Developer(s) – Kyle Thompson
Publisher(s) – Armor Games Inc.
Director(s) – Kyle Thompson
PEGI – 7
Released originally in 2023 on Steam, and later finding its way onto a host of different consoles and platforms, Islets is a Metroidvania game with all the additional gaming tropes associated with the genre. And offering players a deceptively calm experience, but with plenty of action to keep them busy. I went into it with medium expectations of what kind of Metroidvania I thought it was in for. That it would be a lot more run-of-the-mill than what the final product turned out to be. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it’s anything but run-of-the-mill in all aspects
Graphics – 9/10
Starting with the game’s visuals, strong Studio Ghibli vibes are perpetuated throughout. Making use of colorful and serene environments as well as dark and dangerous ones thrown in for good measure. Having experienced the boss fights and the game’s grittier locations, I was also reminded a lot of the artwork and animatic style of David Firth. Especially where the last 3 bosses were concerned. The game’s soundtrack at times also reminded me of a lot of Aphex Twin, whose music coincidentally found its way on one or two of David Firth’s animations back in the day.
The main thing to point out, however, is the nature of the game’s deceptively calm and tranquil feel. The game’s tagline is “a surprisingly wholesome Metroidvania”. But the real surprise is also how tense things can get throughout. The combat in Islets does particularly well to keep players on edge when they aren’t enjoying the serenity in between fights
Gameplay – 8/10
Speaking of the game’s combat system, the game, for the most part, plays out like a traditional Metroidvania. Players must explore the world around them, fight enemies, and gain new abilities, which grant them access to new areas to explore and new collectibles to find. However, a feature of gameplay new to the genre (at least new to me), was the airship. Players also have an airship with which they can travel around a kind of hub area linking all the others together. For me, it opens up the door for other developers to take inspiration from this and to create new and potentially even better Metroidvanias that have even more areas to explore. I was particularly impressed with this feature and would like to see it implemented more throughout the genre. It also fits nicely into the game’s general plot.
Controls – 10/10
There are also no issues with the controls; concerning either the traditional Metroidvania segments or the vehicular traveling system. That aspect of Islets, in particular, is handled extremely well, with things such as an upgrade system implemented as well as even vehicular combat. Some of the boss fights fought in the airship make for some of the better boss fights in the game, even perpetuating elements of bullet hell games thrown in like X-Type+ or Platypus.
Lifespan – 5.5/10
Finishing it to 100% took me around 12 hours. This was the only aspect of the game that I found to be somewhat underwhelming. The reason, as I briefly touched on before, is that although the travel system does potentially pave the way for more Metroidvania developers to follow suit, it’s because of that in and of itself that makes Islets seem a lot shorter than what it could’ve been. There is also a boss rush and higher difficulties available to run through the main game to add to the lifespan. But although I thoroughly enjoyed the 12 hours I spent on it, I think it’s a shame that it couldn’t have been made to last longer still.
Storyline – 7/10
The game’s story follows an aspiring adventurer named Iko. He is thrust into the world to later be caught up in a quest to reunite five floating islands. These islands are normally held together with electromagnetic cores. But due to neglect, the cores became dormant and the islands separated again.
The game’s basic premise is interesting enough. But what makes the story truly memorable is the cast of supporting characters. A lot of them, especially Snoot, provide comic relief. Snoot, in particular, is a character much like Captain Qwark from Ratchet and Clank or Zapp Brannigan from Futurama. A character who talks a big game, but is a lot less competent than what he lets on.
Originality – 8/10
Although for the most part, the game plays out like a traditional Metroidvania, its many charming and wonderful features do make it stand out among the crowd. Namely in its conceptual design, in its approach to traveling, and in the boss fight designs as well. In principle, it’s very similar to Ori and The Blind Forest and Ori and the Will of the Wisps. But at the same time, it offers gamers a much different experience than the two former games. And it makes for an impressive experience
To me, Islets is another enjoyable Metroidvania title to have been released over the last two gaming generations, and I can’t recommend it enough. There’s something for everyone. From players wanting to experience combat sequences to players wanting to enjoy a peaceful and relaxing adventure.