be easier to maneuver and see our objectives before the run.
https://youtu.be/IUb41uaDhcw
Sky Wolf is a little rough around the edges. The gameplay is straightforward but only after you have figured out the concept behind how it all works. For this, perhaps a better tutorial page would help. After a few trial and errors, the player will learn the idea of how going down a slope is the only part to press down to accelerate and to coordinate properly right before the upward slope to let go and give our wolf a better momentum and let him fly through the air. Our wolf flies in a projectile motion but has one touch to drop him to ground. All this needs to be calculated and careful. The timing is critical to how far your wolf goes with each jump and whether it reaches fever mode or touches the clouds or even space. With a time limit on each territory and time carried forward from the previous area, the territories as it gets further makes us realize that planning and timing every step to ensure the most speed and distance will go a long way. It is not hard to learn how to do this once you figure it out, however mastering it with the landscape of each territory will take some practice. The aforementioned environment will help you through it.
In terms of objectives and level up, many endless runner platformers use this game model. Sky Wolf is kind of an endless runner and with its objectives and art style, it does remind us a lot of Alto’s Adventure (which we reviewed and liked a lot). The three objectives here add some motivation to keep playing the game however we still strive to see what leveling up does for our wolf or is it just an extra angle for bragging rights to see how far the player has gone.
Despite the rough edges on Sky Wolf, it is quite the hidden gem. We started the game before the update when the visuals were much less appealing and it still managed to grab us once we figured out how it works. After the update, with its new smooth gameplay and catchy graphics, there is an even deeper admiration for this game. Iti s a short fire round ( or long once you manage to get to more territories as your skills improve). The simple mechanics make it easy to play on the go which is an important aspect of a mobile game. While this game is free in a limited time mode, there is a zen mode available to purchase (if that interests you more).
Sky Wolf is available on iOS and Android.