Mýrdalssandur, Iceland

About

Experience a realistically inspired recreation of iceland's southern coast. Take photos and explore the world at your own pace, become immsersed with some of the latest visual tech provided by Unreal Engine 4.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

90%

Audience ScoreBased on 791 reviews

graphics73 positive mentions

stability5 negative mentions

The game features stunning graphics and beautiful landscapes that create an immersive experience.
It's a relaxing walking simulator that allows players to explore the serene environment of Iceland while taking photos.
The game is free to play, making it accessible for anyone looking for a calming escape.

The exploration is limited due to numerous invisible walls and teleportation mechanics that can break immersion.
There are technical issues such as locked resolution settings and performance problems, especially in VR mode.
The fog effects can obscure visibility, making it difficult to appreciate the scenery fully.

graphics
124 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
38%
3%
The graphics in this game receive overwhelmingly positive feedback, with many users praising the stunning visuals and lifelike landscapes, often describing them as some of the best they've ever seen. However, there are notable criticisms regarding optimization issues, graphical glitches, and limited settings that detract from the overall experience. Despite these drawbacks, the game's aesthetic appeal and immersive atmosphere are frequently highlighted as standout features.
- “The graphics are absolutely stunning and it only takes 20 minutes to beat.”
- “Beautiful game, with great scenery and great graphics.”
- “The combination of stunning visuals and well-curated music creates one of the most immersive experiences I have had playing a game in quite a while.”
- “I want to like this, but the visuals are horribly optimized no matter how you tweak your settings, and even at max, the distance is way too shallow.”
- “For a game that's entirely about graphics, this is pretty lame.”
- “Poor graphics options and poor effects and textures; it looks crappy in 4K (I don't even think it renders in 4K, 1080 at best).”
music
61 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
62%
33%
5%
The music in the game is widely praised for its calming and atmospheric qualities, perfectly complementing the stunning visuals and enhancing the overall immersive experience. Players find the soundtrack soothing and ideal for relaxation, often recommending it for listening on platforms like Spotify. While some critiques mention a repetitive nature in certain tracks, the majority agree that the music significantly contributes to the game's tranquil ambiance and emotional depth.
- “The music perfectly complements the visuals and is a very soothing game; if stressed or feeling down, this game is a great way to make you feel better.”
- “The combination of stunning visuals and well-curated music creates one of the most immersive experiences I have had playing a game in quite a while.”
- “The music is ambient and perfect for the mood of the game, and it's just so relaxing; I can't stress that enough.”
- “25 degrees slope, buggy, horrible background music aaaand not VR unless you buy the VR DLC.”
- “Just play this game at night with some music and just chill.”
- “The music is very peaceful and relaxing and adds to the experience, though you can pause it and play your own if you like.”
atmosphere
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
68%
20%
12%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its dark, immersive quality, enhanced by a calming and cerebral soundtrack that complements the stunning landscapes. Players find the environment beautifully crafted, evoking a sense of tranquility and exploration reminiscent of real-life locations like Iceland. Overall, the combination of detailed graphics and atmospheric music creates a relaxing and memorable experience that encourages players to lose themselves in the virtual world.
- “The calm music works well with the beautiful landscape, creating an overall relaxing atmosphere that prompts you to explore the game and inspires you to travel to Iceland yourself and experience the Mýrdalssandur for yourself.”
- “Exploring the vistas of Mýrdalssandur while listening to the fitting atmospheric soundtrack is arguably the most relaxing activity one can experience in a video game.”
- “Each section of its environment is accurate and recreated in immaculate detail, which, alongside the enchanting music, creates an atmosphere that the player will not soon forget.”
- “The dark, cold atmosphere made it almost impossible to just relax and enjoy the scenery.”
- “For an experience that can be completed in less than an hour, it is much like a place in real life one would want to frequently revisit for the sheer beauty, tranquility, and atmosphere.”
- “Beautifully made game, there seems to be a lot of work put into the landscapes and the realistic look of Iceland, the atmosphere fits very well with the foggy Icelandic weather.”
gameplay
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
50%
15%
Gameplay is generally described as engaging and enjoyable, with a focus on exploration and stunning graphics. However, some players find the "loss" mechanic and forced teleportation frustrating, as they disrupt immersion and can detract from the overall experience. While many appreciate the freedom to roam and the photo-taking mechanic, there are mixed opinions on the execution and depth of gameplay.
- “Graphics are beautiful, gameplay is simple yet engaging.”
- “Stunning graphics and compelling gameplay.”
- “I think it's great that you can be left to do what you like and roam around freely and be able to take in the lovely scenery, and something to edge you on to do that is the main mechanic of taking photos of amazing places.”
- “There's this 'loss' mechanic that gets annoying where sometimes you start again from a checkpoint when you get too far off the path, which breaks immersion way more than just stumbling into an invisible collision box and going on with your thing.”
- “This made me uneasy, as I really liked the exploration and landscape, but I lost motivation after immersion broke too many times with this mechanic.”
- “Also, I didn't particularly like the 'forced teleportation' mechanic which throws you back on the main track when you try to move over the edge of the map - it could disorient the player, especially in the foggy part.”
story
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
54%
23%
The story aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many users noting its lack of depth and coherence, rating it as low as 2 out of 10. However, there is a consensus that the game has significant potential for a more engaging narrative, with suggestions for incorporating quests and story-driven elements similar to titles like "Everybody's Gone to the Rapture." Overall, while the current story is minimal, players see opportunities for future development in this area.
- “There is a lot of potential for a story-based adventure, similar to 'Everybody's Gone to the Rapture', where you may have to take photographs to unravel the story.”
- “There is a lot of potential for a story-based adventure, similar to 'Everybody's Gone to the Rapture', where you maybe have to take photographs to unravel the story.”
- “Would be fantastic to have a walking simulator game similar to this with a bit of a story behind it (something like The Fidelio Incident comes to mind) that looks this good.”
- “This game has real potential to become a massive open world with a storyline.”
optimization
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
33%
25%
Overall, the optimization of the game receives mixed feedback. While some players praise its smooth performance and excellent graphics with minimal impact, others report issues like poor visual optimization and micro-stuttering. VR optimization is highlighted as particularly strong, accommodating various headsets effectively.
- “Furthermore, the performance is amazing, runs super smooth, no stuttering, and no crashes.”
- “It's beautiful and actually very well optimized.”
- “Insanely good graphics, and very well optimized.”
- “I want to like this, but the visuals are horribly optimized no matter how you tweak your settings, and even at max, the distance is way too shallow.”
- “I've run the game on both an FX-4 series with a GTX 960 and a Ryzen 3700X with a 5700XT, and I saw no performance increase, which makes me think that the game just has poor optimization.”
- “However, when looking around, there's a degree of micro-stuttering.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game profoundly emotional, often describing it as heartbreaking and nostalgic, evoking tears and a deep sense of connection to its beauty. The experience is characterized as both relaxing and wholesome, leaving a lasting impact on their feelings.
- “It made me cry, like feeling nostalgia for a place I have never been.”
- “The beauty of this game actually made me cry.”
- “Absolutely heartbreaking when I remember this gem.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
83%
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with users reporting numerous bugs, graphical glitches, and incomplete elements, such as floating rocks and exposed surfaces. While some players praise its visual appeal and performance, many agree that it requires significant polishing to address these issues. Additionally, the VR experience is locked behind a DLC purchase, which has drawn criticism.
- “Absolutely stunning, looks great and runs great. Great job!”
- “This game is very buggy and incomplete.”
- “Also, there are some graphical glitches with the fog banks.”
- “Though, right now it still needs a bit of polishing - I found some floating rocks and small glitches near the edges of the space open for movement, and the big river looks a bit unnatural (the perspective breaks here so you could assume that the water surface is not horizontal at all).”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express that grinding in the game can be a tedious experience, often requiring significant time investment, likening it to needing a "second life" to manage the effort. However, some find that engaging in grinding can provide a sense of peace and relief from real-life tensions.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Download it, install it, and run it just to feel peace and relieve yourself from the tensions of grinding.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Users have mixed opinions on replayability; while some believe the game has endless replay value, others feel it lacks any significant replayability features.
- “For that reason, I feel it's a game that may never truly exhaust its replay value.”
- “However, it does not have any replayability.”

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Mýrdalssandur, Iceland
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96h Median play time

71h Average play time

20-121h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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