Castaway Survival In Ocean: Build Your Own Raft, Craft

The thing is, Castaway most reminded us of inferior Zelda clones from back in the '90s. There’s just something about the slowness of the character that we found a bit frustrating. The overall simplicity of both gameplay options makes it difficult to fully recommend to anyone other than die-hard genre fans. There are no NPCs to talk to, no quirky alligators, villagers, or owls to add variety to the experience - all that’s left is an incredibly short and unoriginal, if pretty, action RPG.

A pleasant homage to the 2D The Legend of Zelda games, with a sense that the studio could be bolder in adding more of its own identity. Still, it delivers good fun in a short, simple game that ultimately proves satisfying.

I could see this game getting a larger sequel or additional modes but as it stands it is a family-friendly, affordable, approachable tribute to one of gaming’s greatest adventures and that is pretty special.

Castaway brought a well planned mix of elements to compose an adventure that's brief but has an interesting level of challenge. If it offered more dungeon and enemy variation, it'd definitely get the highlight it deserves as its gameplay and mechanics are fun enough to make players keep playing even the repetitive floors of the Tower.

If you're looking for a 30- to 40-hour adventure, Castaway is not for you. If you can appreciate a budget-priced, bite-sized love letter to a gaming classic, Castaway is right up your alley. For a busy gamer, the short play sessions are a plus, not a negative, and the speedrun mode adds additional replay value.

Mediocrity achieved through an imbalance of content and aesthetics. Castaway is at an unfortunate place where it’ll inevitably be drowned out and forgotten due to a lack of anything noteworthy to remember it aside from its exceedingly short gameplay. Yes, it’s cheap, but so are other much more satisfying and complete games. In a way, it almost feels like it’s a demo being marketed as a complete game.

I appreciate Castaway, as it really does capture the same vibes as a GBC Legend of Zelda game would, but wish there was more to it.

A tiny piece of top-down Zelda meant to be mastered, Castaway is not perfect, but possesses all the tools to awaken the casual perfectionist in any player.

Castaway doesn't reinvent the wheel, nor does it intend to. What Canari Games set out to do is to create a rock solid, short-but-sweet experience, and this endearing adventure game achieves just that.

Castaway offers a pleasant way to pass a few hours for those wanting a light Zelda experience or maybe for those who’ve never had one. Its roguelike mode is definitely a highlight if you’re looking for something a bit different, but it’s a good idea not to go into the game as a whole expecting more than a fun diversion. I’d love to see either a new setting for a sequel or new game modes added in the future as there’s a lot to like about the simple charm of this deserted island and its plucky hero.