Islanders | PS4 Review
Updated: Nov 19, 2021
Islanders is a very minimalistic and relaxing city-building game developed by Grizzly Games and published by Coatsink. It is currently available on Windows PC, PlayStation, XBox, and Nintendo Switch. For the purposes of this review, I was playing on the PlayStation 4 version.
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The object of Islanders is to build a thriving little island and to rack up as many points as you can in doing so. There are two modes to play here: Highscore mode, and Sandbox mode. I will start off with the Highscore mode, where you are given a proceduraly generated island to start off with. At the bottom of the screen you are presented with options to build, and the more that you build and the better you score, more and more options unlock. Certain items and buildings are required to be built close to others, and there are some tips on how to do this on screen. There are various paths you can choose from what is offerred to you, and all depending on how you get on, your score will increase or else you run out of viable options on your island and your game will be over. Should you be successful and manage to fill up your island with a thriving setup, you can move on to another island in the area and add to your score. Scores can be uploaded to the global leaderboards, should you wish to do that.
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The Sandbox mode allows you to play around with all of the features at your disposal in the game without the score option or the need to unlock items and buildings as you progress. This is particularly good for those wishing to spend more time on the game, and gives you the ability to build up massive islands, with all of the different types of buildings and structures that are available in the game. It also acts as a very good option to learn what all of the buildings are for. You can certainly create some amazing and very interesting islands.
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The game mechanics are very simple and straightforward, with the controls being thumbstick and trigger buttons. There is a photo mode available using the triangle button should you wish to capture any islands that you have built up and want to show off. In the options menu you have settings for language, tutorial and tool tips, you can adjust the volume levels for gameplay and music, as well as checking out the credits for the game. Islanders is visually pleasing to the eye and the in-game music is very chilled and relaxing, as is the game. You can jump on for short spells just as much as you can get engrossed in some lengthy gaming sessions, so there is value for money here with the game having a relatively small pricetag.
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To sum up, Islanders offers great value for money, with its low pricetag, and is a very chilled and relaxing game experience. For the casual city building fan, as well as those who want to get more into detail with their building, there are options here catering for both. Graphics and sound all add to the experience, and the proceduraly generated setup means that the game is different everytime, adding that extra element to it all. It is definitely a little game that should be in your library, especially for fans of this genre, but equally for anyone just looking to try out a little chilled and relaxing city building game that is not too in-depth.
g1a5w3g1an's Rating: 4 proceduraly generated Islands out of 5.
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For more information on Islanders please use the following links...
GrizzlyGames - Developer | Facebook | Twitter | Website
Coatsink - Publisher | Facebook | Twitter | Website
Many thanks to Coatsink for the Review Key.
Islanders | Steam Store | PlayStation Store | XBox Live | Nintendo eShop
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