This is one of those games that feels odd to play since it’s almost like it transports you back to another era in gaming, in this case the earlier days of 3D platforming and adventuring. There’s no doubt that Forward to the Sky aspires to push verticality in its design, with you generally ascending stairs or riding a variety of lifts and platforms to reach each stage’s exit, taking out enemies, finding secrets, and trying to collect crystals as you go that will continue to unlock more of the story. The thing is, it all feels very last-gen at best and likely earlier than that, even if visually it has a more contemporary appearance, even if simplified. Perhaps most inexplicably, the price of admission for this game feels extremely high in relation to what it offers, baffling me and making it all the tougher to recommend on its gameplay merits.