This is one island worth visiting
There is a certain kind of game that doesn’t try to grab you by the collar in the first hour. No, it just opens the door, lets you step inside, and trusts you will find a reason to stay. Under the Island feels built around that exact philosophy, and it ends up being one of its biggest strengths. Developed by Slime King Games and published by Top Hat Studios, this top-down action RPG leans heavily into classic adventure design. You play as Nia, a newcomer to Seashell Island who quickly learns her new home is slowly sinking into the ocean. The setup is simple, but it works because the game focuses less on dramatic twists and more on making the island feel like a real place worth saving.
The island itself is easily the star of the experience. The world is split into multiple regions that all feel distinct without feeling disconnected. Frozen underground areas give way to plant-heavy environments that feel almost alive, while industrial spaces add contrast to the more natural parts of the map. Nothing feels randomly generated or filler-heavy. It feels placed with purpose.
MSRP: $19.99
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PlayStation, Switch, PC
Price I’d Pay: $19.99
In that same vein exploration consistently rewards curiosity. Hidden paths, optional encounters, and small side activities show up often enough that wandering rarely feels wasted. Sometimes you are chasing down something small like a side task for a local NPC. Other times you are uncovering pieces of the island’s deeper history. The game does a good job of letting those discoveries feel natural instead of forced.
Combat stays intentionally straightforward. Progression revolves around collecting artifacts, unlocking abilities, and slowly expanding how you move through the world and approach fights. Much like Nintendo’s Legend of Zelda series; Nia will find weapons and gadgets to progress around the map. Tried and true bombs to clear rocks, a fire ball spitting wand for burning brush. And of course, each of these and more will lend themselves to solving the many environmental puzzles the island offers.
Enemy design adds to the personality even when mechanics stay simple. The creature roster leans heavily into strange territory, and it gives the world a unique identity that keeps encounters from blending together. And if I am being honest, the spring onion enemies are really freaking cute; and I kinda felt bad having to slap them around with the hockey stick. The gameplay loop in Under the Island is fairly easy to settle into. Players explore, discover something strange, fight it, grow stronger, and use that growth to reach somewhere new. It is a familiar structure, but it is polished enough that it rarely feels repetitive.
Visually, the pixel art does a lot of the heavy lifting. Environments are colorful, readable, and full of small details that make each region feel memorable. The game leans into retro inspiration without feeling trapped by it. Animation is subtle but effective, and the world feels alive in quiet ways that help sell the setting. Truly this game honors ‘A Link to the Past’ in the best of ways.
As much as I loved this game, sadly this island does have a few issues. For starters there doesn’t seem to be a way to track side quests or pin locations on the map. This is just one of those QOL things that I think most people who play these types of games just come to expect, sadly its missing. The other thing is the combat, I talked about it above and while it does lean on the easier side of things; the games boss battles feel inconsistent in difficulty. With some being super easy and others feeling like Elden Ring bosses. Neither of these killed the experience entirely but both were ‘head-scratchers’ to be sure.
Under the Island succeeds because it understands exactly what it wants to be. It focuses on building a world that feels worth exploring and lets the player discover it at their own pace. It is confident in its identity, and that confidence shows in almost every part of the experience. The game itself feels like a love letter to RPGs of the 90’s. Under the Island isn’t trying to redefine the genre. It’s just trying to make a memorable experience and in that I think it mostly succeeds.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
