Beasts of Maravilla Island

83%
Game Brain Score Based on 121 reviews
  • story
  • graphics
  • gameplay
Beasts of Maravilla Island Game Cover
A calm and serene adventure through a mystical island, Beasts of Maravilla Island feels like a cross between Pokémon Snap and Alba: A Wildlife Adventure.
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"Beasts of Maravilla Island" is a 3D adventure game where you play as an aspiring wildlife photographer, Marina Montez, exploring the magical island of Maravilla. Your mission is to restore the island's waning magic by finding and photographing its extraordinary creatures, solving puzzles, and interacting with the island's flora and fauna to reveal their unique behaviors. Save Maravilla Island and uncover its hidden secrets as you document the enchanting beasts in this family-friendly game.

  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

83%
Audience ScoreBased on 121 reviews
story17 positive mentions
stability10 negative mentions
  • The game features beautiful environments and charming creature designs that create a visually stunning experience.
  • Gameplay is relaxing and enjoyable, with a simple story and engaging photography mechanics that appeal to fans of exploration games.
  • Quality of life features, such as a journal for tracking creatures and a photo album, enhance the overall experience.
  • The game is quite short, typically taking only 2-3 hours to complete, which may leave players wanting more content.
  • Controls can be clunky and unintuitive, leading to frustration during gameplay, especially when trying to interact with objects or navigate the environment.
  • The game suffers from bugs and glitches that can disrupt the experience, including issues with the camera and character movement.
  • story45 mentions

    The story in "Beasts of Maravilla Island" is generally described as simple, linear, and aimed at a younger audience, featuring a heartfelt moral about respecting wildlife. While some players appreciate its charming and whimsical nature, others find it superficial and lacking depth, with a narrative that feels more like a backdrop to the exploration and photography gameplay. Overall, the game is visually stunning and offers a pleasant, albeit brief, storytelling experience that resonates well with its themes.

    • “The story is pretty heart-warming though.”
    • “Absolutely beautiful game with unique gameplay, and a touching story.”
    • “The animals are creative, unique, and beautifully rendered, the environments are incredibly diverse and full of great places to take pictures, the puzzles add a little spice to the level progression and were really fun to engage with, and the story is just so pure and meaningful.”
    • “There are creatures posing, scenes cultivated, and you, moving mindlessly through a story already told on your behalf.”
    • “If you're playing this for some deeper plot, hours-long quest for gold, or Einstein-level intrinsic puzzles, you're going to be left a little disappointed.”
    • “The story itself is linear, maybe not so thrilling or overly exciting, yet it does not let a player be indifferent to it or experience boredom.”
  • graphics25 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the vibrant colors and beautiful artwork, particularly in the design of animals and landscapes. However, many express disappointment in the overall quality, likening it to early PS1 games and noting clunky animations and technical issues. While the aesthetic appeal is acknowledged, there is a consensus that the graphics could benefit from further polish to enhance the experience, especially given the game's focus on wildlife photography.

    • “The graphics are really pretty, loved the colors, the designs of the animals.”
    • “The visuals are vibrant and stunning.”
    • “What a cute short game, graphics were beautiful and the animals were so cute.”
    • “For a game about wildlife photography, the graphics and controls are surprisingly clunky.”
    • “For a game that centers on looking around and taking pictures of all things around you, the graphics are severely lacking.”
    • “I was also quite disappointed at the graphics quality; it reminded me very much of early PS1 games, and animations felt quite clunky.”
  • gameplay19 mentions

    Gameplay in this title is generally described as fun and engaging, featuring unique mechanics centered around photography and exploration. However, players have noted frustrations with lagging animations, tedious tasks, and a lack of challenge due to slow character movement and interruptions from cutscenes. Despite these issues, the game is praised for its beautiful art and relaxing atmosphere, making it a charming experience for casual play.

    • “Very beautiful art and fun mechanics!”
    • “I love the creative gameplay based on photography and exploration.”
    • “The environments are incredibly pretty, and the gameplay is super relaxing.”
    • “The reason I’m giving this game a negative review is the actual gameplay.”
    • “I will say that the gameplay was a bit tedious.”
    • “The gameplay is frustrating at times with no run button and your character walks pretty slow; there's a crouch button instead which only really comes into play like twice during the game, you don't even need to sneak up on creatures.”
  • music16 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding the soundtrack enjoyable and well-suited to the game's setting, while others feel that certain background tracks, particularly in the jungle, can become repetitive or annoying. Overall, many appreciate the beautiful and immersive soundtrack that enhances the gaming experience, contributing to the game's calming atmosphere and engaging visuals.

    • “The music is really nice too and I enjoyed the moral of the story.”
    • “The soundtrack was also amazing!”
    • “The jungle's background music got on my nerves after a while, but the OST is overall very nice.”
    • “I didn't like the soundtrack, but that's my personal opinion.”
    • “Music and sound effects suit well the whole setting and help you delve more into it.”
  • stability10 mentions

    The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with players reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and inconsistent controls that detract from the overall experience. While some users noted that the issues were manageable and not entirely unexpected for a low-budget title, the frequency and variety of problems, including AI behavior and UI malfunctions, suggest a need for further refinement. Despite these challenges, there is a sense of optimism regarding the developers' responsiveness to player feedback.

    • “What a buggy mess!”
    • “I enjoyed taking some photos after this, but when I tried to view the pictures and set main pictures, the UI seemed very buggy.”
    • “Every feature and corner of the game is either janky or buggy.”
  • emotional10 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by its charming and wholesome nature, featuring a heartfelt story that emphasizes the magic of wildlife exploration. Players appreciate the cute creatures, beautiful environments, and a soothing soundtrack that enhance the overall experience, making it a delightful adventure despite some gameplay shortcomings. Overall, it evokes a sense of warmth and nostalgia, appealing to those seeking a stress-free gaming experience.

    • “The story is pretty heart-warming though ╮(︶︿︶)╭”
    • “Absolutely beautiful game with unique gameplay, and a touching story.”
    • “The wildlife is cute and eye-catching; the moral of the plot is wholesome; and I love the neat soundtrack and virtual figurine extras (they used to be so common in games, but now they set titles apart from the crowd).”
  • atmosphere2 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its beautiful and immersive environments, particularly in the final area, contributing to a charming and engaging experience overall.

    • “The environments were beautiful and atmospheric, especially the final area.”
    • “Beasts of Maravilla Island is a very cute and atmospheric game.”
  • grinding1 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat tedious, suggesting that it may detract from the overall enjoyment of the gameplay experience.

    • “I will say that the gameplay was a bit tedious.”
    • “The grinding feels endless and becomes a chore rather than a challenge.”
    • “I found myself repeating the same tasks over and over, which made the game lose its appeal.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization aspect is positively viewed, as players appreciate features like photo-saving spaces and selfie options, which enhance the uniqueness of gameplay.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

63% average critic score

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Play time

2hMedian play time
3hAverage play time
2-7hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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