Minute of Islands

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.