Isles of Yore
- February 10, 2022
- MaverickMatryoshka
- 8h median play time
Get on Steam"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."
Reviews
- The game features stunning graphics and beautiful environments, showcasing the developer's talent and attention to detail.
- The developer is highly responsive and engaged with the community, showing a commitment to improving the game based on player feedback.
- The game has a lot of potential with interesting mechanics like scent tracking and customizable dinosaurs, making it enjoyable for those who appreciate immersive gameplay.
- The gameplay is currently very simplistic and lacks depth, leading to a repetitive experience with limited activities.
- The player base is sparse, resulting in empty servers and a lack of interaction with other players, which diminishes the multiplayer experience.
- Many mechanics and UI elements feel underdeveloped or clunky, and the game suffers from performance issues and bugs that hinder overall enjoyment.
- gameplay23 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Isles of Yore" has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its simplicity and lack of depth, particularly in terms of player interactions and AI challenges. While some appreciate the aesthetic and certain mechanics, such as the scent system and food search, others criticize the game for feeling underdeveloped, with issues like large maps that make player encounters rare and a UI that feels outdated. Overall, the game shows potential but suffers from bugs, repetitive gameplay, and a lack of engaging content, leading to a recommendation against purchasing in its current state.
“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. All of that not even mentioning the Christmas miracle that is required to encounter another player in-game.”
“Additionally, some mechanics and UI elements are left feeling better suited to a tech demo, such as the stamina bar, character menu, growth, and temperature, all of which are vital for the player to understand, and should be much more impactful during moment-to-moment gameplay. As it stands, I felt zero pressure to accommodate the temperature system, even while brazenly trotting through wildly different climates.”
“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, not that it should stop you from playing the game considering the AI does populate the map.”
- graphics21 mentions
- 62 % positive mentions
- 24 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
Overall, the graphics of the game receive a mixed reception, with many players praising the stunning visuals, realistic landscapes, and smooth animations. However, some users report issues with performance, such as lag and fuzzy graphics during gameplay, which detracts from the experience. While the potential for improvement is acknowledged, the game's graphical quality varies significantly depending on the player's hardware capabilities.
“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.”
“To the point that the graphics and movement are freezing up.”
“The graphics are god awful... near PlayStation 1 levels.”
- story4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game's story is centered around engaging quests that involve collecting items like berries and nuts for evolution points, providing a unique motivation for exploration. While the quests may seem unrealistic, they enhance the gameplay experience, and there are hints of a deeper, secret narrative that players can discover. The potential for an open-world, story-driven format is also noted as a possibility for future development.
“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. 😢”
“The story feels disjointed and lacks coherence, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“The characters are one-dimensional and fail to evoke any real emotional connection.”
“The plot twists are predictable and fail to deliver any real surprises.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its stunning graphics, realistic landscapes, and beautiful ambient environments, creating an immersive experience. The sound design, particularly the atmospheric music, further enhances the overall ambiance, contributing to a fantastic world. However, the lack of players detracts from the experience.
“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.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Players report mixed experiences with optimization, noting challenges in achieving a balance between smooth performance and decent graphics on their systems. While some issues, such as hitbox inaccuracies, are present, many remain optimistic about future improvements, especially with the game's transition to Unreal Engine 5, which is expected to enhance both performance and visual quality.
“I have a good gaming desktop, but I was struggling to find the sweet spot where the game would run smoothly without sacrificing decent graphics.”
“Great game! I think the performance could be improved drastically, and the mountain hitboxes could be fixed, but besides that, the game is great.”
“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 facelift with better performance.”
“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 facelift with better performance.”
- music2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
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 may affect the experience.
“The sound design is very good - the music turning on from time to time is atmospheric.”
“The music in this game is repetitive and lacks variety, making it feel monotonous after a short while.”
“I found the soundtrack to be uninspired and forgettable, which detracted from the overall experience.”
“The audio quality of the music is subpar, with noticeable distortion that takes away from immersion.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is derived from playful interactions with the environment, such as amusingly manipulating objects like plants and observing animal behaviors. While there are moments where the physics can appear comical, particularly on steep terrain, the overall experience is engaging and entertaining.
“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. 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.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, users report mixed stability experiences, noting occasional bugs such as misaligned footprints and frequent freezing during gameplay, while other media functions properly without issues.
“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.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Reviewers note that while the game is currently in an early state with limited playable dinosaurs, its potential for replayability is high. Many believe that the addition of more playable species could elevate it to a competitive level with established titles like "The Isle."
“Once there are more playable dinosaurs, this will be a strong competitor to The Isle, and I say that as someone with many, many hours invested in The Isle.”
“Once there are more playable options, this will be a competitor for sure, and I say that as someone with many, many hours in the game.”
