BEHIND THE SCENES
Sky: Children of the Light’s Enchanting Beauty
Sky: Children of the Light
Play Together with Compassion
There’s a breathtaking beauty to Sky: Children of the Light, the latest creation from groundbreaking developer Thatgamecompany. And no wonder. More than six years in the making, Sky was methodically crafted, the design of every character, creature, and cloud aligned with the game’s intention to create connections in a dreamlike world.
Here’s a look at the origins of Sky’s visuals—and the ideas behind them.
Clothed in culture
‣ Characters in Sky wear poncho-like robes with a wide variety of styles and designs. The team wanted to make players look distinct while keeping their age, race, and gender neutral, “so people can be themselves without being labeled or judged,” says creative director Jenova Chen. Although you can unlock different hairstyles, cape patterns, and emotes in the game, outlandish outfits and goofy dances are nowhere to be found. Keeping with the game’s ethereal vibe, “there’s nothing too noisy or flashy,” he says.
Circle of life
‣ Sky’s seven realms are subtly themed around stages of human life. The first level, with its bright blue skies and fluffy white clouds, represents childhood. “Nothing is going to hurt you,” says art manager Yui Tanabe. “Everything should feel big and exciting.”
A later level, representing middle age and its uncertainty, is a foggy landscape of blocky, angular shapes and dark skies. Everything is dangerous, says Tanabe, and you don’t know which way you should be going—a classic midlife crisis.
Creatures great and small
‣ The denizens of Sky are diverse, ranging from illuminated spirits who need your help to sinister monsters. The team made sure it was clear at a glance who is friend or foe, while giving every creature a distinct appearance and animation. With the Dark Dragon, for example, you know right away to avoid that beam of red light shooting out of its lone eye. No ambiguity here!
Built to scale
‣ Sky was designed to look amazing on new and older devices alike. Visual assets automatically scale in resolution, with graphical detail adapting on the fly to maximize performance on whatever hardware you have.
Sky fluidly handles these changes behind the scenes, says Chen, so players never lose that sense of immersion and wonder. Sky, after all, was made for all.