Rainbow Skies

Contrary to common belief, in Rainbow Skies characters fight much better immediately after devouring huge helpings of food. This is just one of many interesting things that will be experienced in the world of Lunah.

SideQuest Studios are attempting the turn-based strategy RPG genre yet again with the follow-up to their 2012 hit Rainbow Moon.

I was initially fooled by this game. At first glance, it looks like it should be a free to play mobile title. Yet a little time spent with Rainbow Skies dismantled both these crass assumptions in short order. While I was put off by the slightly bobble-headed character models and the cheery color palette, there’s a certain satisfying depth to this game. For RPG enthusiasts invested in the zen-like rhythms of the grind, Rainbow Skies is something of a hidden gem.

A rainbow with no gold at the end.

It’s clear how much of a labour of love Rainbow Skies was. The game is packed to the brim with mechanics and ideas that call back to a dozen different classic RPGs and strategy games. For all the love that went into the game though, there’s a frustratingly low amount of polish and quality design, especially when it comes to the visuals and writing. Rainbow Skies is a love letter to classic RPGs hastily written in crayon on notebook paper.

Done before and done better, Rainbow Skies is a game that has taken a fairly bland concept to begin with and proceeded to not change a thing about it. If you're looking for an epic tale of heroes and rogues, you'd be better off looking elsewhere.

Rainbow Skies tries hard to be an epic turn-based RPG, but it thoroughly disappoints in every possible way.