SkyBall Review

A bizarre combination of ten-pin bowling, the loop-the-loop insanity of TrackMania, and a dash of current PC indie hit Proun, Skyball almost drowns under the weight of all its influences, while never quite getting into gear as an actual game.

At heart, foxyjojo’s title is a futuristic racer, albeit one where Formula 1 cars have curiously evolved into billiard balls, with sleek visuals and twisty tracks that laugh in the face of Newtonian physics.

Yet, a serious lack of variety and replayability means SkyBall is unlikely to last the distance.

Over four unlockable racing tournaments, each comprising a trio of distinct tracks (floating precariously above distant planets), your goal is always the same: use tilt steering and a touchscreen accelerator / brake combo to roll your ball at ridiculous speeds.

While the courses start off relatively wide and comparatively bereft of unsympathetic metal poles, later tracks are narrower, significantly more twisty, and swarming with obstacles and columns hidden around blind corners.

Pretty soon, it's a battle just to stay on the track with the 11 other AI drivers, let alone perform any risky overtaking manoeuvres. You might start each race with a trio of lives, earning a fresh one for each lap, but SkyBall's design seems determined to regularly sap them from you - often in unfair ways.

The other racers, for example, remain almost glued to the racing line, while your ball flies off the narrow highway or into the path of a pole at the slightest knock to a rival.

This relatively high difficulty level, however, is the only factor preventing your rattling through the entire game's content in under an hour, since there are no other modes included beyond the main tournament - not even solo time trials.

You can replay races for higher star ratings (out of three), but it's an empty exercise that would really benefit from a scoring system and online leaderboards. The omission of local or wi-fi multiplayer (essential components for any successful racer) feels like a seriously missed opportunity to extend the experience, too.

It's a genuine shame SkyBall's lack of depth precludes it from really shining, as there's the premise for a stylish, enjoyable racer here.

The later tracks, replete with overlapping roadways and vortexes to zap you to new areas, make for some real eye candy moments, especially when other racers are hurtling in the opposite direction right above your ball.

Until then, foxyjojo’s game is stuck in the qualifying stages, and in dire need of a content boost before it can really compete with the big boys of handheld racing.