Alba: A Wildlife Adventure

Following its release last year on PC and Apple Arcade, Alba: A Wildlife Adventure has now made its way to consoles. And, honestly, I’m gutted I haven’t played it sooner.

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"Alba: A Wildlife Adventure" is a game where you play as Alba, visiting her grandparents on a Mediterranean island. The peaceful summer plans of wildlife exploration with her friend Ines take a turn when she encounters an animal in danger. The game encourages environmental conservation through its gameplay and planting one tree for every download in collaboration with Ecologi. Explore the beautiful island, help the wildlife, and make a difference.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

98%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,410 reviews

story248 positive mentions

stability20 negative mentions

Charming and adorable premise with a heartwarming story about wildlife conservation.
Beautiful graphics and sound design that create a relaxing atmosphere.
Engaging gameplay that encourages exploration and interaction with the environment.

The game feels quite short, typically completed in around 3-5 hours.
Some technical issues, such as slow character movement and occasional glitches.
Limited variety of animals, with a heavy focus on birds, which may not appeal to everyone.

story
669 mentions
37 % positive mentions
62 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The story of "Alba: A Wildlife Adventure" is a charming and heartwarming tale centered around a young girl, Alba, who embarks on a mission to protect her island's wildlife and environment from corporate greed. While the narrative is straightforward and simple, it effectively conveys themes of conservation and community, making it suitable for players of all ages, especially children. The game is relatively short, taking around 3-5 hours to complete, but allows for exploration and completion of side quests afterward, enhancing the overall experience.
- “The story is sweet and earnest; it's unabashedly pro-environment and might help children learn the value of conservation.”
- “Through Alba's mission to protect the island's wildlife and restore its natural balance, the game effortlessly instills a sense of responsibility and the importance of taking action to preserve our environment.”
- “An absolutely brilliant game, has such a heart-warming and inspiring story, amazing graphics and has been such a pleasure to 100%, definitely recommend this game!”
- “The gameplay is simple, and the story is the common 'evil man/woman/corporation/etc. wants to destroy nature and kill the animals to build a luxury thing for humans; the little guy/girl/etc. stands up and wins' that you've probably already heard.”
- “The story is straightforward and a bit short, the tasks are not that varied or influence the game but the people and place itself is interesting enough to warrant exploration.”
- “It's such a shame the story is fairly short and it's completed very quickly though because the visuals are stunning, the gameplay is simple and the message of the story is one that is dear to me.”
emotional
391 mentions
99 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of "Alba: A Wildlife Adventure" is overwhelmingly positive, with players describing it as a heartwarming and wholesome experience that evokes feelings of nostalgia and joy. Many reviewers noted that the game's simple yet touching story, charming characters, and beautiful visuals made them feel deeply connected to the narrative, often leading to emotional moments, including tears at the end. Overall, it is celebrated as a delightful, feel-good game that promotes environmental awareness and community spirit, making it particularly suitable for families and younger audiences.
- “It's emotionally refreshing and life-affirming to visit little independent worlds like Alba's from time to time.”
- “The story is very touching, and I felt warm inside after playing it.”
- “This game is a beautiful and emotional experience with a super good message about the preservation of our environment.”
graphics
277 mentions
58 % positive mentions
40 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Alba: A Wildlife Adventure" are widely praised for their charming, simplistic art style that effectively captures the cozy atmosphere of a Mediterranean island. Players appreciate the vibrant colors, cute character designs, and well-animated wildlife, which enhance the overall experience despite some minor technical issues and occasional graphical glitches. The visuals, combined with a delightful soundtrack, create an engaging and relaxing environment that resonates with players of all ages.
- “The graphics and style are unique, and the adventure of finding all the creatures in the game and completing the quests is a fun challenge.”
- “The art style and graphics fit the game style perfectly and make it a joy to wander and discover the island.”
- “The graphics are gorgeous and entice you to explore every corner of the island.”
- “The game runs very poorly for its minimalistic graphics and has a few bugs (not getting achievements, locked tasks that can't be completed, bird species that can't be found or birds sitting still in mid-air on invisible tree branches).”
- “Graphics aren't anything special, but they get the job done and the game is pleasant to look at (I did encounter a few graphical errors but nothing game-breaking).”
- “Alba: a wildlife adventure has a nice setting, with some wonderful visuals, but it gets let down by the fact that your character’s walking speed is dreadfully slow; even running isn’t that fast.”
gameplay
262 mentions
37 % positive mentions
61 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The gameplay of *Alba: A Wildlife Adventure* is characterized by its simplicity and therapeutic nature, primarily revolving around exploring an island, taking photos of wildlife, and completing light quests. While the mechanics are straightforward and accessible, making it suitable for younger audiences, some players find the experience repetitive and lacking depth, leading to a desire for more complex gameplay. Overall, the game offers a relaxing and charming experience, enhanced by beautiful visuals and a heartwarming narrative, though its short duration may leave some players wanting more.
- “The gameplay is simple but not too simple where I felt like everything was too easy.”
- “The gameplay is intuitive and original, the characters and interactions are well done, colors are wonderful, and the message is extremely heartfelt.”
- “The gameplay itself is both engaging and relaxing.”
- “The gameplay loop consists of running around, and the most complex mechanic is taking pictures or pressing the chosen interact button to solve any problem presented in front of you.”
- “The gameplay is a little bit monotonous, but it's still enough for a short game.”
- “The gameplay is very simple, and the story is the common 'evil man/woman/corporation/etc. wants to destroy nature and kill the animals to build a luxury thing for humans; the little guy/girl/etc. stands up and wins' that you've probably already heard.”
music
221 mentions
60 % positive mentions
39 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, creating a cozy and immersive experience. While some players noted that music is sparse, often replaced by natural soundscapes, many appreciated this design choice as it allows for a deeper connection with the environment. Overall, the soundtrack is described as charming, uplifting, and fitting perfectly with the game's themes and visuals, leaving a lasting impression on players.
- “The music is great and not overpowering the attention to detail in natural soundscapes of the biomes.”
- “The soundtrack is amazing (I still have songs stuck in my head), the graphics are cute, and trying to take the perfect picture of an animal is harder than you may think.”
- “The music is beautiful and adds to the depth of the experience.”
- “However, there is no background music.”
- “I share the same sentiment with a lot of other reviews for this game, that being that I feel like you barely get to hear the music play in-game.”
- “Only towards the end of the game, where they push you to finish the story, do you actually have ambient music... I'm not kidding.”
atmosphere
60 mentions
70 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its cozy, relaxing, and immersive qualities, enhanced by beautiful art, charming sound design, and a soothing soundtrack. Players appreciate the game's ability to evoke emotional responses and create a sense of nostalgia, making it a delightful experience for both casual gamers and those seeking a deeper connection with nature. Overall, the atmosphere is described as warm, inviting, and filled with attention to detail, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
- “The atmosphere created is beautiful alongside the narrative which is somewhat playful yet embodied with an educational twist.”
- “The beautiful art style and ambient sound make you feel like you're on the island yourself and the great soundtrack complements the atmosphere quite nicely.”
- “The game is wonderfully atmospheric as you wander a Spanish Mediterranean island and take pictures of all the animals around you.”
- “The atmosphere of this game is so pretty.”
- “The atmosphere is absolutely joyful and has a feel to it like a good morning cartoon.”
- “Some are more rounded than others, largely based on how well Alba knows them, but they are all charming and contribute a lot to the friendly and inviting atmosphere.”
stability
25 mentions
12 % positive mentions
8 % neutral mentions
80 % negative mentions
The game's stability has received mixed feedback, with many players reporting minor visual glitches and occasional camera issues, but nothing that significantly detracts from the overall experience. While some users experienced no bugs at all, others noted that the glitches were mostly harmless and did not disrupt gameplay. Overall, the game runs well for most, though a few players suggest it could benefit from further polish to address the reported issues.
- “A relaxing, simple, bug-free, and timeless game about enjoying and helping nature.”
- “Runs extremely well, and is bug-free in my experience.”
- “No glitches, never got stuck behind anything; it's a really polished game.”
- “There are far too many glitches and strange visual bugs for a game that costs 18 dollars.”
- “At least fix the glaringly obvious glitches before releasing your game!”
- “It's a little buggy, and the camera does sometimes clip and show weird parts of the world, but this only happened twice in my session.”
replayability
14 mentions
21 % positive mentions
43 % neutral mentions
36 % negative mentions
Overall, the game has limited replayability, with many users noting its short playtime of around 4-5 hours and a straightforward story that doesn't encourage multiple playthroughs. While some players found it enjoyable enough to revisit for its message or to explore different choices, the consensus is that it lacks significant replay value, making it more suitable for a one-time experience or a sale purchase.
- “As short as it is, Alba: A Wildlife Adventure more than earns its keep and has replay value for the sake of experiencing it again.”
- “Awesome game, well made, highly replayable (for kids at least) and worth the 4 hours or so you'll get from it at least.”
- “In terms of replayability, there isn't much, but I am interested in going back anyway and seeing what happens when you say no instead of nodding.”
- “There's plenty of things to do even if I can't see much replay value.”
- “Not much replayability but an enjoyable experience nonetheless.”
- “The only thing that might hold someone back is that relatively short playtime as well as a lack of replayability, but if neither of those scare you off then it might just be the perfect game for your weekend!”
humor
13 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by charming and endearing writing, with likable characters and amusing dialogues, particularly from the main character's friend, Inés. Players appreciate the absurdity of certain scenarios, such as a child building elaborate structures, and find the visuals, including quirky character designs, to add to the comedic experience. Overall, the game combines a down-to-earth approach with whimsical elements, resulting in a delightful and funny atmosphere.
- “The writing is endearing and funny, and I’m a sucker for the beautiful low poly art style.”
- “The characters, dialogues, and script are interesting and funny.”
- “For a game with such simplistic art and geometry, Alba had way more personality and humor than you would initially suspect.”
grinding
13 mentions
0 % positive mentions
15 % neutral mentions
85 % negative mentions
Players express mixed feelings about grinding in the game, noting that while the slow movement can make exploration feel tedious, it encourages a more relaxed pace reminiscent of cozy games like Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing. Some players appreciate the engaging gameplay and find the tasks enjoyable, while others feel that a sprint option would alleviate the repetitiveness of traversing the large island. Overall, the game manages to keep grinding from feeling burdensome, with tasks that are simple and rewarding.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Would benefit greatly with a sprint button as it can be tedious to run across the whole island numerous times.”
- “They're full of little grinding missions, scripted main quests, non-interactive cutscenes, and they offer huge amounts of repetitive gameplay, often with procedurally generated content, that looks nice, but doesn't really have a soul.”
optimization
6 mentions
33 % positive mentions
17 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
Overall, user reviews on optimization are mixed; while some players report smooth performance even on older hardware, others criticize the lack of optimization for the PC port, particularly for a mobile game priced at $17.
- “Performance luckily was never an issue for me, and even when I tried to play it on an older laptop, the general look doesn't suffer too much when you turn down the graphics just as much as needed.”
- “As for the performance, it's really quick; you should not worry about it as it’s a very lightweight game and not very demanding.”
- “Performance while using your phone is horrible.”
- “It is a ~3 hr mobile game ported to PC with no optimization... and it costs $17.”
- “As for the performance, really quick, you should not worry about it as it’s a very lightweight game and not very demanding.”
character development
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Reviewers appreciate the character development for its engaging designs and strong narrative, drawing positive comparisons to personal experiences and cultural influences. The art style, particularly in the island setting, enhances the overall character portrayal and thematic depth.
- “I love the character design, the narrative, and the message behind it.”
- “I like the art style, especially the environment and character designs on the island, which remind me of my previous travels to Southeast Asia.”
monetization
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game effectively promotes tourism to Spanish islands, leveraging beautiful scenery and a cozy lifestyle to entice players.