Isle of Reveries by developer and publisher desertcucco—PC(Steam) review written by Richard with a copy provided by the publisher.
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Isle of Reveries is a top down 2D action adventure game that made my nostalgia for old school Zelda games flare up really hard. A good blending of puzzle, exploration, and combat, Isle of Reveries is a wonderful title to experience inside and out.
In Isle of Reveries you take on the role of Lief, an owl who has traveled to the Isle of Reveries with a fellow group who want their wishes to be granted by the Goddess of the island. Needless to say this doesn’t go as easily as hoped. Lief must explore the island, overcoming challenges and monsters, as he works towards his goal. With the aid of a fairy companion and a cast of interesting characters you meet along the way, Lief aims to uncover the secrets of the island.
Isle of
Reveries is a very clearly Zelda inspired title, if I had to guess I would say
it takes biggest inspiration from Link’s Awakening and Oracle of Ages/Seasons,
and it does it very well. Much akin to these older Zelda titles, you will
explore an “overworld” where you’re looking for Dungeons that contain the
reveries. You will meet characters and interact with them, solve their
problems, and get rewarded for it. Finding your way to the next Dungeon is a
puzzle in itself, as you need to use all your wits and tools at your disposal
to even get into the Dungeons. Once inside things are taken up a notch, with
more enemies, tougher puzzles, and unique Dungeon mechanics to explore.
Along the
course of your adventure you can pick up many tools to help you out. Some of
these tools are actually really unique as well. While you have a few classics,
there are also some that I’ve rarely seen, if ever. I am being a little vague
here because I feel like discovering the tools and what they are used for are
part of the fun. In addition to your variety of tools, which all require a
magic/stamina resource that regenerates over time, you can also make use of
your fairy companion. This fairy is, surprisingly, quite useful, somewhat
chatty, and arguably the most useful companion I’ve seen in a Zelda-like title
in this style. Your fairy friend is capable of copying most types of objects.
This includes pots, blocks, torches, statues, and a lot of other things.
Exploring
the island you can equip up to three tools, that includes a sword. Choosing the
best tools for the job is pretty important. Unlike in most Zelda games where
you probably only need one tool and a sword, some puzzles and bosses may
require a full loadout of three different tools, and the sword may be useless.
Luckily you can swap out tools on the go from your pause menu. Let me tell you
though, some of the puzzles made my brain hurt. In a good way, but good lord
did I feel unconscionably dumb half the time I figured out the answer. Pro tip,
if you can’t figure out what to do, you probably need to use the fairy for
something. The two times I got absolutely stumped for an hour or two were
because I forgot I could copy things with the fairy.
As you
explore the island and the Dungeons you will come across trinkets, of which you
can equip up to three. These can only be changed out at save points and provide
an array of different benefits. A few such examples include faster magic
regeneration, making all thrown items explode (I liked this one), and making a
noise when certain specific chests/interactable points are on the screen.
Deciding upon a loadout for your trinkets can be as important as choosing your
tools.
The
overworld and the Dungeons all have their own interesting themes. The Overworld
comes in the flavour of eight distinct biomes all with their own scenery,
themes, and style of area. Maybe one is flooded, one has quicksand, one has a
lot of annoying rocks you need to walk around. Each biome comes with it’s own
enemy types as well as environmental effects and objects. Similarly, Dungeons
all have a unique theme and mechanic. One of my personal favourites was
actually the second last Dungeon. It has a bit of a unique premise to it that
requires you to use only some basic tools. Arguably I forgot I could copy
almost anything with the fairy and spent an hour pulling my hair out before
feeling dumb when I realized I could just copy it over with the fairy, but I
really enjoyed the Dungeon design.
Both
Overworld and Dungeon exploration is done screen by screen, where moving into
the next room, or frame on the overworld, puts you on the connecting screen.
Moving between biomes or caves/houses in the overworld, or up and down floors
in Dungeons, will count as a sort of “full transition”. Why I bring this up is
that enemies do not respawn when changing screens, but when you go through a “full
transition”, something that can be useful if you’re low on health or need to
play more carefully. Speaking of health, just like in classic Zelda format you
need to discover four pieces to get an extra heart. Have fun searching for
them!
As an
additional note, you will eventually come across a rather peaceful valley. It
is here where you can have any character you interact with gather after meeting
certain requirements. As you build up your little village you can take on
requests from the inhabitants, or build structures in the village. These
structures require building materials that can be dropped from defeating
enemies.
The graphic
and sound design for Isle of Reveries is also a well thought out decision.
Graphics remind me of playing my Gameboy Colour Zelda titles back in the day,
searching for heart containers and trying to find the next key for that locked
door in the Dungeon. Here the graphics are just like that old school vibe, a
retro bit style that speaks to the nostalgia of an older generation while still
being visually appealing enough for modern players. The sound design also takes
me back to that same era, and each tune is well fitting for the location, often
giving a more sad or melancholic feel that the game takes on, as opposed to the
peppy tunes that used to be more common.
As much as
I have loved Isle of Reveries, there are a few issues here and there. There
were a few puzzles I solved unintentionally by messing with either my copied
object placement or by doing a series of weird jumps and finagling myself
somewhere I shouldn’t be or completely messed up by moving something in an
unintended way. Good news is that most issues can be resolved either by leaving
and re-entering the room/screen, or by quitting to title and reloading. There
are a few glitches that popped up now and again. The most frustrating was
probably being unable to re-enter the fifth Dungeon after completing it, some
weird screen wrapping during the ending cutscene, or one specific textbox
shifting when talking to the crow buddies outside the tavern. Fortunately, the developer
is paying attention and is fixing any issues that arise, so those issues may be
resolved already by the time you read this.
Before I
wrap things up here, let me just say that Isle of Reveries isn’t particularly
easy. I’d definitely put it in the harder category, as some areas and enemies
can beat the tar out of you, even with max health and upgraded gear some areas
are still pretty tough. Personally I appreciate the challenge and found it
rather enjoyable, but expect to die a few dozen times throughout your
playthrough.
Overall Isle of Reveries is an absolutely stellar title done extremely well. A sort of fan or homage game for old 2D Zelda titles that has also broken through the “fan game” ceiling to be able to stand well on its own. With unique tools, an interesting cast of characters, and some wonderful overworld and dungeon design, Isle of Reveries will have you fighting through enemies, scratching your head at puzzles, and getting invested in the world for quite a while. Wrapped up in a nice retro style visual and sound design package, I would highly recommend Isle of Reveries for any looking to relive those old-school titles or for those looking for a 2D action adventure.
Score: 10 / 10
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