"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."
The game features stunning graphics and beautiful environments, showcasing the developer's passion and effort.
The AI mechanics and interactions provide a unique experience, allowing players to engage with the world in interesting ways.
The developer is responsive and active in the community, showing commitment to improving the game based on player feedback.
The game currently suffers from a lack of content and player engagement, with very few players online and a vast map that feels empty.
Gameplay mechanics are simplistic and can feel unpolished, with issues such as clunky movement and inconsistent sound design.
The price point is considered too high for the current state of the game, leading to suggestions for a significant price reduction to attract more players.
gameplay
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
69%
8%
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 scent system and AI interactions, are praised for their potential and realism, numerous bugs and underdeveloped UI elements detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game shows promise but currently feels more like a tech demo than a polished product, leading to recommendations against purchasing it at its current price.
“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.”
“This game has a simple gameplay loop, but the sheer beauty of the world and the immersion it provides makes it a wonderful experience.”
“The gameplay is terribly simple, the map is far too large to justify having so few players available on each server, night time and storms are simply just not enjoyable, and the AI is laughably easy to hunt down.”
“But unfortunately that's where it falls off, 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.”
“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.”
graphics
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
34%
8%
The graphics in the game receive a mixed reception, with many praising their stunning quality, realistic landscapes, and smooth animations, often rating them highly. However, some players report issues such as fuzziness during gameplay, lag, and performance struggles on less powerful systems, indicating that while the graphics have great potential, optimization and consistency need improvement. Overall, the visuals are seen as a strong point, but technical issues detract from the experience for some users.
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“The graphics are god awful... near PlayStation 1 levels.”
story
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The game features a light and somewhat unrealistic quest system focused on collecting items like berries and nuts for evolution points, which adds a unique sense of purpose to exploration. While there is no main story, some players have discovered a 'secret story' that hints at potential for a more narrative-driven experience. Overall, the quest mechanics stand out, but the lack of a traditional storyline may leave some players wanting more.
“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.”
“☑ no story”
“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
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its stunning graphics, realistic landscapes, and beautiful ambient sound design, which collectively create an immersive experience. Reviewers highlight the fantastic world and atmospheric elements, although some note a lack of player presence. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature, earning high marks for its design.
“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
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
30%
30%
The game's optimization is currently a mixed bag, with players experiencing performance issues and lag, even on high-end systems. While some improvements have been noted in recent playthroughs, many still find it challenging to balance smooth gameplay with decent graphics. However, there is optimism for future enhancements, especially with the planned migration to Unreal Engine 5, which could significantly improve performance and visuals.
“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.”
“I do understand the game is in early access, therefore, I do not expect the level of performance at this time.”
“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.”
“Played it once again, performed better than last time, still suffers a bit from optimization issues and lag.”
“I do 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; so a decent looking game is on the verge of a face-lift with better performance.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is plagued by numerous bugs and glitches, leading to frequent freezes and erratic behavior, such as misaligned footprints. While other media and games run smoothly, this title struggles with stability, detracting from the overall experience.
“The game itself is a big terrarium for bugs and glitches.”
“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.”
“Videos, movies, music, and multiple other games all play fine, but this one freezes up.”
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 objects like plants, which adds a lighthearted touch to the gameplay. The realistic behavior of animals, particularly the coelophysis, enhances the comedic experience, although some animations can appear funny in steep terrains. Overall, the humor stems from the playful and sometimes absurd elements of the game.
“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.”
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 enhancements are made, it could rival established titles in the genre.
“Once there are more playable dinosaurs, this will be an Isle competitor for sure, and I say that as someone with many, many hours in The Isle.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Players indicate that grinding in the game is so demanding that it may require a second playthrough or additional time investment to fully progress or achieve desired outcomes.