This is just free-to-play, grindy Journey. Still absolutely beautiful, but playing both reveals just how derivative Sky is of its older sibling.

I played Sky first, and it's like Thatgamecompany knew I hadn't played Journey yet, so they just made a version of Journey that suited my tastes more. Flying through an ocean of clouds; varied, colorful environments; available on a device I own; character customization; free.

Those last two parts contribute to my one problem with Sky though. Getting parts to customize my character with requires getting flames from candle sticks. They respawn every day, so this encourages playing the game every single day or paying money to get them right away. I prefer staying a free player, and I don't think this game benefits from frequent revisits. Thankfully, the game has received updates over time that add new content. Those at least warrant revisits.

It's a shame then that I ended up replaying Sky's main story by way of Journey's PC release. Maybe that's unfair. They aren't exactly the same, but the way both games present their stories are so similar, it's impossible not to draw comparisons. Start from the bottom and work your way upward; encounter other travelers and potentially make friends; hide from scary, flying monsters; ascend. Sky has its own things it's doing differently, but it still feels like a retread.

Sky is still a game that everyone should try (it is free), but I don't respect it like I do Journey.