Islets Review: The Connector of Worlds (PS5)

Islets has a sense of progression which I think elevates it above other metroidvanias. Obviously, lots of them are great and well regarded. However, there is something for me specifically in which the natural feel of exploration and progression work within Islets that appeals to me greatly. I enjoyed exploring every nook and cranny, combat is enjoyable and there is an upgrade system I liked which made your character feel like he improved with more playtime.

Islets was created by Kyle Thompson, with music by Eric Thompson. It was released in 2022, published by Armour Games for Windows, Nintendo Switch and Microsoft Xbox and Sony PlayStation.

Islets is a 2D side scrolling metroidvania and there are plenty of those around. Hollow Knight is still one that is talked about fondly, Jesse Sutton talks about why you should play it.

Story: Reunite The World

Aeons ago, five separate islands became one cohesive system. And the islands began to thrive, balancing each other out. To prevent the islands from breaking apart, large electromagnetic cores were built into each one. However, as time passed, these cores were lost and forgotten, disconnecting the islands. Present day, each year, many an aspiring warrior ventures forth to discover these islands, hoping to reignite the cores within and make the land whole again.

Enter Iko. He’s just a regular mouse. Having left home years ago to set off on his adventure, he wanders the sky on his wooden boat with little success. He meets an old friend Snoot. He “claims” to be a great warrior, astride his massive ship, who leaves you behind with his vapour trail – which promptly destroys your ship! Crashing you into Grass Valley, this begins our humble hero’s journey from timid mouse to demon slaying, island connecting badass.

Islets story is a positive. It is like Crypt Custodian in that it is simple by design. Your main objective is to roam the land, dealing with the creatures who reside there and find the massive magnets. Turning these on will connect islands together, forming more paths and areas to explore.

Naturally there is a Big Bad at the end wanting to destroy the world which only you can foil. There is a couple of characters with screen time; our old childhood friend Snoot arrives from time to time to claim “victory” over your exploits. He’s predictably smarmy and annoying but he isn’t unlikable. Our other main friend is GreyBird. He turns up halfway through as a guide, a mentor to our hero.

Islets is a simple but addictive time. It’s mostly about the progression of our hero through each island and it feels great to connect each world.

Iko gets (some) help along the way to deal with an existential threat to the islands

Gameplay: Slick & Enjoyable

Islets has you progressing through a massive map in search of our electromagnets to connect the world together. And through our protagonist Iko, we’re going to grow as a character to become a badass.

Iko initially felt a little floaty to control. He flies through the screen if you want to. However, this felt great later when deciding to scour the map for collectibles. Iko in combat is swift and precise. He felt great when in combat. There are also kill boxes to contend with; you can’t escape until everyone is dealt with.

Iko himself has two weapons. His trusty sword which you can use in any direction. He can dodge, handy for getting through attacks and it has a small cooldown. The overpowered weapon must be his bow. Along with his health, Iko has slots for the number of arrows he has. The bow itself works like a magnet when near any enemies. It was incredibly handy.

Killing enemies and breaking vases allowed you to collect currency which you would use later.

Getting around Islets was really enjoyable for the most part. there are plenty of projectiles to avoid from enemies and the environment had spikes everywhere. There were some environment design which helped get you around – water spouts or clouds allowing you to disappear to somewhere else was a nice touch to add variety. Some areas were blocked by concrete, so when you find the way around, you unblock your path, allowing easy access.

Islets normally has you travelling through the world trying to avoid projectiles and plenty of swamp water

Abilities & Upgrades

Naturally when completing a metroidvania, through exploration or defeating a boss, you are rewarded. Iko gets some help along the way. Eventually you can double jump, climb walls, charge your attack to break steel blocks. The big ones are helping your bow & arrow. You can eventually use different arrows which help with combat and exploration in different ways. Switching between sword and bow are important and every occasion made me feel great when you get it correct.

While exploring the world, you can encounter small constellation puzzles which reward you with an upgrade. Upgrades can also be found scattered around the map and they give you a choice. You are allowed to choose one of three cards.

Upgrades include things like increasing health/arrow fire rate or arrow ammo. Being able to create explosions from being hit or killing enemies. I really liked the system and collecting the upgrades was of incremental benefit. I felt they did help make Iko stronger with his abilities over time.

Islets exploration felt good. There were teleporters around, as well as Save Shrines. Eventually you were given the ability to teleport from Save Shrines which was a big help. I felt getting around was nice & easy. When deciding to complete the game, looking for collectibles, it was a bit more of a chore. Even with the number of teleporters/shrines available, I would have preferred more.

You will collect plenty of upgrades in Islets. The game give you the option to pick one between three each time which i liked.

The Ship In The Sky

Getting around the world also included a small hub world. With the islands separated, there is “The Sky”, an expanse with some people trying to scratch a living. With your currency, you can gain different upgrades – increasing your health, sword and arrow damage. Another shop will help you find upgrades on the mini maps. There includes a hospital to heal yourself. There is one caveat: a random man asks you to buy your next story icon for a small fee. I think without this, Islets would feel incredibly aimless.

There is also a shop to upgrade your ship. Finding parts scattered in each map, bring it here and upgrade your boat to include a turret and doge mechanics. You’re going to need them, because in every metroidvania, there are…

Iko gets to travel the Big Sky with his own rickety wooden ship. Hopefully you get to upgrade it.

Bosses

Islets in general is a chill metroidvania with plenty of exploration. However, naturally standing in your way from your main objective is going to be boss of that area. Whether it is a big onion which spouts spider legs or a mechanical piranha controlled by pirates, the bosses were plentiful and had a structure but good variety to deal with. They are a good barometer for your progress and acknowledging your skill level throughout the game.

The bosses mainly are projectile based and have two phases, the second naturally being more difficult. I liked that there was variety where you fought in person as well as in your trusty ship.

Like Crypt Custodian, there is also a Boss Rush Mode, which is taken literally this time. You are thrown into each boss one after the other, incrementally gaining health, arrows, abilities. You are judged at the end of each run for time completed, deaths and difficulty used.

Islets is a solid, enjoyable and mostly easy going adventure into the world of metroidvanias, one which I really enjoyed. Your skill will be tested best on bosses, with plenty of patterns and bullet hell moments to memorise and get right.

Islet’s bosses were all given a dramactic introduction

Graphics: Fantastic Art Direction

Islets looks great. Our hero and the main characters have a cartoon design which is simple but detailed. There colours are always vivid and stand out. The backgrounds look great, usually showing off details about the world. The enemies and bosses also look amazing. Lots of expressive animations and design elements.

Enemy attack patterns were good for co-ordination. Islets animation is also great. There are no stutters or problems. The screen UI is nice and clean only showing your health and arrow count in the corner.

A lot of the environment actually spoke about what may have happened to the world before your adventure.

Sound & Music: Love It

Islets again nails it’s cosy but dangerous vibe. Grass Valley is what we start with, and it feels like a chill, upbeat track with some 80s vibes. A lot of the soundtrack sounded synth driven, with addictive beats added in. I always paid attention to the music while playing. And the boss music is ridiculously catchy. Although I would say the music at the end of the game is a little darker and serious – but the world is probably coming to and end, so that makes sense.

The characters again spoke is excited gibberish which plays with the chill vibes I feel. Sounds themselves from sword swings, the bow & arrow, attacking all sounded good. I’m not an expert on these sounds but everything is in order here. Even coding for sounds like rain, with you then standing under a roof, it changes to reflect where you stand.

Islets was played and reviewed on PlayStation 5.