The Legend of Zelda video games are grand adventures, however they may also be very comforting, with quaint villages to discover and heat landscapes to absorb. Beneath The Island takes that concept a step additional. It nonetheless presents the sense of exploration and puzzle-solving that makes Zelda video games so satisfying, however it additionally takes place in a comfortable, lighthearted world with an power paying homage to Stardew Valley. It’s the type of place you’ll wish to grasp round in even whenever you aren’t slaying monsters.
The sport places you within the function of Nia, a brand new resident on the seemingly regular Seashell Island. However quickly it turns into clear issues are a lot stranger than they seem as Nia is pulled into saving the island from sinking into the ocean. Within the grand custom of Zelda, this entails touring across the island to gather necessary objects, and whereas Seashell could also be a comparatively small island, there’s lots happening; forests and seashores crammed with monsters, dungeon-like buildings with loads of puzzles to unravel, and townsfolk who all the time appear to be in want of a hand.
Beneath The Island performs lots just like the 16-bit period Zelda video games — suppose A Hyperlink to the Previous — which suggests it’s a 2D action-adventure sport with a number of puzzle fixing. As a substitute of wielding a sword like Hyperlink, Nia has a hockey stick, however it works a lot the identical. You should utilize it to bash enemies, hit switches, and minimize grass in hopes of discovering money or well being. Over the course of the sport you’ll unlock new weapons and skills that additional open up the sport in a literal sense. Bombs will reveal hidden rooms, whereas a fire-spewing flower can ignite vegetation that’s in your approach. The gameplay is a mixture of motion and puzzle fixing, as it’s important to not solely defeat enemies however work out tips on how to use your varied objects and skills to get across the island.
From this acquainted core Beneath The Island does some attention-grabbing issues. Most notable are its very artistic boss battles. I don’t wish to spoil an excessive amount of, as a result of the shock is a part of the enjoyable, however for instance, the primary such encounter doesn’t have you ever dealing with off in opposition to some gigantic monster; as a substitute, you’re serving to monsters placed on a live performance. It’s important to kind out the lighting, combat off legions of followers, repair an elevator, and extra to make sure issues go easily. It sounds bizarre, however it makes use of the identical mechanics as an elaborate boss combat would, solely in a unique context. And it exhibits how Beneath The Island is extra than simply one other Zelda-alike.
The opposite notable factor concerning the sport is simply how chill it’s. Certain, you’re saving the world, however that doesn’t imply the vibes should be off. It’s the tone that jogs my memory of Stardew and even EarthBound: a bit of bit foolish, very playful, and a pleasant combination of the real-world and the supernatural. That is expressed in just about each facet of the sport. The enemies embody strolling onions that wield leeks as weapons and squirrels that throw explosive pinecones, and you’ll refill your well being by slurping ramen, which you should buy from a restaurant on a hot-air balloon. That is additionally a sport the place I’d advocate speaking to everybody and never skipping by the dialogue, as a result of there’s some very humorous writing. At one level I met a band of skeletons who had been singing Billy Joel.
There are clearly loads of Zelda-style indie video games on the market, however few handle to stability nostalgia and inventiveness the best way Beneath The Island does. Even fewer handle to do it whereas being so rattling charming.
Beneath The Island is out now on PC, Swap, PlayStation, and Xbox.
