The Isle: Survival Evolved
It's time to find out if survival of the fittest is all it's cracked up to be in The Isle's birthright battle royale.
Early Access Review
last updated Jan 01, 2024
The Isle knows how to orchestrate tension with audio cues that will have you looking over your shoulder or sniffing for a nearby herd to join.
Surviving Prehistory: A Walk on the Wild Side
Navigating the peril-riddled plain in The Isle is akin to joining a marathon where every runner is either a predator with an insatiable appetite or prey prone to frequent panic attacks. This is not your tranquil stroll in the park. Instead, it's a Herculean task to grow from a vulnerable hatchling to a fearsome adult, all the while avoiding the untimely demise by fang or famine. Finding sustenance is a high-stakes affair, and unless you enjoy cosplay as a prehistoric bush, growth often feels like an agonizing game of waiting for your scales to shed. The prospect of starting growth anew after each death might be the closest digital equivalent of Sisyphus' eternal struggle.
Aural Prehistory: The Sounds of Survival
The Isle's soundscape packs a primeval punch - whether it's the distant roars that serve as a public service announcement for impending doom or the subtle rustling of foliage that preludes a stealth attack. The game knows how to orchestrate tension with audio cues that will have you looking over your shoulder or sniffing for a nearby herd to join. Music is the unsung hero of the prehistoric soundscape, perfectly underscoring the ebbs and flows of the survival drama. Much like a vintage vinyl, the audio delivers crackles of nostalgia for any dino aficionado, with guttural growls and shrieks that could make a T-Rex tap its tiny toe in approval.
Digital Dino Display: A Visual Voyage
The Isle makes a solid entry in the eye-candy department with its high-grade graphics - if you're among the elite few with a rig robust enough to run it. Performance issues and lag seem to plague those whose setups aren't as beefy as a Brontosaurus. The nighttime visuals, reminiscent of stepping into a tar pit, require players to hone their nocturnal instincts or risk becoming a midnight snack. Yet, performance aside, the game achieves a level of detail that borders on paleontological perfection with a lush environment that's easy to get lost in, both metaphorically and literally. But remember, with great graphics come great...well, potential for crashes and slowdowns.
Inhabitants of The Isle: Diversity in Dinosaurs
Diversity is the name of the game in The Isle, with an ensemble of dinos that would make even the most prestigious natural history museum blush. From the swift-footed Utahraptor to the thundering might of the Tyrannosaurus Rex, the offering is a veritable buffet of prehistoric personas. The attention to detail in the character models is impressive, and the animations bring these ancient beasts to life with jaw-dropping realism. However, despite this plethora, the server ecosystem could use a touch of evolution, with slim pickings on locales to play and the occasional feeling of being lonelier than the last dodo.
EARLY ACCESS RATING
Developer & Publisher
Afterthought LLC
Early Accesss Release Date
December 01, 2015
Verdict: Survival of the Fittest or Fossil in the Making?
The Isle scales triumphs and tribulations like an Acrocanthosaurus trying to ballet; it's a graceful blend of rich environments and fear-inducing survival mechanics mercilessly weighted down by performance issues and night-life hindrances. For those with the constitution of a Triceratops and the patience of a nesting Pteranodon, there's a world teeming with ferocious fauna to explore and conquer. Yet, tread carefully where development is ongoing, lest you become an eternal dweller of the early access amber.