Legend of the Skyfish review for PS Vita, PS4, Xbox One, Switch

Seeing as one of the very first trophies you earn in Legend of the Skyfish is called “It?s dangerous to go alone!”, you can probably guess where the game draws much of its inspiration. I wouldn?t say that it?s a complete Legend of Zelda clone or anything, but I?d definitely be willing to at least concede that there are more than a few similarities present.

In any case, I don?t necessarily see that as an issue. As I?ve said before, I have a weird personal tic where I tend to prefer Zelda clones to the real thing, and Legend of the Skyfish fits neatly within that broad scope. It may look a little more modern than some of the older NES Zelda games, but its core mechanic fills an awfully similar role as the Hookshot does for Link.

In this case, the hero — Little Red Hook — is aided in her quest to stop the titular corrupted Skyfish by her trusty fishing rod. It allows her to jump from island to island, as well as to stun enemies and to flick switches that lock and unlock doors. As mechanics go, it?s fairly basic, but it?s effective enough that you?ll never get bored by it.

Admittedly, this is partly because Legend of the Skyfish is much too short to get bored by. There are 45 levels spread out over three worlds, but apart from a couple that present a bit of a challenge, you?ll be able to speed through most of them in no time at all.

That said, I?ve always been of the mind that quality counts for far more than quantity, and, brief as it is, there?s a lot to enjoy in the short levels that make up Legend of the Skyfish. The graphics are gorgeous, for starters, with a world that looks like it owes a debt to Indigenous art and aesthetics. The levels are also pretty fun — grabbing an enemy from across the island and flicking him next to you never gets old, while it?s quite satisfying to see how the short levels all come together in terms of puzzles and obstacles.

To be sure, Legend of the Skyfish isn?t going to make anyone forget The Legend of Zelda, or even many of its imitators and copycats. What it will do, however, is offer a fun couple of hours at a pretty decent price, and as far as I?m concerned, that?s enough to make it well worth your time.

Ratalaika Games provided us with a Legend of the Skyfish PS Vita code for review purposes.