Under The Island is a charming, quirky action adventure that feels like a long lost 2D Zelda, packed with clever tools, heartfelt writing, and constant moments of discovery
There are games you enjoy, and then there are games that just make you happy. Under The Island is the second kind. From the first hour to the final boss, I had a full smile on my face. It is colorful, weird, clever, and constantly surprising. It plays like a love letter to classic 2D Zelda games, especially The Minish Cap, but it never feels like a cheap imitation. It has its own personality, its own humor, and its own rhythm.
I absolutely loved it.
A Story That Starts Simple, Then Grows
You play as Nia, who returns to her home island after some time away. Things are not great. The island is slowly being submerged, and no one really understands why. Alongside your best friend Avocado, yes that is actually their name, you stumble into something much bigger than a simple environmental problem.
Early on, you make contact with a mysterious entity who tells you that the only way to save the island is to collect four special gears scattered across its different regions. Classic setup, right? Go to four places, collect four magical items, save the world.
Except there is more going on beneath the surface, both literally and narratively.
The writing has a light, playful tone, but it is also surprisingly thoughtful. It pokes fun at genre tropes without feeling cynical. One of my favorite moments happens right at the start. You open what looks like a classic “hero chest” expecting a legendary weapon, and instead you find a note that says something along the lines of “Sorry dude, I got the magic sword. Here’s a hockey stick instead.”
That hockey stick becomes your main weapon for the entire game. It is silly, but it works. And it sets the tone perfectly. This is not a grimdark epic. It is an adventure about friendship, responsibility, and rediscovering home, wrapped in a layer of cozy absurdity.
The side quests add even more charm. You help reconnect two estranged brothers. You assist a village of shapeshifting talking penguins. You get dragged into small local dramas that feel human and personal. The island feels lived in, and its inhabitants are more than just quest markers.
Exploration Done Right
The island itself is quite large, and it is structured in a way that will instantly feel familiar to fans of classic 2D Zelda. It is essentially a metroidvania wrapped in bright pixel art.
You can see places you cannot reach yet. You spot suspicious cracks in walls. You notice odd tile patterns that scream “secret.” Later, when you get a new tool, a part of your brain lights up because you remember exactly where you can use it.
And the tools are the real stars here.
You get bombs to blow open hidden paths. You get a shovel to dig up suspicious ground, and sometimes that leads to entire hidden caves. There is something incredibly satisfying about noticing a slightly different patch of earth, digging, and suddenly dropping into a secret dungeon.
You get a fire flower thing that lets you shoot fireballs to light plants and other objects on fire, which opens up a whole set of environmental puzzles. You get a bird companion who can activate distant switches and even help you fish. It never feels like a gimmick. Each new gadget genuinely changes how you interact with the world.
The movement puzzles are clever without being frustrating. You push blocks into specific patterns. You manipulate environmental elements to create paths. There are light based puzzles that require careful positioning and timing. At one point, you even run into a series of picross puzzles, which completely caught me off guard in the best way.
The game trusts you to pay attention. Some secrets are not marked at all. You just get subtle visual hints through tile design or environmental layout. If you are observant, you will find things. If not, you might walk right past them. I love that.
Exploring this island never feels like a checklist. It feels like curiosity being rewarded.
Combat That Stays Fresh
Combat is simple at first. You swing your hockey stick at enemies, dodge their attacks, and move on. But as you unlock more tools and abilities, fights become more dynamic.
Some enemies require specific approaches. Some are vulnerable only after certain actions. You start combining your tools with combat in creative ways. Using bombs strategically, setting traps on fire, sending your bird to trigger something mid fight. It feels playful and experimental.
There are a handful of boss fights, and they are genuinely excellent. Each one introduces a unique mechanic. They are not just bigger enemies with more health. They require you to think, to use your tools in new ways, and to pay attention to patterns.
None of them felt unfair. A few made me stop and rethink my strategy, which is exactly what I want from a good boss. They are memorable, visually distinct, and mechanically satisfying.
A World That Feels Cozy and Weird
Visually, Under The Island is gorgeous. The pixel art is vibrant, detailed, and full of personality. Each biome has its own identity. Forests feel lush and alive. Coastal areas feel breezy and open. Underground caves have a mysterious, almost magical atmosphere.
It is not just different color palettes. It is different moods.
The soundtrack complements everything beautifully. It is not overly dramatic. It leans into warmth and curiosity, occasionally dipping into something more intense during key story moments. However, I wish it was more prevalent during the game as often times, as you run around the island, there's no background music.
The humor also plays a big role in how the world feels. Characters break expectations in small ways. Dialogue sometimes slips into light meta commentary without being obnoxious. It feels like the developers genuinely had fun making this world, and that joy comes through in almost every interaction.
It is quirky, but never random for the sake of it. Everything feels intentional.
The Joy of Discovery
What really made this game special for me was how consistently it rewarded exploration.
You find heart pieces, gear upgrades, hidden caves, optional puzzles, and entire side stories tucked away in corners of the map. Sometimes the reward is mechanical. Sometimes it is just a funny piece of dialogue or a small emotional moment between characters.
After about 12 hours, I finished the main story. But I did not want to stop.
The only real frustration I had was with the checkpoint system later in the game. Inside some dungeons, the automatic checkpoints are spaced too far apart. If you die at the wrong time, you can lose a noticeable chunk of progress and have to run back through sections you just cleared.
It is not game breaking, but it is annoying. A slightly more generous checkpoint system would have smoothed out those rough edges.
Also, after completing the game, I really wished there was some kind of late game item or upgrade that marked missed secrets on the map. I want to 100 percent this island. I want to find every cave, every hidden chest, every optional quest. Having a way to clean up the last few percent would have been perfect.
Still, those are small complaints in a sea of positives.
Under The Island is the best game I have played this year so far. That is not something I say lightly. It captures the magic of classic 2D Zelda adventures, especially The Minish Cap, while adding its own quirky humor and heartfelt storytelling. The tools are inventive. The puzzles are clever. The world is full of secrets that reward curiosity. The characters are charming and sometimes genuinely funny.
Most importantly, it feels good to play. Moving around the island, solving puzzles, discovering hidden caves, talking to strange penguins, smacking enemies with a hockey stick. It all just clicks.
It is cozy without being boring. It is challenging without being punishing. It is weird without being messy. If you love classic top down action adventures, this is essential. Honestly, even if you do not, I would still recommend it. It is rare for a game to maintain that sense of joy from start to finish. There is something special here. Thanks for reading!
The game was reviewed on a PS5 via a promo copy provided by PR. Under The Island is available on February 17th 2026 on PS5, PC, Switch and Xbox Series X/S.
