Yoku's Island Express Reviews
As you watch Yoku’s ball fling the dung beetle helplessly across Mokumana Island for the hundredth time, it’s hard not to come to the realisation that Yoku’s Island Express is a rare and special treat.
Yoku's Island Express is the perfect combination of your favourite Metroidvania game, a watercolour painting and pinball. The majority of your time within the game will be spent flying around the screen as you furiously try and make it through all of the pinball-based enclosed areas, areas which never repeat, never get old, and never overstay their welcome. The rest of your time will be spent interacting with all of the lovable characters, experiencing the humour of the writing, collecting items, and delivering mail. Not bad for the first day on the job for our young protagonist!
Yoku's Island Express is a very original title that combines two popular genres of video games. In addition to that audiovisual is very beautiful. It takes a little more time and more difficulty, but that is not enough to stop it from being a very enjoyable game.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Yoku's Island Express is the best indie game that I've played this year so far.
In conclusion we must say to be very satisfied with this little indie labeled Villa Gorilla; Yoku's Island Express is really a nice game, colorful, fun and full of adventure. It offers an always exciting challenge and proposes a genre that is certainly different from the usual one that mixes a classic platform with pinball components and exploratory parts. In short, a varied title with excellent facets that will surely offer you a good chance for fun!
Review in Italian | Read full review
A blend of mismatched genres that somehow works, Yoku's Island Express is a beguiling game of modest brilliance.
To think, Sonic Spinball was onto something all of those years ago. Yoku's Island Express is delightful and fun from start to finish
Like a unique cocktail, Yoku's Island Express mixes with taste, and in intelligent way, the typical elements from metroidvania adventures with pinball's game mechanics, giving as a result a very enjoyable and adictive game that feels unique and it's very fun. A game that those who are tired from the same formulas will enjoy the most.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Overall, there's not a lot to dislike about Yoku's Island Express. It's deep, it's fun, and while the main character may not be memorable as a Rayman or a Mario, the gameplay is so well-planned that you aren't in need of a strong lead character to make it all work. Villa Gorilla did one helluva job with this release and it's a game that shouldn't be overlooked.
Yoku's Island Express is a game that you'll encourage others to check out the minute you start playing. Aside from the gorgeous aesthetics, the use of pinball mechanics is inspired, and the execution of the mechanics is done well. It's a relatively short experience, but it feels packed with tons of side-quests if you can deal with the backtracking seeming to go on a little longer than usual due to the pinball mechanics. Overall, Yoku's Island Express is a brilliant game that adventure fans need.
With only a few small niggles to complain about, Yoku's Island Express successfully merges pinball and platforming without ever making the former feel like a gimmick. Its beautiful presentation and fun, engaging exploration blend together to create a truly unique experience.
All said, Yoku's Island Express is a breath of fresh and creative air on the Switch and just what this jaded gamer needed to get out of a pretty serious "more of the same" funk. As a life-long fan of pinball I'm thrilled with the result and enjoyed the many ways mechanical concepts from physical machines managed to get integrated into this adventure-style format. Even if you're more of a pinball novice, in general the controls are pretty friendly and approachable, you'll just need to develop a sense of timing and pay attention to certain patterns to determine what you'll need to do to progress. If you're down for something with boatloads of charm and heart mixed with a style of play you've likely never experienced before it is well worth picking up.
Yoku's Island Express is a wondrous adventure that blends the Metroidvania genre and pinball in a satisfying way. This is one title to keep your eye on, even for those thinking that pinball is not for them as it certainly won me over.
Yoku's Island Express is a unique genre mix with fun pinball mechanics and great presentation. A lot of fun for pinball fans
Review in German | Read full review
In short, if you are looking for a good platform game, fun and challenging, Yoku's Island Express will not only meet your expectations, but will exceed them. An excellent game that mixes two genres in a very successful way.
Yoku's Island Express is a novel Metroidvania-pinball hybrid that stands out as something wholly unique. It blends those clashing genres with a beautiful island style, and its satisfying flippers and bumpers make uncovering its wide island a ton of fun. Retreading completed areas while hunting for secrets can occasionally get stale, but Yoku's Island Express has a refreshingly positive attitude that kept me smiling the whole way through.
A strangely successful mix of genres that plays both a mean pinball and a highly competent game of Metroidvania, and all wrapped up in some utterly charming presentation.
Villa Gorilla mixes genres and manages to deliver a great game that brings huge doses of fun and entertainment. Yoku's Island Express is a true experience that should be played.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Yoku's Island Express has been a fantastic surprise. This original mix of platforms, exploration, RPG and the gameplay of a pinball works and is very entertaining. The design of levels is careful to detail and the game is full of surprises, hidden phases, interesting characters and a story that you want to complete.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
One part Metroidvania, one part pinball game, Yoku's Island Express is a beautiful mashup that just shouldn't work. But it does, and as a result, it's just wonderful.