Isles of Yore

About

Isles of Yore is a multiplayer simulation game. It was developed by MaverickMatryoshka and was released on February 10, 2022. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"Isles of Yore is a massively multiplayer simulation game with a focus on prehistoric animal survival. Players can choose from a selection of small to medium-sized theropod dinosaurs, such as Coelophysis, and must balance their thirst, hunger, and stamina in a variety of environments. Compete against other players and AI in this immersive, visually exceptional food chain simulation."

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72%

Audience ScoreBased on 142 reviews

gameplay10 positive mentions

stability4 negative mentions

The game features stunning graphics and beautiful environments, showcasing the developer's talent and attention to detail.
The developer is highly responsive and actively engages with the community, showing a commitment to improving the game over time.
The game has great potential with unique mechanics like scent tracking and a customizable character system, making it enjoyable for players who appreciate immersive gameplay.

The gameplay is currently very simplistic, with limited content and a lack of player interaction due to low server populations.
Many mechanics and UI elements feel underdeveloped or clunky, leading to a frustrating user experience.
The game suffers from performance issues, including lag and inconsistent audio, which detracts from the overall immersion.

gameplay
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
69%
9%
The gameplay of "Isles of Yore" has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it overly simplistic and repetitive, particularly due to the vast map size and low player count on servers. While some mechanics, like the carnivorous dinosaur gameplay and scent mechanics, are praised for their fun and immersive qualities, others feel underdeveloped and reminiscent of a tech demo, leading to frustrations with bugs and a lack of engaging content. Overall, the game shows potential but currently struggles with balance and depth, making it hard to recommend at its current price point.
- “The carnivorous dinosaur game mechanics work very well - the search for food can sometimes be a challenge whose nature changes depending on the age (and needs) of the dinosaur, but it is always manageable and encourages exploration.”
- “The gameplay is very straightforward, and if you are into realism/roleplay it can be really fun.”
- “Release day review: the map is beautiful, and once you get the hang of the sniffing mechanic, it's not that hard to find food, and it's a lot of fun to chase down the AI, which are plentiful in certain parts of the map.”
- “The gameplay is fairly lackluster; you'll rarely find players on, and if you do, it will be difficult to find them considering the map is so large. Not that it should stop you from playing the game, considering the AI does populate the map.”
- “Absolute garbage from the movement mechanics to the combat mechanics to the all-around playability. A lot of issues and bugs. For example, if you go into water, you fight an invisible wall trying to get back out. Just no... I've requested a refund; it's garbage.”
- “Current experience is that the graphics and sound feel a little subpar, the UI feels a little dated and slow, and there doesn't seem to be either (a) enough things to do (where is the gameplay) or enough instruction on what I'm supposed to do.”
graphics
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
62%
28%
10%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the stunning visuals, realistic landscapes, and smooth animations, particularly on high-end systems. However, some players report issues with graphical fidelity deteriorating during gameplay, leading to fuzzy visuals and performance problems. Overall, while the graphics show great potential and are considered beautiful by many, there are concerns about optimization and consistency across different hardware setups.
- “The graphics are very nice and smooth.”
- “Lovely, crisp graphics, and smooth.”
- “The dinosaur animation, model, the environment design, and the overall art style hits me in the right spot.”
- “The graphics are god awful... near PlayStation 1 levels.”
- “Current experience is that the graphics and sound feel a little subpar, the UI feels a little dated and slow, and there doesn't seem to be either (a) enough things to do (where is the gameplay) or enough instructional at what I'm supposed to do.”
- “I have a good gaming desktop, but I was struggling to find the sweet spot where the game would run smoothly and not sacrifice at least decent graphics.”
story
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
37%
25%
The game's story is primarily driven by engaging quests that involve collecting items like berries and nuts for evolution points, which adds a unique sense of purpose to exploration. While some find the quests unrealistic, they contribute to a standout experience, and there are hints of a secret story that adds depth to the narrative. Players express interest in the potential for a more open-world, story-driven format.
- “Even though it's very unrealistic with quests where you collect stuff, it really gives you a meaning walking or flying across the map, and it makes it really stand out from the others.”
- “Alternatively, it could be turned into an open world story-driven game.”
- “There is also a 'secret story' I have seen, but won't spoil it; I accidentally stumbled upon the channel.”
- “Alternately, it could be turned into an open world story-driven game.”
- “There is also a 'secret story' I have seen, but won't spoil it; I accidentally stumbled upon the channel. ”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its stunning graphics and realistic landscapes, creating a beautiful and immersive environment. The sound design, particularly the atmospheric music, enhances the overall experience, contributing to a fantastic world that captivates players, despite the lack of multiplayer engagement.
- “The sound design is very good - the music turning on from time to time is atmospheric.”
- “The ambient environment and atmospherics are beautiful.”
- “The world and atmosphere are fantastic.”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
Players report challenges in achieving a balance between smooth performance and decent graphics, particularly on high-end gaming desktops. While acknowledging the game's early access status, many express optimism for significant performance improvements, especially with the upcoming transition to Unreal Engine 5, which could enhance both visuals and optimization. Overall, there is a sense of potential for the game's future development.
- “I have a good gaming desktop, but I was struggling to find the sweet spot where the game would run smoothly and not sacrifice at least decent graphics.”
- “Keep your eyes on this game folks, it has heaps of potential especially as it migrates to Unreal Engine 5; so a decent looking game is on the verge of a face-lift with better performance.”
- “Great game! I think the performance could be fixed drastically, and the mountain hitboxes could be improved too, but besides that, the game is great.”
- “I understand the game is in early access; therefore, I do not expect the level of performance at this time.”
- “Keep your eyes on this game, folks. It has heaps of potential, especially as it migrates to Unreal Engine 5; a decent-looking game is on the verge of a face-lift with better performance.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The music in the game is praised for its atmospheric quality, enhancing the overall sound design. However, some users have reported technical issues, such as freezing, which detracts from the experience.
- “The sound design is very good - the music turning on from time to time is atmospheric.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find humor in the quirky interactions with the environment, such as amusingly manipulating plants and observing animal behaviors, particularly with the coelophysis. While the game generally delivers a realistic experience, some steep terrains can lead to comical visuals, adding to the overall enjoyment.
- “I probably get more amusement from the fact that I can pick up a plant and mess around with it than any sane person should, but it's funny and animals do stuff like that. Jokes aside, the Coelophysis in particular feels very real to play.”
- “It's not 100% because sometimes if the hill is really steep it can look a little funny, but it is really, really good most of the time.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game exhibits stability issues, with occasional bugs such as misaligned footprints and frequent freezing during gameplay, while other media and games run smoothly.
- “Videos, movies, music, and multiple other games all play fine, but this one freezes up.”
- “Because while there are a few buggy bits, your footprints may point where you look rather than where your feet are, resulting in an occasional sidestepping set of prints.”
- “Because while there are a few buggy bits, your footprints may point where you look rather than where your feet are, resulting in an occasional sidestepping set of prints.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Reviewers note that while the game is currently in an early state, its replayability is promising and could significantly improve with the addition of more playable dinosaurs. Many believe that once these features are implemented, the game could rival established titles in the genre.
- “Once there are more playable dinosaurs, this will be a competitor to The Isle for sure, and I say that as someone with many, many hours in The Isle.”