Jet Island
- September 21, 2018
- Master Indie
- 7h median play time
Get on Steam"Jet Island" is a VR-based game set in a vast open world, where players can explore and travel at extreme speeds using a hoverboard, jet thrusters, and grappling hooks. The game features giant boss fights, physics-based gameplay, and optional multiplayer. Players must defeat drones to unlock higher stats and can experience complete freedom of movement in VR. The game supports Valve Index controllers and offers four massive boss fights, with no limits to how far and fast players can fly.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Incredible sense of scale and speed, making players feel like superheroes.
- Unique and satisfying movement mechanics that combine grappling hooks, jet propulsion, and hoverboarding.
- Engaging boss fights that evoke feelings similar to Shadow of the Colossus.
- Graphics are simplistic and reminiscent of early 3D games, which may deter some players.
- Controls can be unintuitive at first, requiring time to master the movement system.
- Frequent clipping through walls and floors can disrupt gameplay and immersion.
- gameplay246 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The gameplay in this VR title is widely praised for its innovative and satisfying movement mechanics, combining elements reminiscent of Spider-Man, Iron Man, and Shadow of the Colossus. Players appreciate the freedom of exploration and the exhilarating feeling of mastering the controls, despite some initial clunkiness and occasional collision issues. While the graphics and story may not impress, the focus on gameplay mechanics creates a unique and engaging experience that keeps players hooked.
“This game has beautiful amounts of freedom, a large yet rich environment that isn't completely overwhelming, and some of the best feeling movement mechanics I have ever felt.”
“The gameplay is fun, the world is beautiful, and the music is chill yet chilling.”
“The mechanics of movement feel like combining the best parts of Spider-Man, Iron Man, and Silver Surfer into one game in a dreamscape which is amazing amounts of fun to traverse and explore.”
“I had many problems with collision during gameplay.”
“Spent twenty minutes trying fifty different ways to get across a pool of water and nothing worked, so it essentially ended my gameplay.”
“The only real issue I ran into was on the big boss; poor polygon placement allowed me to skip sections of the fight, as well as game mechanic identifiers being misleading in the final fight.”
- graphics212 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many users describing them as simplistic and reminiscent of early console titles like the PS1 or PS2. While some players find the retro aesthetic charming and fitting for the gameplay experience, others criticize the visuals as outdated and lacking polish. Despite these graphical shortcomings, many reviewers emphasize that the engaging gameplay and unique mechanics more than compensate for the visuals, making it a worthwhile experience overall.
“Not just the graphics, but the physics is the best of any VR title I have ever played, and it's just so cool to feel like every superhero out there while also supporting an incredibly talented indie developer.”
“The graphics are simple, but they do the necessary! The art style, as simplistic as it is, really works for the fantasy setting.”
“Don't let the graphics fool you, this game is awesome! The gameplay makes up for it 100%.”
“The graphics are incredibly primitive.”
“The only true downside of this game is the graphics, which feel like a throwback to PS2.”
“I was put off by the genuinely awful graphics (I could make a much better looking game than this) but the movement is so satisfying and liberating like nothing else.”
- music70 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its atmospheric qualities and ability to enhance the gameplay experience, particularly during boss battles. However, others find it repetitive and suggest that it could benefit from more variety and dynamic changes based on player actions. Many players recommend complementing the in-game music with their own playlists to enhance the overall experience.
“The music is good, and what you can do once you get a feel for it is absolutely amazing.”
“The movement is so incredibly satisfying, the bosses are fun and rewarding to beat, the visuals are simple, maybe even low quality, yet incredibly stunning, the music is nothing short of incredible and the tools you have to work with all work together to make Jet Island one hell of an experience to learn and master.”
“Great game, amazing feeling of speed and freedom with music and visuals that just feel chill and relaxing, the blocky geometry invokes this feeling of being inside a FMV landscape from the early 2000s and it creates this super cool vibe that is just fun to zoom around in and explore.”
“The music is drab.”
“The music is very weak; I don't like when games make you feel like you are in an empty void, and it just feels depressing at least for me.”
“Only critique is textures could be nicer and the music is a bit repetitive.”
- story55 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The game's story is largely considered minimal or nonexistent, with players focusing more on gameplay mechanics and the thrill of defeating massive mechanical bosses rather than a traditional narrative. While some reviewers mention a sense of progression through boss battles and exploration, many feel that the lack of a compelling story is a missed opportunity. Overall, the enjoyment comes from the gameplay experience rather than a structured storyline.
“The heart and soul of Jet Island isn’t the story; however, it is the physics sandbox aspect, coupled with exploration and epic boss battles.”
“I experienced a full story—from learning the controls, to mastering movement, to defeating bigger and bigger bosses, to finally tackling the big worm that was intimidating you this whole time. It's a sort of natural progression that is achieved by having controls that offer enough depth for you to be able to continue to master them, all while going against larger and more complicated foes.”
“Sound design is important and the music really evokes a story and mood throughout, especially for the bosses.”
“The story in this game is essentially nonexistent, and I felt like this was a bit of a missed opportunity.”
“The lack of any story or lore doesn't make the game worse per se, but I feel like it would have been better with one.”
“As far as I know, there is no story; there are giant robots on an island, and you have a gun that can kill giant robots, go wild.”
- atmosphere31 mentions
- 71 % positive mentions
- 19 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its beauty and immersive quality, combining stunning visuals, effective sound design, and a sense of scale that enhances exploration and gameplay. Many reviewers highlight the eerie yet majestic ambiance, reminiscent of titles like "Shadow of the Colossus," which adds depth to the experience, despite some criticisms regarding the graphics and occasional emptiness in the environment. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered a standout feature that significantly contributes to its unique identity and enjoyment.
“Eerie and beautiful atmosphere, you feel a sense of tragedy taking down these majestic mechanical monsters.”
“The atmosphere was cool going through the giant island seeing that giant metal worm in the sky you would one day have to defeat.”
“I was absolutely blown away by the scale and atmosphere the game presents from the very beginning.”
“Something that would have made the game better for me is to improve the visuals; grass, atmospherics, light sources would be nice to have in this game.”
“I do wish the game had a more badass soundtrack and a bit more attention to detail in the landscapes, the atmosphere is pretty empty at times.”
“The atmosphere is pretty empty at times.”
- replayability24 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
Overall, the game offers high replayability due to its engaging controls, modifiers, and multiplayer features, despite being somewhat short. Players appreciate the ability to explore different gameplay styles and challenges, which enhances the experience. While some note limited replay value in certain aspects, the potential for future updates and expansions could significantly increase its longevity.
“The sense of scale and speed is incredible, especially once you've mastered the controls, and the replay value is high.”
“There are also modifiers you can find in the world that will change how the game plays, adding lots of replay value.”
“Criminally underrated, play this game if you like Shadow of the Colossus or large-scale boss fights. Mastering the controls feels like accomplishing the best achievement of your life, and the hidden modifications make the game replayable. The multiplayer only adds to the replay factor.”
“It is a somewhat short experience and I can't say that it has much replay value.”
“Overall the game is a little short, but it does provide modifiers to help with replayability.”
“The bosses have little replayability.”
- optimization18 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is praised for its impressive performance and stability, with most players experiencing smooth gameplay and minimal bugs. However, some users noted occasional issues, such as collision problems at high speeds and a lack of graphical detail, which could detract from the experience. Despite these concerns, the game's simple graphics contribute to its solid performance, making it accessible even on less powerful systems.
“The game is absolutely solid performance-wise.”
“Lastly, I am impressed with the performance of the game.”
“This is one of the best optimized games for it, and with its simple premise, you can have such fun with this game.”
“Might be a performance trade-off or an actual bug, but when the player is moving at medium to high speeds, head-on collisions against any surface have a chance of simply not happening, making the player go straight through the wall, which can range from oddly convenient at times to really off-putting and frustrating, especially in underground areas, where going through a wall could mean leaving the map for good.”
“It's a good game but the performance isn't great (even with the 90's graphics), which causes me to get motion sick very quickly.”
“Performance: with a 1080 Ti video card and an i5-5820K processor, I was unable to run the in-game settings above 1.0 without hitching.”
- emotional16 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highly praised, with players reporting intense feelings ranging from exhilaration to genuine emotional responses, such as crying. While the gameplay evokes a strong sense of heroism and epic adventure, some users also mention experiencing motion sickness, which can detract from the overall emotional experience. Overall, the game is noted for its ability to create profound emotional connections, particularly in a VR setting.
“I cried.”
“This will be one of the most emotional experiences in VR you will have.”
“Few games these days can get a genuine emotional reaction out of me.”
- stability13 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 85 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with many users reporting various bugs, particularly with collision detection and visual glitches, though some find these issues manageable and even enjoyable. While the game can be quite buggy at times, players generally agree that it runs smoothly and is mostly fun, with some noting that it feels polished despite its experimental nature. Overall, while stability issues exist, they do not significantly detract from the overall gameplay experience for many users.
“The game is fun and enjoyable and now is mostly bug-free.”
“Technically, this game runs great with no stuttering (Vive Pro, 1080 Ti, AMD Ryzen 5 1600X).”
“This is so common that it is to the point where I have exploited the glitches to access hard-to-reach areas and collectibles.”
“It's like kinda buggy; you can clip through walls and sometimes the boss barriers don't visually disappear even though they're actually gone. It's not super intuitive at times, but it's genuinely frustrating.”
“Despite this, I will admit it's quite the buggy game.”
- humor7 mentions
- 86 % positive mentions
- -29 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by its absurd movement mechanics and the joy they bring, often leading to hilarious moments, especially for new players. Reviewers find the combination of thrilling gameplay and comedic elements to be both rewarding and entertaining, creating a unique and enjoyable experience. Overall, the humor enhances the gameplay, making it a memorable aspect of the game.
“Fighting huge bosses with insanely funny movement options... swinging and gliding is superb.”
“So funny to put someone in this game for the first time and watch them damn near fall over once the movement starts.”
“Just played first 15 minutes, incredible, mellow vibe but completely intense experience, I was laughing with joy in places.”
“The humor feels forced and often falls flat, making it more cringeworthy than entertaining.”
“I expected a lot of laughs, but the jokes are stale and predictable.”
“The attempts at humor are so over-the-top that they detract from the overall experience.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, often feeling forced into repetitive tasks rather than engaging in exploration. The linear tutorial and death penalties contribute to a sense of monotony, making progression feel burdensome rather than enjoyable.
“I expected to be thrown into a vast open world to explore, but instead was forced to do a boring, tedious linear tutorial.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Going up in this game is tedious and annoying.”
