Rex: Another Island

About

Rex: Another Island is a single player open world platformer game. It was developed by shysaursoft and was released on October 18, 2017. It received very positive reviews from players.

Rex: Another Island is a 2D pixel art game where you play as a T-Rex exploring a mysterious island. With metroidvania-style gameplay, you'll uncover secrets, gain new abilities, and battle various prehistoric creatures. The game features retro-inspired graphics and chiptune music, creating a nostalgic experience for players.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

92%

Audience ScoreBased on 118 reviews

music24 positive mentions

story2 negative mentions

The game features charming retro graphics and a catchy soundtrack that enhance the overall experience.
Frequent checkpoints make the game accessible and forgiving, allowing players to enjoy the exploration without excessive punishment for mistakes.
It's a short but enjoyable platformer that offers a nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic games, making it a fun distraction for casual gamers.

The game suffers from significant technical issues, including buggy moving platforms and a frustrating coin collection system that can lead to confusion and wasted time.
Controls are imprecise and floaty, which detracts from the gameplay experience and can make platforming feel unsatisfying.
The lack of depth in gameplay mechanics, such as the absence of bosses or power-ups, makes the game feel overly simplistic and potentially unengaging for some players.

music
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
16%
9%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising it as catchy and stellar, often comparing it favorably to classic soundtracks like those from Donkey Kong Country. However, some players find certain tracks to be grating or horrendous, indicating a divide in opinion. Overall, the music is generally considered a strong aspect of the game, enhancing the retro aesthetic and gameplay experience.
- “Great soundtrack and a distinctive platformer in its own right.”
- “The game's music is actually stellar (there are hints of Donkey Kong Country here), and more players need to be checking out this game, particularly speedrunners.”
- “Tight controls for both keyboard and controller, and a beautiful simplistic look to it, and lovely music to go with it all.”
- “On a technical level, the graphics are drawn by a 4-year-old, the music is horrendous, and every time you move, the camera swivels back and forth.”
- “Starting music makes you want to tear your ears out.”
- “On a technical level, the graphics are drawn by a 4-year-old, the music is horrendous, and every time you move, the camera swivels back and forth.”
graphics
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
53%
11%
The graphics of the game are a divisive topic among users, with many appreciating the retro aesthetic while others criticize the quality as outdated and lacking polish. Some find the visuals charming and fitting for the gameplay, while others describe them as simplistic or poorly executed, likening them to a "pixel blob." Overall, the graphics serve the game's nostalgic appeal but do not meet contemporary standards, with limited customization options available.
- “A charming little open world challenge platformer with some nice graphics and nice vibing music.”
- “Pleasant graphics, good (albeit somewhat... heavy?) music, tight controls.”
- “Graphics are nothing that will blow you away but they serve the game well and have a great retro feel.”
- “You control a dinosaur, but when the graphics are this bad, well, a pixel blob is a pixel blob is a pixel blob.”
- “A choice was made to use obsolete, decades-old retro pixel 'art' as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
- “On a technical level, the graphics are drawn by a 4-year-old, the music is horrendous, and every time you move, the camera swivels back and forth.”
gameplay
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
62%
19%
The gameplay has been criticized for being a lackluster imitation of classic platformers like Mario, with janky controls and insufficient polish, leading to an unsatisfying experience. While some players appreciate the straightforward mechanics and fun challenges, the overall execution feels basic and underdeveloped, lacking the depth and responsiveness needed for a successful platforming game. Despite its cute design and low price, the gameplay does not meet the standards set by more polished titles in the genre.
- “Platforming is tight, the mechanics used are basic but well polished, none of the secrets felt like they were unreasonably hidden, the music is pretty great, and it's a pretty low price.”
- “The various challenges are fun and gameplay is straightforward.”
- “Has a lot of cute design 'teaching' moments without actually ever spelling the mechanics directly out, besides the most basic controls.”
- “It's janky and unsatisfying to play... and any experienced gamer will tell you, the handling, responsiveness, and general gameplay feel of the control scheme must be well polished for this kind of game to succeed.”
- “Unfortunately, this is something the developer seems to have phoned in, with little to no apparent gameplay testing or polish done.”
- “We played through the first 5 or so levels in 20 minutes and encountered no game mechanics other than platform jumping and collecting coins.”
story
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game lacks a traditional story, which some players find refreshing, as it allows for a straightforward platforming experience focused on exploration and collecting items. This simplicity is appreciated by those who prefer to avoid the complexities often found in indie games.
- “The game doesn't really have a story, but that doesn't matter.”
- “Fun little platformer... it's nice to play a simple exploration game, collecting coins and finding secrets, without all the usual tedious indie nonsense added in (emotional story, physics puzzles, gravity switching, portals, changing characters, etc.).”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game offers strong replayability through its speedrunning features and high score tracking, encouraging players to improve their times and collect all rings. While it can be completed quickly with knowledge of the levels, the design promotes repeated play for those seeking to master the game.
- “You can beat the game in just a few minutes if you know where you're going, but this is a game built for replayability and speedruns.”
- “Collecting all of the rings took me a bit over two hours, but if you're looking for replay value, the game includes a timer for speedrunning and tracks the number of rings you collect between checkpoints for chasing high scores.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The stability of the game is notably compromised by the presence of highly buggy moving platforms, which has led to significant frustration among users.
- “The moving platforms are incredibly buggy, which is extremely frustrating.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players appreciate the grinding aspect of the game for its simplicity and focus on exploration and collection, avoiding the typical complexities found in many indie titles. This straightforward approach allows for a more enjoyable experience without the distractions of convoluted mechanics or narratives.
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews indicate that players appreciate the game's straightforward, enjoyable gameplay, valuing its simplicity over emotional narratives or complex mechanics often found in indie games. The absence of an emotional story is seen as a positive aspect, allowing for a more relaxed gaming experience focused on exploration and collection.