Isle of Reveries OverviewIn Isle of Reveries, players take on the role of Lief, an anthropomorphic owl who sets out on a pilgrimage to the skies and the forgotten Isle of Reveries, a place said to grant any wish. Along the way, Lief is joined by several other misfit characters.Set in a vast world divided into eight distinct biomes, the game features mysteries within themed dungeons. With a retro pixel-art aesthetic inspired by the Game Boy Color era, the title is clearly influenced by The Legend of Zelda.Official TrailerTechnical DetailsDeveloped by desertcucco and published by Electric Airship, Isle of Reveries was released for PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S and PC. The game is clearly a passion project and a tribute to Game Boy Color titles, especially Link's Awakening.Despite being a tribute, the developer has taken great care to create new puzzles and dungeons with the same magic as its inspirations, rather than making “just a copy.” Support for the title has also been very good, with the creator providing frequent updates and fixing bugs.Reviewing Isle of ReveriesThe Story and Community BuildingRight from the introduction, players are presented with a lantern-lit, pixel-art poetic reflection on those who set out for the Island in pursuit of their wishes and never returned: "Are the stars in the sky the glow of celestial bodies, the ghosts of those who completed the pilgrimage, or the souls of those who have already left?"This melancholic tone is balanced by hope. As we explore the world, the characters Lief rescues eventually settle together, forming a small town that grows over time. This developing community unlocks new quests and expands the story as the game progresses.Graphics and SoundtrackVisually, the game does an excellent job of emulating the limitations and “charm” of late-1990s hardware, with a limited yet vibrant color palette, as well as handcrafted screens and rooms viewed from a top-down perspective. The pixel-art cutscenes lend a more poetic tone to the adventure, featuring detailed and beautiful artwork.The original soundtrack, composed by Auxilotl, is highly atmospheric and melodic, also evoking the soundtracks of older games. The music suits the biomes and dungeons being explored.At certain points, when changing screens, the music would glitch slightly and turn into nothing but static. Restarting the game or changing dungeons would return it to normal, but I had to mute the music for a while because of it. A little frustrating, but I believe it will be fixed soon. I hope.Gameplay and CombatThe gameplay focuses on classic action-adventure mechanics. Combat combines swordplay with a variety of tools we collect, such as the Lantern. Lief starts out only able to jump, but soon gains a lantern, a sword and the ability to interact with small objects.The game has a button dedicated solely to jumping and, of course, players almost always need to jump over something to progress. I had a few issues with this, as the game occasionally stutters and I ended up falling into pits that should have been easy to clear. It may be a bug related to the position or distance of what needs to be jumped over, and it will likely be fixed over time.The standout mechanic is Lief's fairy companion. She has the magical ability to duplicate and create copies of various environmental objects, including puzzle blocks, torches and mushrooms. These copies interact with the environment and Lief's items, allowing players to hold down buttons, create platforms or attack enemies from a distance. The game also features side activities such as fishing and bug-catching, as well as having to take “photos” of opponents to add to our information journal.What I found most interesting about Isle of Reveries is that its real focus is not combat, but puzzles. This is apparent from the very beginning, as the first dungeon is already a huge puzzle to solve. It is not a difficult game, but one that demands attention to detail.Co-op ModeAlthough Isle of Reveries is primarily designed as a single-player journey, it includes a limited co-op mode. Players can team up with a friend, locally or through Remote Play Together on compatible platforms, to tackle two specific multiplayer stages. Official co-op support for console players will arrive in a post-launch update.It is an interesting feature, but perhaps the entire game could become cooperative in the future. Shovel Knight, for example, has co-op throughout the whole adventure, and it is a great experience.Level Design and MovementUnlike many current games, community discussions around Isle of Reveries do not revolve around accessibility modifiers or graphics—after all, the game has already made its visual intentions clear—but rather around some structural choices involving its map and movement.Long Journeys and the MapWhile the game gets a lot right with its puzzles, the map design is somewhat problematic. I can say that the world manages to feel both enormous and claustrophobic at the same time.The map often has a linear, labyrinthine structure, with areas made up of very narrow corridors that restrict player movement.This is made worse by the lack of shortcuts for fast travel. When players realize they have taken the wrong path, they are forced to backtrack through the same corridors, which can be very frustrating at times.Pros- Nostalgic art direction inspired by the Game Boy Color.- Very good original soundtrack- The object-copying and creation system is excellentCons- Map design featuring narrow corridors, creating a slight sense of claustrophobia.- Lack of efficient shortcuts/fast travel- The jumping mechanic could be better.ConclusionIsle of Reveries is clearly a love letter to classic action-adventure games. By combining its new item-duplication mechanic with a beautiful, nostalgic world and an engaging narrative, the game shines on its own rather than merely copying older games.Score: 9,0If you enjoy solving puzzles and exploration with light combat, I recommend it!
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