Minute of Islands Reviews
Minute of Islands is a beautiful thing, but the gameplay can't keep up and there's no real narrative to be found.
It's Mo's grandmother who urges Mo to go to a place she has always feared. The place, it turns out, is not anywhere near as repulsive as the intricate musculature of the underground caves, or the harsh reality of the island being killed by fungus. Instead, it's beautiful; the full scope of Minute of Islands' colors are on full display, with intricate, marvelous mushrooms growing out of what was once flesh and spore. But this is also a place Mo can only enter without the comfort of her Omni Switch. Her fear, it seems, is not tied to the monstrous, but instead, to vulnerability.
Though Minute of Islands is far from bland or unoriginal on the visual side of things, it's the game's lack of an equally-committed drive to its gameplay or even its delivery of a narrative where Studio Fizbil's efforts falter as a result.
Tainted by minimalist and overly repetitive gameplay, Minute of Islands is a gloomy, colorful and beautiful painting at the same time that stands out only for its pencil stroke.
Review in French | Read full review
Minute of Islands is an adventure where the story and its themes get the main stage, while the gameplay is mostly there to get the story going, but it stands among other games thanks to the depth of its narrative. The added value are the outstanding illustrations, sort of a mix between Attack on Titan and Adventure Time, that manage to create a fresh, colourful, intriguing, but at the same time disturbing world, just like Mo's adventure.
Review in Italian | Read full review
I think that playing through Minute of Islands is worth your time if you enjoy dark themed stories and distinctive art, but don’t come with high expectations for the puzzles or platforming.
Light on puzzles, high on atmosphere.
Still, the overall effect is pretty strong. The lovely presentation pairs nicely with the melancholic story, and you're left with a short but atmospheric and intriguing adventure.
It only takes just over four hours to fall in love with Minute of Islands, an indie adventure that plays with the user's expectations, attracting him with his boyish graphic manhood in a corrupt, exhausting island world, with an uncertain history, as on the other hand, the nature of the characters acting within it is uncertain.
Review in Italian | Read full review
What Minute of Islands lacks in gameplay, it makes up for with it's beautiful world and in-depth story telling. If you want a faced-paced, action-packed adventure, Minute of Islands is a game you'll want to skip. But for those of you who want a more relaxing, narrative-based game, I highly recommend checking it out.
Minutes of Islands is truly an impressive game, both visually and narratively. While its slow-burn nature might deter some players from experiencing what it has to offer, it's hard not to admit that it does what it does well.
Studio Fizbin have crafted a wonderful experience that achieves exactly what it sets out to do. It’s set in an intriguing world and tells an emotional story that explores a specific type of sadness, and how it affects relationships between loved ones. I can’t remember the last time a game affected me so much that I yelled at my screen due to something a character said. Despite my pedantry, I had a brilliant time with Minute of Islands and look forward to playing it again some day.
The world is slowly falling apart, and you are the only one who can protect it in Minute of Islands. With the weight of the world on your shoulders, you must sail across the ocean to save family, friends, and even yourself from harm.
Minute of Islands is a title with an excellent premise accompanied by a strong visual appeal, but that delivers a gameplay shallow and not as interesting as the story it proposes to tell.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
While I fully understand that this game's impact was made stronger by my own personal experiences, I think Minute of Islands is something special for all. The care put into the artistry at nearly every level shows mastery of the art form that few others are able to match. Studio Fizbin is an incredible collective of artists, both with the pen and with code, and I cannot wait to see what they make next.
Overall Minute of Islands is a deep, thoughtful narrative experience with just enough weight to its simple gameplay to keep interest as you push through to its conclusion. It deals with some difficult subject matter in an engaging and challenging story, and while there are aspects I’d have liked to see it go a little deeper on, for the length and scope of the game I really can’t fault it.
Minute of Islands is an incredibly stunning game with a timely narrative, minimal gameplay, and small platforming puzzles.
Minute of Islands is a richly beautiful tale where the world has fallen after a toxic plague. Survivors now depend on air purifiers powered by Giants but now those life-saving machines have shut down. Protagonist Mo must travel through various islands to try and resolve the issue while battling her own demons. The gameplay is simple and exploration limited but Minute of Islands succeeds in delivering a dark emotional journey worth experiencing.
Minute of Islands is a decent adventure game. Visually it is good to look at, minus the gorier scenes, which I could have done without. The gameplay, while good, gets a little repetitive going in a loop off: travel to an island, activate the purifier, find the giant, activate the giant. If you’re a fan of the aesthetics and enjoy relaxed gameplay then Minute of Islands could be just what you are looking for.
Somehow, these two negative qualities balance out and allow Minute of Islands to tell a story about obsession and stubbornness that’ll resonate strongly with people predisposed to those traits.