It seems that the only way to stand out in a sea of constantly releasing games is to stray away and make one yourself. For Distant Blue, the husband/wife developer duo behind Fading Skies, that was the only option they had to capture the real magic of the PlayStation 2 and GameCube era of gaming. To make things more exciting, the game is finally featured on Kickstarter for fans to watch and be notified of its official launch after receiving so much positive feedback on their Steam demo.
Fading Skies coincides with one of the most volatile times in gaming history: tens of thousands of layoffs in the span of a few months, studio shutdowns immediately after a game’s release, etc. However, that’s almost exactly why the Distant Blue team decided to willingly quit their full-time game development jobs and dedicate more time to what they had originally conceived as a small side project.
Players play as Ryn, a woman who travels with a cat-sized dragon through an open world filled with serene landscapes and long-lost technology. Alongside the traditional platforming gameplay akin to many popular PS2 and GameCube games, players will also experience modern action-RPG gameplay elements. Ryn can also gain new abilities and upgrade them using various rewards and secrets to destroy the beasts that threaten the land and help restore balance.
The support following Fading Skies has been incredible, with several famous Steam curators recommending it. Several popular forces are also working with the developer. Among these is Emi Evans, a lyricist and musician. She has worked on games such as NieR: Automata and Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society. In just a single day, the Kickstarter page has amassed nearly 2,000 followers who wish to be notified about its official launch.