Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island

I don't normally review products: When I have to call my bank, I hit "2" to opt out of the survey, I won't do the survey on the receipt in the drive-through for a free product or BOGO coupon, and when I do actually review something, it's usually because it's so amazing that I need to vent the excitement and joy building up inside me before I explode like a handful of Mentos shoved into a two liter of Coke and shaken well. This game was so disappointing that I clicked on and read, in full, Steam's Community Rules and Guidelines just to understand how much I'm allowed to disparage it and discourage other people from playing it without my comment being removed. I have no clue how the User Reviews are Very Positive with ~100 positive reviews and ~10 negative ones. It could be that I'm not the target audience, as I love Greek mythology, beautiful and atmospheric environments, and puzzle games with great soundtracks. In the beginning, looking forward to playing this game, I had so much hope for it: Mythwrecked seemed like it was going to be a game with beautiful environments, a chill soundtrack and low stress run around poking things style game play, plus Hades' design wasn't half bad- and that's what it was. That is... literally where the compliments end. It's somewhat pretty, some of the music is nice, and the game play is pretty close to what it says on the tin though the "puzzles" aren't really puzzling at all. Now for the bad: It's difficult to call this related to Greek mythology in any way- Zeus is into health food and mindfulness seminars and there's no funny business, Hera exists to stick one-dimensionally by Zeus's side, Hermes is so overweight that he likely couldn't walk quickly without divine intervention, Aphrodite's.... frumpy and while I can absolutely see her sticking up for and advocating for more than just Eros-style love, she's supposed to be tempting, not the closest a Greek god can look to a goblin. Hephaestus is in a wheelchair, and while I can picture Hephaestus making a wheelchair, it feels like it's only there so that Polygon Treehouse could make a Greek god handi-capable. With that same energy, they neutered Ares and it seems like they gave him some sort of processing issue or vague non-specified form of ADHD just because "violence bad, I regret everything." I really got the feeling while playing this that the only reason Artemis isn't in the game is because if they wanted to include the "Protector of Women," they might have to define what a woman is- either that or they'd make the virgin goddess sex-positive. Oh, and apparently "God" is a gender-neutral term now- Athena's the God of Wisdom, for example. I read every line of dialog, searched every nook and cranny, studied the lore and even ENJOYED some of it... and that was the most painful part. Athena called BS on hearing that the deities of the far southern deserts have pyramids and animal heads. Losing your memory and the inherent vulnerability not actually knowing if you were the one who hurt your friends and family or not. Crawling back out of your shell and the effort it takes to be social again... but how it's wonderful and worth it. If you're looking for a great game with a wonderful story, well written and understood characters, go somewhere else. If you'd like a small, self-contained island where you get to collect fruit, run around clicking on things, and maybe enjoy the music or the sunset while feeding a seagull and figuring out who this clam juice belongs to (It's not Poseidon, he doesn't eat fish!), maybe set the language to Greek and fire up Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island... but only if you don't speak Greek, advocate for the power of friendship, and think that "Fighting for your friends" means apologizing to the person who hurt you. Overall I'd give this game 2/5 stars: Just like Aphrodite's supposed to be, it's pretty on the outside but ultimately unsatisfying, transitions through a boring and irritating slog, and will leave you feeling unsatisfied. Go find yourself a game with Hestia in it- You deserve better.

You can barely call this greek mythology, it's not disrespectful but it's close and the ending makes zero sense whatsoever. Do not waste your money on this game

For the reviewers complaining this was not true to traditional Greek myths, did the concept of Greek gods on vacation not tip you off in the beginning? Or the modern, funky character art? Or literally anything in the game description on Steam? This is a cozy, puzzle game that's perfect for the completionist crowd. The characters and dialogue is well thought out and I had a great time playing it. Really loved seeing a Black female protagonist and loved her character growth on screen. It took me about 9 hours to complete. Definitely pick this up if you want to zone out and still have fun!

I love Greek mythology. I got this game because it had to do with Greek mythology. However... these are not those gods. Do not expect them to be those gods and you'll be much better off. I would say look at them as ordinary people who gained the powers and the name of the original gods because they embodied the same traits. The game, even with some fast travel ports, does have you running around a lot, and it's mostly just a gather and fetch game. Not a whole lot to it. Gets a little too life-lesson "preachy" at times. But overall, it was decent enough to keep me interested. If they could fix a few of the mechanics, I'd honestly be interested in a sequel, but it would need a few QoL adjustments, for sure. I recommend it because it was an interesting idea and I did want to see it through to the end, even though I wasn't too thrilled with the ending, and you cannot go back and finish things after you beat it. It does however warn you when you reach the point of no return so you have time to go for 100% first.

Very nice game, no fighting, no time limits. Engaging story and nice ending!

An interesting twist on the Greek Gods. The story/mystery was engaging and I liked the distinct personalities for the npcs. I also liked the art style. I hope they explore other mythologies in future games. The game play consists of finding lost items, gathering fruit to exchange for items (some useful, some decorative, some collectibles), unlocking and exploring different areas on the island, and helping to solve the island's mystery. It's a very relaxed experience. You can sleep to forward the day to certain times, but sleeping isn't necessary. Some of the achievements can be missed, but there are multiple save slots and the game tells you when you're about to hit the end and point of no return. The game's goals and dialog do not change so replayability is low unless you just really like the game. The devs recommend playing with a controller but that message doesn't show up in the game until after the credits roll - which is an odd choice and not very helpful. I played with m&kb and it was fine, though. Overall, I really enjoyed it and wish it hadn't ended so soon.

lots of personality and love. a great adventure AND you get to pet Cerberus... nuff said.

This is the first game I have 100%ed. Honest to god, it never felt like I was grinding to finish. The game has a great flow that leads you from stage to stage without you even noticing. A worthwhile game to play. Also fantastic character designs!

J'ai adoré ce jeu ! Il est vraiment très sympa, avec une histoire très intéressante. Les personnages sont cool et attachants. Jeu très joli. :)

Sincerely a 10/10 game. Absolutely gorgeous aesthetic design, and the island is so much fun to explore. The story is beautiful, heartfelt, and inescapably resonant. Even if the story weren't, the gameplay loop is so tremendously satisfying that I'd play it anyway. In the 25 hours since I started this game, I devoted every hour possible to playing it - it sunk its hooks into me deeply and didn't let go until the credits rolled. I know this studio is all about cooking up unique ideas, but I sincerely hope to see a sequel to this incredible game one day.