ISLANDS: Non-Places
- November 17, 2016
- Carlburton LLC
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Get on Apple Store"Islands: Non-Places" is a first-person exploration game where players navigate through surreal and abstract environments. The game features a variety of unique islands, each with their own distinct atmosphere and puzzles to solve. Players will uncover hidden stories and secrets as they journey through these non-places, making for a thought-provoking and immersive experience.
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Reviews
- A beautiful interactive art exhibition that captures the serene side of liminal spaces, offering a unique and surreal experience.
- Visually stunning with a calming atmosphere, making it a relaxing experience for those who appreciate contemporary art.
- The game provides a thought-provoking exploration of everyday environments, transforming mundane settings into intriguing and dreamlike scenes.
- Lacks traditional gameplay mechanics, feeling more like an interactive art piece than a game, which may disappoint those seeking a more engaging experience.
- Very short, with minimal interactivity and no real puzzles, leading to a sense of underwhelming value for some players.
- The audio can be grating at times, detracting from the overall immersive experience and causing frustration during gameplay.
- graphics41 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a minimalist aesthetic that emphasizes atmospheric visuals and artistic expression, often likened to a series of virtual art installations rather than a traditional game. While some players find the visuals stunning and evocative, contributing to a relaxing and immersive experience, others critique the low contrast and limited interactivity, suggesting that the game is more about aesthetic pleasure than gameplay challenge. Overall, the graphics are praised for their beauty and ability to create a unique sense of place, appealing primarily to those with an appreciation for art and experimental design.
“The visuals and atmosphere are certainly what you want to experience this for, especially if you are into vaporwave.”
“Beautiful game, stunning graphics, wonderfully relaxing.”
“Sounds and visuals merge beautifully into a mesmerizing experience.”
“It's more of a series of virtual art installations than an actual game, which I would normally be all for, but this one is simply boring and didn't bring anything of aesthetic or artistic value to the table.”
“Minimal graphics and simple gameplay.”
“First and foremost, you should not go into this expecting a proper game, but rather a showcase of minimalistic aesthetics in the game.”
- gameplay28 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 79 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay is largely minimalistic and lacks depth, often described as more of an interactive art piece than a traditional game. Players engage in simple mechanics such as clicking on glowing objects and rotating environments, with little challenge or complexity involved. While visually interesting and conceptually unique, the repetitive and short gameplay experience may not appeal to everyone, particularly those seeking more substantial game mechanics.
“Its short, its gameplay is simple, but oddly enough it is a visually interesting game with some pretty weird ideas.”
“The dev has a great imagination, and the liminal spaces on display (parking lots, ATMs, fountains) are explored in delightful ways that blend the mechanical with the organic.”
“Despite its very casual and simplistic nature, the gameplay in Islands: Non-Places is the very definition of perfection for what it has set out to accomplish.”
“The mechanics of the game itself have no real hurdles--like some other reviews mention, it feels more like an art piece or a slice of life narrative.”
“This is a rather experimental 'game.' It's interesting to look at and interact with, but it's rather short (made longer only by the fact that you have to wait for a lot of stuff to happen) and there's essentially no gameplay; click the shiny things, that's it.”
“Let me explain the gameplay: scene starts up > click the glowing thing > wait for stuff to happen > now click the new glowy thing which now also has a chime to it > rinse and repeat until the number of chimes is unbearable & annoying & completely drowns out the good atmospheric tones in the background.”
- atmosphere26 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its striking visuals and surreal, vaporwave-inspired environments that transform mundane objects into captivating art installations. Reviewers note the experience is more about immersion in these atmospheric vignettes than traditional gameplay, with a blend of beautiful audio and visual cues that create a unique, experimental ambiance. While some found the sound design could be improved, the overall consensus is that the game offers a rich and enchanting atmospheric experience worth exploring.
“Beautiful interactive environments that nudge you through each surreal and atmospheric scene with subtle visual and audio cues.”
“For visitors searching for an inspiring new experience, it is exploring ten minimalistic installations in a relaxing atmosphere, watching them evolve into surreal dreams of aesthetic perfection, being enchanted by rich colored tints and experimental sounds, by living terminals and dancing suitcases, knowing that something special and magical is going on.”
“Graphics in islands: non-places are a featured device for conveying the atmospheric little ecosystems that breathe life into each mundane scenario.”
“There is also a prevailing atmosphere of non-presence, somehow missing the moment.”
“The screens and video do not represent the whole atmosphere when you actually interact with it.”
“The atmosphere amazes the mind while it gives chills.”
- story20 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The story in "islands: non-places" is not a traditional narrative but rather an exploration of ambient scenes and visual storytelling that evokes a sense of beauty in mundane settings. Players engage with a series of mini-stories through immersive environments and soundscapes, creating a subjective experience that emphasizes atmosphere over linear plot. While the game lacks a conventional storyline or protagonist, it invites players to appreciate the artistry and emotional resonance of its abstract presentation.
“Mundane everyday objects and situations become borderline experimental, alienating structures, places we don't really mention in our busy world not only get their own, individual atmosphere and attention, but become brutalistic art installations that tell their own story.”
“The story in Islands: Non-Places isn't really a story told, but rather a sensibility conveyed.”
“So, while there isn't an actual story per se, the depth of experience bears witness to a more transcendental, subjective tale.”
“You know these games where all you do is click to see the next batch of text that tells the story on top of a background?”
“There is no story, instead you are observing ambient scenes with surreal effects.”
“Islands presents a number of fictional places in the same kind of 'magical realism' you can find in the superb Kentucky Route Zero, but doesn't add a story -- it just lets you explore on your own.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Overall, the game has very low replayability due to its short length, minimalistic gameplay, and lack of challenge or skill requirements. Players noted that interactions with the game world do not yield different outcomes, further diminishing the incentive to replay.
“It is very short, there's no replay value, no challenge, and no skill required at all.”
“That being said, its replay value is quite low and its initial presentation is fairly abstract with very minimalistic gameplay (no story, 'rotating and click') which may turn off some of its appeal.”
“Replayability is also not really a thing; there seems to be no difference in results based on how you interact with the landscapes.”
- music4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally considered unremarkable, with some users noting that it lacks the appeal to be enjoyed outside of gameplay. While it contributes to the atmosphere, it is not memorable or relaxing, leaving a mixed impression overall.
“Great atmosphere, music, and art.”
“It's not like you're going to hunt down the soundtrack and pop those tunes on at the gym, oh hells no.”
“There's no music; the sounds aren't close to relaxing.”
“The sounds and 'music' are fine, but nothing special.”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by a quirky and subtle charm, blending beautifully with its surreal and eerie atmosphere. Players find it thought-provoking and curiosity-provoking, enhancing the overall experience with a unique sense of beauty and humor.
“These scenes have a lovely sense of simple beauty combined with a quirky sort of subtle humor.”
“It's beautiful, it's thought-provoking, it's humorous, it's surreal.”
“What it is, is a place to be that's eerie, funny, weird, curiosity-provoking, beautiful.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, particularly as they progress beyond the initial levels, despite enjoying the early episodes. The enjoyment tends to diminish around the halfway point, leading to a sense of weariness with the gameplay.
“But other than that, I found it quite tedious to sit through.”
“The game did begin to wear thin about halfway through its levels, as I found it to feel a bit tedious and repetitive. However, I really enjoyed the first five episodes or levels/scenes that I watched, with the flooding lounge area being my favorite.”
