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Shattered Skies

Shattered Skies is a 3D sandbox shooter set in a post-apocalyptic world brought about by a comet hitting the moon and raining debris on the surface. Players fight for survival against each other and against aliens brought by the comet.

Publisher: Free Reign Entertainment
Type: Sandbox MMO
Release Date: July 21, 2016
Shut Down Date: January 31, 2017
Pros: +Open world PvP. +Factional missions. +Distinct enemy aesthetic. +RPG leveling.
Cons: -Similar to devs previous games. -No base building. -1 Character per account.

Overview

Shattered Skies Overview

The moon has been shattered by a comet raining debris down on the surface and bringing about the end of civilization as we know it. Do you have what it takes to make it in the post-apocalyptic world of Shattered Skies? Play in either first-person or third-person and join up to 100 players as you scavenge for weapons, food, water and other resources needed to survive, while being wary of aliens that now roam the countryside. Gear up and work together with up to 9 other players to fight the aliens, build your reputation, and harness energy from strange crystal formations that have sprung up from comet debris. Form a group with up to 9 other players, watch each others' backs, and go on scavenging missions together. Or become a bandit and take out clueless survivors and loot them for all they've got. Collect materials scattered among the ruins of civilization and craft them into useful tools that will help you survive the hostile environment.

Shattered Skies Key Features:

  • Open-World PvP - be wary of attacks from other players the moment you step out of non-combat settlements.
  • Player Groups - form bands of up to 9 players for protection against other players and aliens that appear out of nowhere.
  • Hunger/Thirst System - combat hunger and thirst by scavenging for much needed food and keeping a stockpile handy.
  • Crafting - craft a variety of tools, from metal spike traps and shields, to armor and gun parts.
  • Fortify Buildings - secure and defend tactical points of interests, like buildings and rooftops, with barricades, traps, and landmines.

Shattered Skies Screenshots

Shattered Skies Featured Video

Shattered Skies Quick Start How to Play

Full Review

Shattered Skies Review

By, Marc Marasigan

Shattered Skies is a 3D post-apocalyptic survival shooter set sometime in the future. The moon has been shattered after being hit by a comet, sending debris and pieces of the comet hurtling towards the Earth. These impacts caused massive damage to the surface and nearly wiped out the human race. Years after the cataclysmic event, survivors have begun to build new settlements and have learned to harness a new form of energy from crystal formations found in impact sites. Gathering the crystals, however, is risky business as deadly aliens have been known to lurk near the formations. Players take on the role of survivors scouring ruins for items needed to survive while facing aggressive aliens and other survivors looking to prey on the weak.

Shattered Skies runs on the NightShade engine, an improved version of the Eclipse engine used by the popular MOBA League of Legends. The game can be played in either first-person or third-person view and features graphics that aren’t necessarily eye candy but still look good while allowing mid-range rigs to run at a respectable frame rate—always a good thing when it comes to PvP-focused games. T

Watch and Learn

While the game lacks a playable tutorial it does provide players with an intuitive way to learn the game at their own pace. Players can either watch a quick one minute video, a slightly detailed 15-minute video, or browse through specific game mechanics in a wiki-style environment complete with videos. While learning by doing is the quickest way to learn a game as far as I’m concerned, Shattered Skies’ tutorial proves to be an effective way of getting new players up to speed. As an FPS veteran, I chose to go with the one minute quick and easy route and managed to pick the game up very easily. If you’ve played any type of shooter in the past you might want to do the same. Newbies, on the other hand, might want to check out all the tutorial options to see what works best for them.

Finders Keepers

Shattered Skies looks, feels, and plays just like DayZ, with a crafting syste as well as a hunger/thirst system similar to 7 Days to Die. Players start out in a random spot in the map and are given a Welcome bag to get them started. The bag contains an assault rifle, a handgun, a few cans of food, a flask of water, and some ammunition. They must then travel across the game world while scavenging the ruins of civilization for other items needed to survive, such as more food and water, different types of weapons and ammunition, bandages, medicine, and resources needed for crafting. Scavenged items can be temporarily stored in backpacks that have limited space and drop on death until they can safely store them in global vaults found in any of the full-combat and non-combat settlements scattered across the map.

Kill On Sight

Shattered Skies is a game heavily-focused on PvP and, like DayZ, players have a bad habit of shooting first and asking questions later. Every inch of the map is a PvP zone, except for two non-combat settlements, so expect to get into a firefight as soon as you step out of the safe area, especially if you decide to venture into one of the towns frequented by other players. The game encourages PK-ing even more by rewarding players with experience points for every kill—although there are still consequences imposed on players whenever they engage in PvP. The player who initiates combat, or more specifically, the first to land a hit, gains aggressor status which lasts for a certain amount of time depending on how many other players you’ve recently attacked. An aggressor status makes the player briefly visible in the attacked player’s map and can be killed by other players even in safe zones. If you’ve been tagged as an aggressor you’ll have to wait until it wears off before entering any settlement… or not.

Aside from trigger-happy players, survivors must also contend with aliens which randomly spawn in towns and in the foggy area near crystals. Unlike zombies in DayZ and most survival shooters, aliens are bigger, faster, and stronger than their undead counterparts. They also tend to spawn beside you at the most inconvenient times, such as when lying prone on a rooftop while hiding from another player. I’m not sure if it’s an intentional part of the game or just coincidence but it does make the game more thrilling and keeps you on your toes.

Crafting

Crafting in Shattered Skies is easy and straightforward. No need to punch trees or hack away at a stone outcrop with a primitive stone axe. Although you do need to hunt for recipes in order to start crafting. Once the recipe is learned, simply scavenge for the required number of resources and start crafting. Some items, like campfires, can be crafted in the field, while some, like armor plates and gun parts, require players to be near a crafting bench, much like Elder Scrolls.

Resources collected while out in the field go into a separate undroppable inventory which not only saves up on bag space but also allows players to freely engage in PvP without worrying about losing precious resources. Recipes, on the other hand, are an entirely different matter. They go into a player’s backpack when picked up and can be dropped on death, so it’s always a good idea to learn a recipe as soon as you find one.

Final Verdict – Great

Shattered Skies is a game that was obviously built with PvP in mind, with a few aliens thrown in for good measure. The game’s graphics could be better, but everything else is great, from the sounds, right down to the fluid shooter-based controls. The shoot first mentality also makes the game fun in a twisted way, but admittedly isn’t for everyone. Overall, the game is great and has the potential to become the next DayZ. If you’re a survival PvP nut who likes to shoot everything that moves, then this game is definitely worth a try. If PvE and Coop-play is more to your liking, then you’d probably be better off playing 7 Days to Die or maybe even The Division.

Screenshots

Shattered Skies Screenshots

Videos

Shattered Skies Videos

How To Play Shattered Skies - Official Tutorial

System Requirements

Shattered Skies System Requirements

Minimum Requirements:

Operating System: Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 (64-bit versions only)
CPU: Intel Core i5-2400 / AMD FX-6100, or better
Video Card: 1,024 MB RAM
RAM: 6 GB
Hard Disk Space: 10 GB

Recommended Requirements:

Operating System: Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10 (64-bit versions only)
CPU: Intel Core i5-2400 | AMD FX-6100, or better
Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 with 1 GB VRAM (current equivalent NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760) / AMD Radeon HD 7770 with 1 GB VRAM, or better
RAM: 8 GB
Hard Disk Space: 10 GB

Music

Shattered Skies Music & Soundtrack

Coming Soon...

Additional Info

Shattered Skies Additional Information

Developer: Free Reign Entertainment
Publisher: Free Reign Entertainment

Closed Alpha: March, 2016
Open Beta: July 21, 2016

Release Date: July 21, 2016.

Shut Down Date: January 31, 2017

Development History / Background:

Shattered Skies is a 3D post-apocalyptic MMO shooter developed and published by Free Reign Entertainment, a studio composed of members of the same development team responsible for Hawken. The studio also previously developed and published Romero's Aftermath, and many ideas present in the zombie survival MMO are expected to find their way into Shattered Skies. The game is regularly updated with content every month. The developers have also promised 4 expansion packs along with at least 8 content drops until Winter of 2017. The game was abandoned by the developer, with the last announcement dated January 31, 2017.