Rodea the Sky Soldier Reviews

Rodea the Sky Soldier is ranked in the 4th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
8 / 10.0
Jan 28, 2016

Overall, Rodea the Sky Soldier is an interesting game and worth owning for anyone with a Wii or WiiU.

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7 / 10.0
Nov 3, 2015

Rodea the Sky Soldier really hits that sweet spot when it comes to evoking the wonder of flight, but the troubled developmental process is tangible in the final build. For those of you who can stomach older experiences however, you'll likely overlook some of its issues and find a lot to love.

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67 / 100
Nov 10, 2015

The Wii U version of Rodea is simultaneously a game with a lot of charm and one that's difficult to love as much as you want to. When Rodea works and all of its gears are cranking along smoothly, it's an exhilarating joy to play. But everything can come crashing down at any time: an enemy encounter reliant on overly finicky aiming or a misplaced attack that sends you careening into the abyss can sour the sense of wonder in a flash.

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6 / 10
Nov 10, 2015

Rodea the Sky Soldier is an interesting game. When it comes to unique gameplay and classic Yuji Naka charm the title truly soars. Unfortunately it also suffers from frustrating camera problems, a steep learning curve and some frequently aggravating combat. Players planning to taking to the skies with Rodea will likely enjoy most of their journey, but they are in for a bumpy ride.

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3 / 5.0
Nov 4, 2015

Fans have waited a long time for Rodea the Sky Soldier, but unfortunately the final experience never comes within range of Yuji Naka's past masterpieces. The issues begin with the fundamental mechanics of flight and persist into its pacing, controls and stability, ultimately tainting even the most joyous moments of freedom afforded by Rodea's affinity for the open air. There are moments of bliss that shine through the mess, but the pure celebration of flight that Prope set out to deliver on Wii has lost many of its most important features during the transition to Wii U, and in the end, Rodea the Sky Soldier fails to live up to its lofty ambitions.

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6 / 10.0
Nov 20, 2015

Unfortunately, Rodea the Sky Soldier is flying in low altitude. There is great potential, but the bad controls and camera are what shoot Rodea out of the sky. Here's hoping we get to see a bigger and better sequel one day.

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6 / 10.0
Nov 13, 2015

The game is an enjoyable experience, with the focus on flying action being a welcome change from the usual Japanese games we get to enjoy in the West. It would have been an improvement if the touch screen was utilised for the flying controls in some way, though, rather than just aiming with the circle pad. I played on 3DS, which is a decent option, but I recommend you try the game on Wii if possible, in order to make use of the control scheme initially intended by the original developer.

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Justin Celani
Top Critic
5.5 / 10.0
Nov 5, 2015

Rodea the Sky Solider has an interesting story and cast, with a colorful world that is fun to fly around in. Yet that flying around should feel even better, and it just lacks that polished feeling. It's a unique game and one that reminds me of early era games I played back the Playstation or Nintendo 64. It's 2015 though, and I can't overlook all the various issues that bring the experience down, making it feel like more of a relic then a new game released today. It's tries to do new things and soar high, but it ends up staying rather grounded and is only recommended to folks looking for a unique but flawed experience.

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2.6 / 5.0
Dec 1, 2015

Somewhere in this package lies a great game with plenty of excitement to offer- it just has a hard time presenting itself. Is it fun? Of course it is. With enough time and dedication, not only would you be able to master the game and its controls, but also have experienced one of those rare feelings of complete satisfaction just for having played the game. It also depends on your own tastes. Some would say that the best version of the game is the original Wii version, which is only available exclusively with the launch version of the retail game. I can't say that for myself, having only played the Wii U release, but if you're interested in Rodea the Sky Soldier, keep a sharp eye out for the retail version.

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5 / 10
Nov 8, 2015

We're not likely to find out exactly what troubles the team at Prope faced on Rodea's rocky road to market. The end product is evidence enough to suggest that something went wrong along the way, and it's a real shame. With a little more refinement and even the lightest of facelifts, Rodea could easily have been a Nintendo exclusive worth owning.

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5 / 10
Dec 9, 2015

Suffering from technical gaps, imprecise controls and a predictable and clichéd plot, Rodea still manages to display an interesting concept and gives the player a degree of freedom that is unusual in similar titles. Pity that its qualities don't weigh enough to redeem its flaws.

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Alan Bell
Top Critic
4.5 / 10.0
Dec 3, 2015

Rodea the Sky Soldier has the odd interesting idea, but numerous gameplay problems betray its troubled development.

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4 / 10.0
Nov 3, 2015

Rodea The Sky Soldier on 3DS has very few good things going for it, overshadowed by atrocious controls and bland visuals. It is designed to be replayed, but I don't ever want to experience it again.

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Ray Carsillo
Top Critic
4 / 10.0
Nov 13, 2015

Horrid visuals and unintuitive gameplay make Rodea the Sky Soldier one of the worst action games I've played in a long time.

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Nov 8, 2015

Any intriguing ideas that Rodea the Sky Soldier contains are unfortunately offset by botched controls, mechanics and presentation, resulting in a major disappointment.

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games(TM)
games™ Team
Top Critic
4 / 10
Feb 6, 2016

When a Sky Soldier falls

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Dec 8, 2015

I do believe that Rodea could have been a good little game. The ambition it has going for it is certainly appreciable, but ambition not put to good use is ambition wasted. Unfortunately, despite being one of the few high profile third party Wii U games, Rodea is a dud.

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Cubed3
Top Critic
4 / 10
Nov 5, 2015

Rodea the Sky Soldier is simply a game that really needed more time, and a course correction. A lot of promising concepts are seen and experienced throughout, but the flying and Sonic homing-style combat would have been executed so much better with a bit more polish. The environments and visuals are possibly the worst to be seen in 2015, but at least the lovable character Ion provides charming quips of entertainment. The drunken and confused sky soldier Rodea, however, needs to have his pilot license revoked.

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3.8 / 10.0
Nov 16, 2015

Rodea the Sky Soldier has to be one of the biggest letdowns of the year. It's missing quite a bit, including comprehensive gameplay, solid visuals and any sort of option to play like the original Wii version does. It's sad to say that this high-flying adventure falls flat before it stands a chance to get started.

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1.9 / 5.0
Nov 23, 2015

Kadokawa's interpretation of Rodea the Sky Soldier on Wii U misses the mark on so many levels, and it's a prime example of how to butcher a solid idea for aerial action.

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