Summary

  • Sky Oceans: Wings for Hire pays tribute to classic JRPGs, especially Skies of Arcadia, featuring aerial exploration and sky pirates.
  • The game, set for release on October 10, offers turn-based combat using customized airships instead of direct hand-to-hand battles.
  • Developed by Octeto Studios, fans of JRPG-inspired games like Sea of Stars and Clair Obscur can look forward to another homage to the genre.

PQube has announced the release date for Sky Oceans: Wings for Hire, a JRPG that pays homage to classics, especially Skies of Arcadia. Skies of Arcadia is a classic RPG by Sega, released in 2000 for the Dreamcast, where players took on the role of a young sky pirate exploring airborne landmasses. Sky Oceans: Wings for Hire was unveiled in 2023 when PQube shared a teaser announcement, followed by more gameplay details during the Guerrilla Collective 2024 Livestream.

Sky Oceans: Wings for Hire wears its JRPG inspiration on its sleeve. In all its trailers, PQube emphasized that the game is a tribute to JRPG classics, and fans soon realized that one of its main influences is Skies of Arcadia. Both RPGs share a setting centered on aerial exploration, with dogfights, a ragtag crew of sky pirates, and boundless exploration. For years, fans have been clamoring for a Skies of Arcadia remaster, but despite rumors, nothing has been confirmed yet.

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For now, nostalgic Skies of Arcadia fans can check out Sky Oceans: Wings for Hire, which had its release date revealed in a recent trailer. The RPG is set to launch on October 10 for Steam, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch. Sky Oceans: Wings for Hire puts players in the role of a sky pirate named Glenn Windwalker on an adventure where he must recruit a reliable crew.

Sky Oceans: Wings for Hire Release Date

  • Sky Oceans: Wings for Hire will launch on October 10 for Steam, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S|X, and Nintendo Switch.

Sky Oceans: Wings for Hire will feature turn-based combat, but unlike other JRPG-inspired games, the characters won't engage in direct hand-to-hand combat. Instead, they'll fight with a fleet of airships. Players need to customize each airship with new parts like frames, armor, engines, weapons, and instruments to strengthen their forces. However, attention must also be given to individual crew members, as each one will have their own level, affinity with others, and even favorite foods, which provide temporary buffs when consumed.

Octeto Studios is the studio behind Sky Oceans: Wings for Hire's development, and the game is yet another JRPG-inspired project for players to look forward to. Last year, the award-winning Sea of Stars was released, an RPG created by the Canadian studio Sabotage Studio, with solid inspirations from JRPGs like Super Mario RPG and Chrono Trigger. This year, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was revealed by the French studio Sandfall Interactive, and according to studio founder Guillaume Broche, the game draws inspiration from Final Fantasy, the Tales of series, Lost Odyssey, and Persona. Only time will tell if Sky Oceans: Wings for Hire can truly honor Skies of Arcadia or if it's simply using that inspiration as a marketing strategy.