Developed by Banana Bird Studios and published by Whitethorn Digital, Beasts of Maravilla Island is a new 3D adventure where you play as a young photographer. The game is set on the mysterious Maravilla Island where flora and fauna are unique and nothing like normal islands. This short adventure is excellent for players who love photography or just want to explore beautiful areas filled with magical animals and plants. This is our review of Beasts of Maravilla Island in which we explore a beautiful island and photograph some amazing flora and fauna.
The main gameplay of Beasts of Maravilla Island involves photography and exploration of the beautiful island of Maravilla. The mysterious island has plenty of surprises for you and you figure this out right when you first land on the island. Unlike most stories, this is not some island hidden away from the world in the middle of thunderstorms. True, the island is secluded and far away, but we arrive on a commercial ship, and it shows that the island is easily accessible to people. You step in the shoes of a young, aspiring photographer who was given a task by her grandfather to fill his journal with pictures of flora and fauna found on the island and share the island’s beauty with the world.
Right after landing on the island, you can clearly see that the island is really pretty. I loved the island design and how colorful and lively it appears. Everything from the flora to the fauna of the island feels right at the place and in perfect harmony. Nothing stands out or looks alien on the island. The flora and fauna sure are unique and most of them are combinations of different animals that we find in the real world. Right after arriving, you whip out your camera and start capturing different flora and fauna found on the island.
The island is divided into different areas and each area has a main specie that inhabits it. There are plenty of other living things in the same area as well such as beetles, butterflies, bats, flowers, and tons of other species falling in both flora and fauna. Your goal is to complete your journal where the normal flora and fauna just have to be captured and one picture is enough for their collection however for the main species, you have to find and capture them performing specific actions such as mating rituals or dancing or such.
Your journal keeps track of everything that you capture and allows you to view all of your pictures. Each species of flora and fauna gets 20 pictures each however you can look at them and delete the ones that you do not need in order to catch more pictures of them. Each area has small and easy-to-solve puzzles as well that will give you access to the next area however nothing is too difficult and is extremely relaxing to complete. You can easily complete the whole game and complete it 100% easily in 2.5 hours.
Some of the puzzles also require you to interact with different animals and help them out in various things. For example, at one time, I had to help out a pair of Rainbow Crest Quetzal Monkeys to complete their mating dance by illuminating the area with spotlights via a plant. Simple puzzles like these allow you to interact with various animals on the island because if you help the animals, they help you out as well. You can keep a log of everything in your journal where you can keep whatever pictures you want to keep and delete the ones that you do not need.
The Island of Maravilla is pretty much linear and you have a set path in order to progress further in the game. Some areas do give you extra areas to explore where you can interact with additional animals and even unlock some cool Easter Eggs for example in the first level, I was able to sing along with the Rainbow Crest Quetzal Monkeys and once they became friendly, the whole family came out to put on a show for me.
Small things here and there on the island really combine to deliver a solid experience. There is not a single thing in the game that would induce stress rather the game can easily relieve your stress after a long and hectic day with its carefree gameplay and soothing visuals. There is a little bit of platforming in the game as well such as places where you must climb vines and move around small platforms to reach areas ahead of you however nothing is too difficult. Photographing is really easy in the game as well as you can move around the area with your camera equipped and if you find something new, the game tells you whether that animal or plant is new for you, or you have already photographed it before.
Coming to the technical side of the game, there are a few hiccups here and there in the game. Starting with the most obvious one, the control of the character. It feels a little clunky at some times and a little more refinement would have made the movement much better. In certain places, the character tends to get stuck, and then after a few awkward moments, you get free from these places. These are extremely rare in the main paths but if you go a little bit here and there, you often get stuck in invisible barriers.
Throughout my gameplay, there was no game-breaking bug for me, and I complete the game in one sitting pretty easily. Since there is little skill involved for game completing, the completion time for the majority of players will remain in the same 2-hour window. The sound design is good as well and you actually feel like you are inside a jungle or exploring a river. I did not encounter any visual glitches in the game as well however in certain areas, the character looked a little blurry but that may be because of the game’s visual design. Overall, these small hiccups here and there do very small to ruin the amazing gameplay experience of the title.
Final Verdict:
Beasts of Maravilla Island is an amazing experience and the only problem with the game is that it is too short. This is either because you are so immersed in the game that you just keep playing it, eventually, it ends, and you are left wanting for more. On its own, the game is amazing and is not too short as well, but the level of immersion makes you feel like the game is really small. The world is beautiful and lively, and the colorful flora and fauna are greatly designed as well. The low-challenge, highly engaging gameplay is perfect for when you want to relax and enjoy a beautiful title. Beasts of Maravilla Island will cater to a large number of players and for someone who loves exploration and photography, this is the perfect title. I really hope the developer follows up with a sequel or a similar title in the future. Highly recommended!
Final Score: 9.0/10
