Picture this. Parkour influenced gameplay systems that have been adapted from Mirror’s Edge, mixed with the color matching mechanics we’ve seen in games like Outland, Ikaruga, and Silhouette Mirage, and supported by a publisher who’s invested in a number of unique indie titles on top of a Swedish developer who’s shown their potential through intriguing prototypes. But does that lead to the color coded key of success? Here’s my opinion, of Steam’s newest, vibrant platformer.
Gameplay:
Even with an aforementioned great premise, Rising Islands doesn’t stick on all sides in it’s many departments. This is because the simple connections that should be made between mechanics simply fall apart. You can find this in how much the gameplay relies on reflexes, without having the highest regard in controls or level design. This equals a system in which there are flashes of brilliance, but nothing existing that reaches for a higher level of competence.
Story & Design:
Rising Island’s story is also pretty bare-bones, and that’s stretching it. There’s isn’t enough exposition to form a good enough goal, leaving the question of why you’re even playing the game in the first place during the game’s clunkier parts. Shallow aspects like these not only prove the loss of identity present in the heart of Rising Islands, but also the lack of polish and detail needed to craft quality.
Additionally, the game has a lot of levels, but these seem stale quick due to the poor mechanics and lousy plot. Of course there’s a fair share of repetition too, painting a portrait of the game that lacks the necessities for greatness. The final act is also very disappointing, and feels pointless and bare.
Presentation/ Visuals & Audio:
While the graphics in Rising Islands looked pretty in most places, it was hard to play and not come across a shoddy texture or common frame-drops. For a game that sets itself on pace and speed, this is something that is essential for ruining the fun. This also plagues the time-trial mode, which seems about as lost as everything else in the game.
Conclusion:
Rising Islands may be appropriate for the small audience craving reflex driven platformers, but it barely fits in this respect. The game is just littered with too many flaws, and players have to dig out the fun. Add this with some marred graphical issues, and you have a playable, but far from fun color adventure.
Rising Islands gets a 3/10 (Painful)
We’d like to thank Soedesco for giving us a code!
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