Isle of Reveries

Not what I expected. I thought would be like legend of Zelda, which it is game play wise but not in the level design. World is both maze like and linier with little to no short cuts to allow for quick traveling. the areas a mostly narrow corridors that constrict your movement. and if you realize you have gone the wrong way, there isn't an easy way to start going the right way other then back track these narrow corridors until you can find where you were supposed to go. overall the map design is simultaneously huge and claustrophobic.

Playing this has been a nightmare. There's 0 direction on where to go or how to solve a good number of the puzzles. Navigating the overworld genuinely sucks. The combat is a huge pain in the ass and the jump mechanic that's been shoved into the entire game really just shows why the games it's imitating don't have one. I really wanted to like this game but nothing about it so far has been fun. Anytime I manage to accomplish anything there's no joy in making progress, just relief that's it's finally over, only for something more annoying to come along shortly. A feel like I've janked my way through a lot of these puzzles and I have no actual idea if the solution was intended or not. A bunch of the enemies are immune to sword damage until you stun them and it's anybody's guess what item will do that. I've just taken to hitting things with a hammer you get from what appears to be an optional quest since it's bypasses armor for the most part. I have no idea what is or isn't pushable at anytime because they're almost nearly identical. There's also way too much backtracking, and not the fun kind. Just going back and forth between 5 screens over and over to solve one puzzle. There's also several instances in which you will navigate multiple screens without a "safe" landing point, only to get knocked off and sent ALL the way back. Those god forsaken rafts are the dumbest idea I think anybody's ever had. Blow in a straight line with no stopping or turning into several monsters that will hit you into the water and send you back to the beginning, or worse, you'll walk off the raft yourself because you were trying to change direction and held the button a millisecond too long. The characters and story aren't particularly interesting either. There's some long, drawn-out delivery quest that at one point gives you a letter to deliver to someone and all I could think is, "Who the hell is this? Have I met them?" You MIGHT have talked to them ONCE at the beginning of the game. I've been playing for 9 hours and have yet to find any part of this fun.

I feel like the jump could be a bit more forgiving but so far this game is incredible.

Steam achievements seem to be broken on STEAMOS. Played through first dungeon and it did not pop, game is good otherwise but will not continue playing unless it is fixed.

A love letter to Oracle of Seasons, Oracle of Ages, and Link’s Awakening. It controls and looks like a Game Boy Zelda without being a copy, it's a genuine homage. The OST is a banger. The puzzles are complex and fun, the dungeons are thoughtfully designed and unique. Side content is rewarding, there are more collectibles than you need, and the achievements aren’t too hard. Took me about 20 hours for 100% with achievements — and a lot of running around hunting for answers. Highly recommended if you grew up with Zelda on Game Boy.

Full Review: https://youtu.be/vorgwJfs7lw TL;DW This game recreates the feel of a handheld Zelda adventure, but with a greater emphasis on puzzles. Exploration is engaging and fun, tons of secrets to find, and great use of tools makes it a very fun game mechanically, even if you aren't puzzle inclined.

meow