ISOLAND4: The Anchor of Memory
- January 9, 2024
- Cotton Game
- 5h median play time
Get on Steam"ISOLAND4: The Anchor of Memory" is the latest addition to the ISOLAND series, following "ISOLAND3: The Dust of the Universe." This game continues the tradition of intricate puzzles and maps, while also focusing on character development with a mix of familiar and new faces. It promises a rich narrative through abundant emotions, mystical dialogues, and hidden Easter eggs, leaving players to uncover the past and present of the Lost Island.
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Reviews
- The game features unique hand-drawn art and a mysterious environment that enhances the overall experience.
- Puzzles are engaging and varied, with a good balance of challenge that encourages exploration and attention to detail.
- The inclusion of a fast-travel map significantly improves gameplay by reducing backtracking and allowing for a smoother experience.
- Some puzzles can be obscure and may require the use of walkthroughs, which can detract from the experience.
- The game may feel shorter compared to previous installments, leading to a sense of less replay value.
- There are occasional inventory glitches that can potentially softlock the game, causing frustration for players.
- graphics6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The graphics maintain a similar surreal and simplistic style to previous entries in the series, enhanced by increased animation that brings the environments to life. Players appreciate the effective art style and the enjoyable, cute animations, which contribute to the overall experience, especially given the game's low price point.
“The graphics are a quite simple style but very effective, and they have added much more animation this time to bring it all to life.”
“I like the art style of the Isoland games.”
“(+) As usual, Cotton Game sets a very low price for how much work they do, with many enjoyable locations, nice art style, and a lot of cute animations to experience.”
“The graphics are quite simple in style, but they are very effective, and they have added much more animation this time to bring it all to life.”
“The graphics are reminiscent of the previous three games, featuring a surreal philosophical take on life.”
- story5 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The story is engaging and thought-provoking, featuring deeper meanings that unfold as the game progresses. It effectively balances text and visual storytelling, resonating with themes of aging and reflection, while the soundtrack enhances the overall melancholic atmosphere.
“The story always has a deeper meaning than you first realize, and this time there are also some lyrics from great songs spoken by the characters in the game.”
“I thought the narrative was very thought-provoking without being too complicated; there's a nice balance between text and visual storytelling.”
“Personally, I found the story very relatable, perfectly capturing the experience of getting older and reflecting on how you arrived at this point in your life.”
- music5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
The music in Cotton Game's latest offering features a blend of original and possibly borrowed tracks, characterized by a chill and melancholic vibe that complements the deeper themes of the story. Players appreciate the relaxing soundtrack and the inclusion of meaningful song lyrics spoken by characters, enhancing the overall emotional experience.
“The story always has a deeper meaning than you first realize, and this time there are also some lyrics from great songs spoken by the characters in the game.”
“I am not sure if the soundtrack is original to the game, but I really enjoyed the chill music; it's nice and relaxing with a bit of melancholy to it.”
“I loved the soundtrack; the chill vibes and the melancholy were perfect for the story.”
“The philosophy of the song lyrics is on display in Cotton Game's newest offering.”
“I am not sure if the soundtrack is original to the game, but I also really enjoyed the chill music; it's nice and relaxing with a bit of melancholy to it.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, users report that the game has some stability issues, particularly with inventory glitches that can lead to softlocks, but these are generally manageable with workarounds like restarting the game. While the developer is known for producing quality titles, the occasional glitches are noted as a drawback, with hopes for future fixes.
“Aside from a few inventory glitches that can potentially softlock the game, it's my second favorite game from the developer in terms of being emotionally charged.”
“My only problem is that sometimes the game has inventory glitches; you might be able to work around some of them by re-entering the game.”
“Hopefully, they fix those glitches, although they are usually very slow to react; aside from that, I didn't have any significant issues.”
- gameplay2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The gameplay offers a duration of 2-5 hours, depending on puzzle-solving skills, providing good value for entertainment. While some players note the experience is relatively short, the option to replay with new scenes and slightly altered puzzles enhances replayability.
“I'd say 3-5 hours of gameplay depending on how good you are at solving puzzles, so you're absolutely getting your money's worth of entertainment.”
“Although fairly short at about 2-3 hours of gameplay, the best thing about many of the games from this developer is that you can play the game again with a few new scenes to find and slightly different puzzles the second time around.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the game's map feature, which enables fast travel to previously visited locations, effectively reducing the tedious backtracking often associated with grinding in point-and-click games.
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its emotional depth, offering a philosophical experience that provides enjoyable escapism, though it may not resonate as strongly as some of the developer's previous works. Despite minor technical issues, it remains a favorite for its emotional impact.
“Aside from a few inventory glitches that can potentially softlock the game, it's my second favorite game from the developer in terms of being emotionally charged. Even though it didn't hit me as hard as the elevator scene, it's still a philosophical experience with enjoyable escapism.”
