There’s a pretty opening animation, a bunch of mumbo jumbo about magic and imagination and such, and even a foreboding statement like “if I don’t _ this will be a very short trip,” suggesting that there is a chance the player can actually fail at anything in this game. In the beginning of the game, BoMI sets itself up as a huge, grand adventure that will take a player and connect them to the world. This is a screenshot from my favorite level, the river. For example, the first level has large flowers that sprout climbable trunks when photographed.Įxploring the beautiful environments was one of my favorite parts of this game. Each level also has a different environmental trait which can be used to progress and explore. In each level, there are some animals which have unique traits and abilities which can be photographed as extra objectives.

Grandpa left behind a journal with notes on wildlife, and when you take pictures they get catalogued into the journal. The gameplay is what one might expect from a family-friendly camera-centric game. Now that he is unable to go back to the island, it’s up to you to pick up his pursuits and photograph proof of the fantastic island’s existence. Review: Smile!īeasts of Maravilla Island (henceforth BoMI) is a game about taking pictures of fantastical wildlife on an island your Grandfather discovered. Magic: Magic is a prevailing theme throughout Beasts of Maravilla Island, but it’s more of a “sense of wonder” kind of magic than sorcery or witchcraft of any sort. Would the trailer deliver on its seeming promise of quality? Let’s find out in our Beasts of Maravilla Island Review! Content Guide: According to the trailer, I could climb trees, crawl under trunks, and more. But, that didn’t interest me… until I saw that the environments seemed interactable. The concept seemed to be to take pictures of fantasy wildlife doing random things and to discover new species of animals while doing it. When I first saw the trailer for Beasts of Maravilla Island, it struck me as a game similar to Pokemon Snap.

Beasts of maravilla island ps4