Under The Island Review

You feel at ease when you start a top-down journey that clearly takes ideas from old games like The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. The camera angle, the clean pixel art, and the idea of tunnels and secrets hidden behind walls that look fishy all make me feel a certain way.

But memories can lead you astray. It's used in too many games without adding anything new or interesting. Under the Island takes care of that line. It definitely shows who it's based on, but it never seems like it's trying to be like those things. It seems like someone who loved those games as a child chose to make something sincere and unique, even if it stays within the rules of what we already know.

You play as Nia, a teenager who has been taken away from her daily life because her parents are archaeologists and need to work on Sea Shell Island. It doesn't make her happy. The stay is only meant to last a year, but it doesn't take long for the island to show that it's more than just a quiet place to do research.

Nia makes friends with a local girl named Avocado and then accidentally sets off a crisis when she stumbles upon old ruins. If four huge mechanical gears aren't fixed, the island will sink by the end of the summer. The idea is very simple, almost too simple to be true. There aren't any complicated political plots or groups with questionable morals.

Even though a lot is at stake, the tone stays light and almost fun.

It makes you think of a Saturday morning show where there is danger, but you always know that everything will work out in the end. Most of the time, the game is better when it is simple. It keeps the trip light and easy to get into. There aren't too many explanations or cutscenes. Instead, interest pushes you forward.

You will stop in the town in the middle of the island. It's where you go back to after visiting caves, forests, and biomes far away. The people there don't give long talks. They leave clues about strange places, ask for help with small jobs, or just show up to make it look like people live there. It gets nice to call that town home after a while.

You already know where the shop is. You know which house has an extra goal hidden inside. It becomes home base, even though Nia didn't mean for it to be called that. 

Exploration is what Under the Island is all about. You should look around a lot in this game. There are hills that beg to be climbed later, strange cracks in the cave walls, and puzzle rooms that look impossible until you find the right tool. The island is built in a clever way.

You keep seeing things that you can't quite do anything with yet. The game doesn't put them nicely on your map; it trusts you to remember. That option might annoy players who like clear quest logs and goal marks, but it does add something useful. You have to pay attention.

When you finally find the key that lets you reach that high ledge you saw two hours ago, you'll feel truly satisfied because you remembered, not because a list told you to.

Your tools are slowly given to you, and each one makes the world bigger in small ways. You can shoot flames from a fire flower to light torches or fight some foes. You can find secret paths and solve environmental puzzles with bombs. Animal snacks can be used to get animals to walk on switches.

These features aren't completely new, but they're well put together. The game doesn't always do the same puzzle in the same way. It's interesting because even well-known ideas are changed in new ways. There are caves that are mostly about logic problems, caves that are mostly about fighting, and caves that are mostly about timing or stealth. Just enough to keep you wondering so that things don't get boring.

Combat is easy and maybe even a little old-fashioned in how simple it is. Nia swings her hockey stick in front of her in a short motion as she fights. At first look, all you can see is a three-hit combo and some knockback. Attacks from enemies are clearly sent over the air. Some will charge you.

Others hide behind shields that need to be flanked. If you want to beat your elemental enemies, you need the right tool. Clean and easy to read, so anyone can understand it, but it's not very deep. It might seem pretty simple if you're used to action methods that are more complicated. That being said, the fact that it's honest is nice.

It doesn't try to be a show with a lot of fighting. Not fancy combos, but location and timing are what matter.

It gets more interesting during the boss fights. There is a different fight at the end of each big dungeon, and the game isn't afraid to get weird. One boss makes the fight into a crazy cooking competition instead of a normal fight, which sounds silly on paper but is strangely memorable.

Another one relies a lot on pattern recognition and changing the surroundings. The final confrontation, on the other hand, makes things a lot harder. You'll feel the pressure if you haven't taken the time to learn more and improve your health. It's a clear increase, like the game is trying to tell you that those extra caves weren't just for fun.

A traditional experience method isn't used for progression. You don't have to grind to get levels. Instead, you get stronger by finding hard cases and making your tools better. This gives your power a straight link to exploring. A lot of the game is pretty easy to get through if you do side stuff.

You'll probably have a lot of health and resources.

In fact, sometimes it might seem too easy. There are a lot of healing items, and heart drops happen so often that stress doesn't last long. The ramen bowl is an item that can be used to heal yourself again and again, but since health picks are so common, it never feels like it's necessary. You might forget all about it, but it's there.

The graphics of the game are great. The pixel art is a great mix of old-school style and current details. Forests feel like they have a lot of plants. Areas with snow glow softly. There are places in the desert that are very bright. While you're running, dust flies around, and light comes in through greenhouse windows.

These small details give the screen depth without making it too busy. It seems like someone set it up by hand, not a computer tool. Care goes into making even places you only visit for a short time. The character images are expressive, but the view from time to time seems a little off. It's a small flaw in a visual character that works well otherwise.

You might not think that sound design is that important, but it is. The soft crunch of your boots on snow, the clink of your hockey stick hitting an enemy, and the soft sound that a creature makes when it sees you are all small but effective ways to set the mood. You don't have to pay attention to the music.

It stays in the background and helps you feel good without taking over. Soft music plays in the background while you explore. During the more fun parts, the music gets livelier. When it comes to this type of score, it works best when you don't think about it. But you'd miss it if it were gone.

One area where Under the Island falls short is in how deeply it tells its story.

The idea could lead to something more emotionally powerful. Nia being uprooted from her life, making a new friend, and facing a world that is literally sinking could have been used to explore deeper ideas about connection or change.

People make hints at these ideas, but they are rarely fully addressed. While Nia and Avocado's relationship is sweet, it doesn't change in big ways. You might wish that the story had taken a few more chances instead of being safe by the end.

Still, there's something genuinely honest about the whole thing. It doesn't seem like a game that's trying to follow trends or do something new. It looks like the people who worked on it really enjoy this kind of journey and wanted to make something warm and friendly.

The island is full of caves, secret rooms, puzzle rooms, and other fun side activities that you can do if you want to. You can spend hours going over corners you didn't pay attention to at first. One of its best qualities is how dense it is. There's always a sneaky feeling that just off the main road is something small but useful.

By the time you get to the end, Under The Island probably won't have amazed you with anything new. It won't completely change the genre or make you think about what you expect. But it's likely to make you smile. It doesn't waste your time, keeps giving you new things to learn, and stays on topic the whole time. It's friendly without being shallow, and it makes you miss the past without being stuck there.

If you like old-school top-down adventures, this is like putting on a nice pair of shoes. Simple and reliable, not flashy or new, but made with care. There are times when that's exactly what you need.