We live for surprise releases during E3, and we have a good’un in the form of Minute of Islands.
Coming from The Inner World developers Studio Fizbin, it’s a narrative adventure that follows a young girl called Mo, who has been handed the Omni-switch, a tool that gives her the ability to power up and down the alien machinery on a series of islands. The community has come to rely on you, as you ensure purifiers keep running, removing killer spores from the atmosphere. Except the story starts as the power goes down, and the spores begin to spread.
We’ve had the pleasure of playing Minute of Islands, and have a review readied. It’s a gorgeous game, a Cartoon Network show in playable form, and its confidence and style make it worth a play alone.
As you travel from island to island, looking to return power, you will come across individuals who are questioning whether to leave and find a safer home. There’s a loneliness about Minute of Islands, as everyone has evacuated or died long ago, and only a few family members and friends remain.
Gameplay comes in the form of exploration, finding a path across each island, and some lightweight puzzling as you try to connect power cells to sockets. This will get four giants tending their machines again, bringing life to the archipelago.
Key features include:
- Wield the powerful Omni Switch throughout story-based environmental puzzles and platform gameplay to regain control over the giants’ machines.
- Face the dark truth beneath the islands’ surfaces and unravel an emotional poetic story, narrated by actress Megan Gay.
- Explore a fantastic handcrafted world across multiple unique islands, meet curious characters and creatures, and uncover the archipelago’s secrets.
We found the gameplay to be a little slight, but there are some fantastic twists and a cracking storyline to experience here, making it a full recommendation. Play with headphones on to get the most of it.
Minute of Islands is out now on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S with a £19.99 price from the Xbox Store. It’s also out on PS4, PS5, Switch and PC.
Game Description:
You are Mo, a skilled tinkerer, living with her family on a pastoral archipelago, once inhabited by an ancient race of inscrutable giants. Their otherworldly but vital machines, festering in the underbellies of the islands themselves, must be kept going or an ever-present threat will swallow all. Mo vows to restore the hidden engines in time, but is this truly what she needs?
