Skylar & Plux: Adventure On Clover Island

For the amount of staff that worked on this game, they do have a good base to work from, but unfortunately there are so many issues that it detracts from being an enjoyable affair. Its sub three-hour gameplay has no replayability at all, and the consistently harsh frame rate dips heavily impact the game.

66%Game Brain Score

gameplay, story

optimization, grinding

89% User Score Based on 309 reviews

Critic Score 46%Based on 2 reviews

Platforms

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About

Skylar & Plux: Adventure on Clover Island is a 3D platformer game with classic gameplay and gadgets, set in a vibrant world. As the heroine Skylar and her sidekick Plux, you must save the island from the villain CRT and explore tropical beaches, volcanic caverns, and more. Use the jetpack for freedom of movement and collect gadgets to fight enemies and uncover the island's secrets.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Skylar & Plux: Adventure On Clover Island screenshot

89%

Audience ScoreBased on 311 reviews

gameplay45 positive mentions

grinding8 negative mentions

Charming art style and vibrant graphics that evoke nostalgia for classic 3D platformers.
Smooth controls and enjoyable platforming mechanics, making traversal and combat satisfying.
Lighthearted story with humorous dialogue, particularly from the villain CRT.

Very short gameplay, typically completed in 2-4 hours, which may not justify the price for some players.
Limited enemy variety and simplistic combat mechanics that can feel repetitive.
Cringe-worthy dialogue and voice acting, particularly from the sidekick Plux, which may detract from the overall experience.

gameplay
135 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
62%
4%
The gameplay of "Skylar & Plux: Adventure on Clover Island" is characterized by solid platforming mechanics and a nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic 3D platformers. While the game offers a variety of unique abilities and puzzles, it is relatively short (around 2-4 hours) and lacks depth in its mechanics and enemy variety, leading to a straightforward but enjoyable experience. Players appreciate the colorful environments and smooth controls, though some feel that the game could benefit from more content and better utilization of introduced mechanics.
- “Skylar & Plux: Adventure on Clover Island is a passionate revival of the legendary 3D platformer genre with classic gameplay, playful gadgets, and a lighthearted story set in a gorgeous, colorful world reminiscent of our childhood adventures.”
- “The gameplay is solid, the controls are fluid, the music is decent, and the visuals are amazing.”
- “From technology that slows down time, to a magnetic arm, all the way to the all-time favorite jetpack, players are presented with a diverse array of gameplay mechanics and challenges in each level, keeping them from getting bored.”
- “And I got literally stuck after 20 minutes of gameplay because I jumped on an elevator while a cutscene was triggered and I couldn't move afterwards... this needs a lot of fixing, guys!”
- “The only negative I have about this game in terms of gameplay is the camera: the field of view is quite small, and there is no option to increase it; otherwise, the options menu is great, it has every single option you would need except for an FOV slider.”
- “Some mechanics don't really get enough time to do much; the time mechanic, for example, gets used throughout half a level then disappears entirely, and the magnet mechanic you get like half an hour from the end of the game, so there's not much time to do anything with it either.”
story
131 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
72%
5%
The story of "Skylar & Plux: Adventure on Clover Island" is a lighthearted and simple narrative centered around saving an island from a robotic overlord, featuring familiar themes of friendship and adventure. While the plot is often described as cliché and aimed at a younger audience, it serves its purpose within the context of the gameplay, which is the main draw of the experience. Overall, the story is considered enjoyable but short, with some humorous moments and charming character interactions, making it a nostalgic nod to classic 3D platformers.
- “Skylar & Plux: Adventure on Clover Island is a passionate revival of the legendary 3D platformer genre with classic gameplay, playful gadgets, and a lighthearted story set in a gorgeous, colorful world reminiscent of our childhood adventures.”
- “Though being short, it has a great story, great protagonists, lots of humor, and lots of variety, offering multiple distinct areas.”
- “The story is lighthearted, a bit whimsical even, and full of clichés.”
- “The dialogue, voice acting, and story are very weak.”
- “I can't say I'd give it a strong recommendation, because ultimately what you're getting is about 2 hours of game and the story is incredibly cliché and mostly very poorly written.”
- “The storyline is extremely predictable and offers nothing engaging, especially being so short.”
graphics
87 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
33%
3%
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their vibrant and colorful art style, reminiscent of classic platformers like Ratchet & Clank and Banjo-Kazooie. While many reviewers appreciate the appealing visuals and well-designed environments, some note technical issues such as frame rate drops and minor graphical glitches. Overall, the game successfully captures a nostalgic aesthetic with modern graphical fidelity, making it visually enjoyable despite some inconsistencies.
- “The graphics are really pretty, and I felt like the levels were well put together.”
- “Beautiful graphics and art design.”
- “Graphically, the game is packed with gorgeous colors, the Unreal 4 engine being used to great effect.”
- “The graphics are a bit basic, but you won't find a better love letter to platformers than this game.”
- “I liked it, and would have given it a 7; however, it is riddled with technical issues. Firstly, frame-rate dips to 30-40fps even on a rig with a GTX 1080. For what is a fairly basic game graphically, I’d expect a smooth 60 dead on.”
- “Graphically, the game looks alright, but there is a problem with the lighting that makes shaded areas look extremely dark and difficult to see.”
music
66 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
32%
5%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many reviewers praising its upbeat and charming qualities that complement the colorful visuals and playful tone. While some found the soundtrack to be forgettable or occasionally mismatched with certain levels, others highlighted its ability to enhance the overall experience, with distinct themes for different areas. Overall, the soundtrack is described as enjoyable, fitting, and a significant aspect of the game's appeal.
- “The trip leads through idyllic backdrops such as the snow-covered peaks with all kinds of tranquil mountain huts, which is appropriately underlined by the melodic orchestral soundtrack.”
- “The first few things you'll notice as you start playing the game are: cheesy (but not awful) voice acting, interesting comic book-esque cutscenes, and beautiful mesmerizing sceneries, all accompanied by a very sweet soundtrack that manages to keep the pacing up and get you pumped for the adventure of mute furry protagonist Skylar.”
- “In terms of music, my god it's some amazing stuff, on par with Grant Kirkhope's work in Yooka-Laylee, especially the whimsical track that plays in the first area; it just screams nostalgia and I loved it.”
- “The soundtrack complements the playful tone of the game but doesn't match in certain levels and sometimes just stops working altogether.”
- “I did not particularly like the music, which is too upbeat and pompous for my taste.”
- “The music I feel wasn't mixed very well with the other sounds of the game; it felt louder than everything else.”
humor
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
92%
8%
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its low-key, self-aware style and nostalgic references, while others find the dialogue cringe-worthy and lacking depth. The villain, a giant television named CRT, stands out as a highlight, delivering some genuinely funny moments, though the main characters often fall flat. Overall, the humor can be hit-or-miss, with some enjoying the childish charm and others feeling it tries too hard without fully committing to its comedic potential.
- “The more unique character is the villain, who is a giant television with robot hands named CRT, which was pretty funny.”
- “The story is nice and the humor is childish but in a good way.”
- “The writing and the dialogues between Plux, CRT, Bob, and Arm are enjoyable and sometimes keep you laughing, at least a bit :)”
- “A bland, painfully unfunny platformer that does nothing new and is very short.”
- “The main characters are dull and lifeless, Skylar being entirely silent and emotionless, while Plux is painfully unfunny, referencing dated memes that make no sense in-universe.”
- “Crt is a terrible stereotype of a villain, also painfully unfunny, trying to be GLaDOS so bad it hurts.”
optimization
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The game's optimization is a mixed bag; while some players report smooth performance and high frame rates on capable hardware, others experience significant issues, such as overheating and stuttering. Overall, the optimization seems to vary widely depending on the system, with some users enjoying a well-optimized experience while others find it lacking.
- “Not quite on par with Ratchet & Clank, but it came close with the silky smooth performance and varied gameplay.”
- “Performance-wise it runs really well on my GT73VR 7RF Titan Pro laptop, remaining around 120fps in 1080p at full settings most of the time and it can look really great thanks to really good artwork.”
- “+ well optimized”
- “It had a great execution, only spoiled by a bad player model and optimization issues.”
- “But the only real potential problem with the game is the strange optimization; this game made my RTX 2070 jump up 30 degrees Celsius in mere seconds just from tabbing out.”
- “It's not quite optimized for a computer though, at least not a semi-good one.”
grinding
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
89%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious but manageable, with some noting that while achieving 100% completion requires significant backtracking and collecting, it is not overly burdensome. The grind for achievements, such as collecting a large number of items, is seen as a mild inconvenience rather than a major flaw, with completion times varying based on playstyle. Overall, while grinding is present, it is often described as forgivable within the context of the game's design.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Grinding in this game is incredibly rewarding and keeps you engaged.”
- “The grind is challenging but satisfying, making every achievement feel earned.”
- “The game wants you to collect a dumb amount of these for full completion, which, you guessed it, means that you're going to have to do a mild amount of grinding.”
- “It took me four hours to hundred percent Skylar and Plux, that included both backtracking for things I missed and grinding at the end to get the last achievement. Without this, I suspect that I could probably beat the game in 2 hours or less if I only wanted to finish the game and that's going in blind.”
- “[b]Grinding achievements:[/b] Yes, getting all the lo'as and getting 10k collectibles felt very grindy.”
character development
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
22%
33%
Overall, the character development in the game is criticized for lacking depth and meaningful progression, despite some praise for the character designs themselves. While the visuals are often described as beautiful and appealing, many reviewers feel that the story and characters do not engage players on a deeper level, leading to a disconnect between design and narrative substance.
- “The game is beautiful all around, and I particularly like Skylar's character design as well as the sheer beauty of Clover Island in general.”
- “Character design is nice and it's certainly not the most involving story or characters though.”
- “> Character design: brilliant.”
- “There is no actual character development, even though the game wants you to believe so badly that its characters have some kind of depth.”
- “Character design is also odd as there is no need for any of them to be animals.”
- “- annoying character designs.”
stability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game's stability is marked by a mix of minor glitches and occasional graphical issues, though they are generally not game-breaking. While some players experienced frustrating bugs, others reported smooth performance with no significant visual problems. The consensus suggests that while the game has its quirks, they are often easy to overlook.
- “I experienced a handful of glitches while playing, which was frustrating but easy to forget.”
- “There are so many glitches in the game.”
- “[extremely short campaign that you can potentially beat in one sitting, lacks a real sense of challenge, plenty of odd glitches]”
replayability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
Overall, the game's replayability is considered low, with many reviewers noting that the limited 3-4 hours of content and lack of additional modes or levels significantly diminish its value. While some players appreciate the charming world and collectible hunting, the general consensus is that the game does not offer enough incentive for repeated playthroughs.
- “I would like to see more levels or some sort of new mode where you just hunt for collectibles, as the world feels really nice and replayable.”
- “Solid 3D platforming with a few additional mechanics that provide some variety; overall, a charming world. Finding collectibles adds replay value.”
- “It's just not worth more than that for 3-4 hours of content and no replayability of any kind.”
- “Replay value: 2/5 - some achievements and collectibles.”
- “Its sub-three-hour gameplay has no replayability at all, and the consistently harsh frame rate dips heavily impact the game.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a vibrant and colorful aesthetic, complemented by relaxing background music that enhances the overall experience. Players appreciate the humorous tone and the pleasant auditory elements, which contribute to a joyful and engaging environment.
- “It fits the atmosphere of the game really well and is very pleasant to the ears.”
- “I like the colorful atmosphere very much and also the relaxing background music.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Skylar & Plux: Adventure on Clover Island aims to evoke emotions through its narrative about a missing father, but many players find the execution awkward rather than touching. While it pays homage to classic mascot platformers, the emotional impact is undermined by gameplay issues, such as a sensitive camera.
- “Skylar & Plux: Adventure on Clover Island is a wholesome tribute to mascot platformers in the vein of Ratchet & Clank and Jak & Daxter.”
- “Oh, he also tries to tug at your heartstrings with his stories about his missing dad, but they feel more awkward than heartwarming.”