Skies Of Arcadia-Inspired JRPG ‘Sky Oceans: Wings For Hire’ Lands New Gameplay Trailer

Soaring onto Switch this year

by Jim Norman 4h ago

Last year, we caught our first glimpse of Sky Oceans: Wings for Hire, an upcoming JRPG from PQube and Octeto Studios which wears its Skies of Arcadia inspiration proudly on its sleeve. Well, it popped up again at yesterday’s Guerilla Collective. This time with a brand-new gameplay trailer.

The fresh footage gives a pretty good idea of what this one will have in store for us when it lands on Switch later this year (a more precise date still hasn’t been revealed). We get to see the turn-based sky battles in action, catch a glimpse of the crew recruitment process and check out some of the ship customisation options.

Most of all, though, we are once again considering changing our name to match that of the Sky Oceans hero: Glenn Windwalker. What a beauty!

You can find out a little more about some of the game’s features and get a look at some screenshots below.

TAKE TO THE OPEN SKIES & EXPLORE A STUNNING, VIBRANT WORLD…

Command your air fleet through the boundless expanse of Sky Oceans, traversing awe-inspiring locations as you undertake diverse missions and challenges. Discover concealed treasures and precious resources along the way, guiding your journey to new heights of adventure and exploration.

CLASH IN STYLISTIC, STRATEGIC TURN-BASED DOGFIGHTS!

Clash with adversaries in the open skies in thrilling dogfights, beautifully rendered with gorgeous, screen-popping UI elements. Tactically choose your attacks or take the option to evade incoming fire from your enemies! After extensive battles in the skies, it is important to maintain your team’s safety. Upgrade your team’s offensive and defensive power with extra weapons, reinforced equipment, and agility improvements to help you survive!

RECRUIT CREW MEMBERS & FORM UNBREAKABLE BONDS

Recruit your very own crew of swash-buckling Sky Pirates one by one. Each unique member comes with a diverse background, strengths, weaknesses, likes, and dislikes…It is up to you to keep them happy for bonus efficiency in battles! As Captain, heartfelt conversations with your crew will shape their perceptions of you. Carefully managing your crew is essential!

While a full release date is still TBC, we do know that Sky Oceans will be soaring onto Switch at some point this year. In the absence of a Skies of Arcadia remaster (which we are still hoping for), this looks like a pretty good stand-in.

What do you make of Sky Oceans so far? Let us know in the comments.

Jim came to Nintendo Life in 2022 and, despite his insistence that The Minish Cap is the best Zelda game and his unwavering love for the Star Wars prequels (yes, really), he has continued to write news and features on the site ever since.

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