Beasts of Maravilla Island Reviews
Journey through the jungles.
Beasts of Maravilla Island is a relaxing and colorful game. And while you can find wonderful creatures, interacting with and photographing them isn't a challenge. The puzzles that propose you in the adventure are few and are not well designed. Even so, it is a game, although simple, intuitive and is good for new players or players who enjoy a game without much demand.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Beasts of Maravilla Island is a little getaway that lasts for a few hours, but its flaws make the trip a little less than memorable.
The guided tour quickly becomes overbearing and the initial drive to document any magical wildlife never recovers.
You’ll likely be done with Beasts of Maravilla Island in a couple of hours: it’s short and sweet. And while it might not be as good as the games we’ve compared it to, it’s still a pleasant and relaxing experience that we’ve enjoyed our time with. Some additional features – like photography grading – could have taken it to the next level, but as a budget release, we can’t complain too much.
The inherent curiosity cultivated by both Marina and her grandfather for the unusual and diverse wildlife within Beasts of Maravilla Island, makes the several hours of game time a delight to experience. The various issues fail to detract too much from the overall enjoyment of discovering unusual creatures and documenting them all in Marina's inherited journal through photographs, and revealing the true nature of the island which serves as a reminder that humans have a duty to protect and conserve the world, rather than selfishly destroy it.
A cute and colourful game that has unique creatures and flora for you to discover and take photos of. Perfect for a casual gamer who wants a laid-back experience where they can just snap pictures that they aren't judged on to fill a few hours.
I can't describe Beasts of Maravilla Island as anything less than a disappointment on the Nintendo Switch. While performance on the console absolutely breaks the experience, what little is there to begin with feels lackluster and basic. The creatures and its world are without a doubt the highlight of the game, but even so interaction and creativity in your photography is limited from every angle. I've been a huge proponent of photography video games, but with its surge over the recent years I've realized that I've also become more critical of games wanting to evoke that feeling of photography, but don't seem to fully understand how it can be both a tool for gameplay and creativity. If you're looking for a creative photographic experience I'd recommend titles like Umurangi Generation and (New) Pokémon Snap. Heck even other games that have non-essential photo-modes like Blue Fire, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate allow you more creativity than Beasts of Maravilla Island. This unfortunately makes Beast of Maravilla Island an Island I don't ever plan on revisiting.
Beasts of Maravilla Island is a little escape from everyday worries that lasts around two to three hours. Its shortcomings make it a slightly less memorable trip. The game is definitely not worth repeating, so I recommend you enjoy your first playthrough to the fullest. Despite the charming story here, there's still plenty of room for improvement.
Review in Czech | Read full review
Beasts of Maravilla has great ideas and potential, but that doesn't save it from being a shallow and, ultimately, forgettable experience.
While the original Pokemon Snap wasn't particularly well executed, the idea it brought to the table was at least a novel one...
I can understand why someone could come away supremely disappointed with Beasts of Maravilla Island, but I don't think I'm one of those people. Games like these are rare and should be supported, so if you found any interest to latch onto in this review, get your tickets to Maravilla Island and experience the wonder of this brief mythical photography tour.
Beasts of Maravilla Island is an entertaining romp through a magical island. Taking photos of the wildlife is fun. It is a game that any age group from the youngest to the oldest would enjoy playing, though for now I would advise playing the game on PC. At least until the kinks are ironed out of the Nintendo Switch version of Maravilla Island. This is also reflected in my score which would have been I Like It A Lot, had the game performed better on my Switch.
Simple game with a simple adventure, full of exoticism and magic. An island that seems removed from the history of this planet, to enjoy the flora and fauna to shoot dozens, or hundreds of photos, and even to improve the shots. A brief journey in a game that is perhaps very simple, but also curious and fascinating.
Review in Spanish | Read full review