Arbor Island

I quite enjoyed exploring Arbor Island and finding all the hidden items. This is a pure scavenger hunt game with absolutely no story, but with gorgeous graphics. You arrive suddenly on the beach of Arbor Island and are advised to go to the notice board which gives you a list of items to find. Some are quite small, but all items shine when you touch them. You find a metal detector which finds the coins on the beach. There is a meditation spot on each environment which triggers an achievement. There is the beach scene, a lovely meadow, zen garden, campfire and mushroom forest with a lighthouse. All are beautifully created and designed with appropriate music. There are a few off the path sites to explore which give you some stunning views. I found it very relaxing to play, but some of the items were challenging to find. Just think where you would find certain objects in real life. This is a short game, but it was hard on my rig which heated up quite a bit. I had to put it on medium graphics to get through, so optimisation is an issue Some mentioned drops in frame rates, but I had no problem. Make sure you save often because even if you go to the main menu, the game can reset including the music. Whenever you sit on a meditation seat, the music ramps up very high and I constantly had to put it down. There are a couple of extra objects which you had to interact with, which really delight the senses. It is clear that a lot of thought and heart has gone into this game to allow the player to have a lovely experience. Personally, I enjoyed sitting on the beach listening to the lapping of the waves hitting the shore or lying in the water watching the fish jump around. The mushroom forest was very calming too. To let off steam, you can shoot cans off a fence in the meadow. Definitely plenty of zen moments to experience. It is also a child friendly game and suitable for people of all abilities. Reasonably priced. 8/10