Developer: Big Fat Alien
Publisher: Big Fat Alien
Platforms: PC
Tested on: PC
Rogue Islands – Preview
What happens when a world has not seen any evil for a long time? Living in peace does come at a cost, and when suddenly everything turns dark and scary, you sometimes need to rely on the outcast of the village. This being said the inhabitants might have found our hero strange at first, but will honor him for the rest of the days, if he succeeds that is. Being only in early access and with much more to follow, this will be an interesting title for the genre.
When creating a game there are some key elements such as story, graphics and gameplay. These building blocks (pun intended) are important for creating something that everyone will enjoy. In an adventure game that focuses on action it sometimes happens that the story is pushed back but in Rogue Islands it is actually a key component to the gameplay. It all started so peacefully on the islands of Vitalor, but after a demonic invasion, the Great Tree network turned dark. This was a turning point for the inhabitants of Vitalor since the network was in charge of connecting the islands.All hope was lost until the brave Gnome druid named Motwort set his quest to save the Rogue Islands.
These blocky lands are built from (yes you guessed it) blocks. While the original Minecraft title would be fully build out of pixels, this game has some more details with items being more complex and made from various shapes. This draws the attention to its graphical design and lets it feel more of a unique project rather than a copycat production. Although the islands have been invaded by evil monsters, it does seem that most of the maps are very bright and colorful. This will turn on you when the light sets, because then the real demons come out to play.
A calming tune plays when you traverse the plains of Vitalor and it gives a (false) sense of safety and beauty while in reality you struggle for survival. Characters all have different sounds and this can aid you to distinct certain entities. The weak skeletons have a more cute voice while very poisonous bees share their presence with an intimidating sound. To give the game even more charm a wide range of sound effects are in place and, especially when using magic, it gives off this cartoonish vibe.
Rogue Islands is a first-person shooter that utilizes magic to cleanse the corrupted lands of Vitalor. What makes the game unique is that each level is randomly generated, so even though you play the game over and over again, you won’t get the same level twice. This means that collecting treasure is mostly based on luck, but is extra rewarding afterwards. While the maps are fresh every time, the objectives are very repetitive. It is all made clear in the story that tells us about the demon gates opening and the repairing of the tree network. This can become boring when playing long sessions, but is acceptable in shorter playthroughs. After a few levels there is a boss fight, where you first collect an item to summon this evildoer and take it out for once and for all.
Next to all the killing, you need to focus on survival. Motwort will get hungry so you need to search and collect food. Various produce has different effects from reduced fall damage to instantaneous healing and curing you from diseases. The game runs on a day and night cycle that reminds us of the timer warnings in older games. When the island goes dark spooky Ghasts will appear and these are invulnerable to magic so the only way to get rid of them is to hide in your boat until morning. Your ship also plays a crucial role in this game since it provides shelter against enemies and grows food for you. When you want to leave, you will need to craft boat fuel from various resources found on the island. For defending yourself against the horrors that come from the demon realm there are three magic wands: normal, earth – and fire elemental. Each wand has its unique manapool and abilities, power up what suits you the most. Mana and health regenerate over time but this can be affected by boosts and perks.
Conclusion
Rogue Islands is a fun Minecraft-like shooter that takes a few points from an original IP and combines this with a few fun variants to come up with a new and fresh adventure to enjoy. As an early access title there is a decent amount of content and the story is told step by step to keep you interested. Because of the absence of a tutorial level this means that learning the game can be a bit hard at first but once you settle in, it becomes a really fun indie game.
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