Time travel in games is a difficult thing to execute. It was, however, the source of numerous sci-fi stories, but very few games comprehend the confounding, butterfly-effect mayhem of changing the past as well as Old Skies. Dave Gilbert and his team at Wadjet Eye Games have created a point-and-click that not only simply dabbles in time loops but rather plunges into them and comes out with a narrative and gameplay both retro and surprisingly new in form.
Old Skies is a future where time travel is not only possible but is the subject of exact control, commercialization, and, of course, the source of an amusing variety of existential headaches. You are Fia Quinn, a field agent of ChronoZen, an organization committed to the prevention of history going astray. ChronoZen is run like a company, and the business is great. Customers pay huge amounts to relive their cherished moments again or to try to steer fate their way. But there is bureaucracy: all customers have to take a psychological test, and a complicated algorithmic system assigns each historical figure a “timeline ranking” which indicates how much the course of their life can be changed.
The world-building of the game is laser-focused. ChronoZen operatives such as Fia possess a key advantage—no matter how severely the world around them shifts, their memories are preserved. That means you, the player, always retain knowledge that endures each temporal ripple.
Fia doesn’t work alone on her assignments. Her handler, Frank “Nozzo” Nozzarelli, is the wisecracking voice in her ear, providing guidance (and sarcasm) from the security of headquarters. Then there’s Duffy, Fia’s mentor, whose steady know-how tempers the mayhem of fieldwork. The dynamic between the cast is a strong point, with Sally Beaumont (Fia) and Edwyn Tiong (Nozzo) giving solid performances that are full of wit, heart, and warmth. Their banter keeps the high-concept idea firmly anchored in realistic human relationships.
The tale is told in standalone chapters that take one or another client into a different time in New York’s long history. One assignment will deposit you in the 2040s, another on the rough streets of the 19th century. Each period is unique, down to the graffiti, billboards, and street sounds, which change as you jump between decades. Though the puzzles remain firmly rooted in point-and-click traditions, they also have a twist: you’re gathering data rather than tangible items. The built-in search function, where you can search through historic records, is a masterstroke of design. But to yield results, you will have to assemble full names and information from dialogue and clues, so every little bit of speech matters.
Where Old Skies truly shines is in its treatment of failure. Death isn’t an option—it’s part of the game. Fia will die, and die frequently. Thanks to ChronoZen’s Paradox Field Excluder and Nozzo’s cleverness, each fatal error rewinds time so you’re left with the lessons you learned. Puzzles even have multiple deaths before you can gather the clues you require. Rather than penalizing failure, the game makes advancement, each death bringing with it sarcastic comments or new ideas.
Dialogue is where the game truly shines. The script is smart, the characters memorable, and the emotional stakes high. Whether you’re sparring verbally with a sharp-tongued boxer or navigating the messy politics of a fractured family, every conversation carries weight. The voice acting makes these moments sing, giving even minor characters a sense of depth and personality.
Aesthetically, Old Skies replaces Wadjet Eye’s signature pixel art with richly detailed, hand-painted backgrounds. Every period is vividly conceived, ranging from the neon light of future waiting rooms to the warm clutter of a 2020s flat. Rotoscoped animation gives characters a fluid expressiveness not typical in the genre. The music is similarly considerate, changing from electronic beats in the future to smoke-filled jazz in the past, always in keeping with the mood of the scene.
Old Skies is greater than a Valentine to retro adventure games—it’s an advancement of the form. It’s about being in the here and now, realizing the gravity of each decision, and embracing the unknown of a changing world. For all who enjoy time travel, crisp prose, or well-drawn characters, this is one ride you won’t want to miss—and you may find yourself wishing for a rewind button in life once the credits begin rolling.