Publisher: Seed Sparkle Lab
Developer: Seed Sparkle Lab
Nintendo Switch 2 Review
*Disclaimer: I was sent the code for this game on Nintendo Switch 2 in return for a review; all opinions are mine and mine alone.
What's that you see? A cosy game! Of course it is. Starsand Island was released back in February as early access on PC, and the full release came out in August for PC and consoles. I just want to start off this post by saying I have encountered a lot of issues whilst playing, which seem to thankfully be fixed for me, making my gameplay a lot smoother. Why is this the first thing I'm telling you? I don't want people to think that just because I was given the opportunity to play this game that I'm making up excuses just for that reason. I have had a lot of frustrations when playing, which put me off the whole game initially, to name a few: characters I needed to speak to would just disappear, and I was unable to continue with my missions in my journey book. The game kept freezing and crashing, which meant I was stuck at the same spot over and over again, and for some reason the graphics appeared very blurry, even when wearing my glasses.
I've been playing for around two weeks now, and in that time some issues have been fixed; others remain. The blurriness and staggering across my screen still annoy me, but right now, my biggest gripe is how long the loading screen takes. Other than that, I do have some positive things to say about the game and my gameplay. So let's get into it! I dream of owning my own land and cottage. When I get a chance to own all of that in a game, you bet I'm going to make the most of it. The game is very inviting with its bright colours and adorable NPCs; there are over 20 to meet and no rush to get to know them all, although I spent a lot of time running around the island to meet people and going in and out of the stores just to see what was on offer.
What I like is that the tutorial in Starsand Island holds your hand whilst playing, which I'm thankful for. The game throws a lot at you when you first play; this makes taking it all in a little overwhelming. Having a tutorial and a guide within the phone app you have in-game is a big lifesaver for this. Some things I don't tend to take in even after it's popping up on screen, so I pop into the guide and refresh my memory. On top of this, you are given mentors- 5 of them, to be exact who help you learn skills for farming, crafting, fishing, etc. The tasks they give you aren't just for them; they're also to help the residents on the island. The more you help them, the more your relationship grows. I would say it's fairly simple to keep them happy, especially when I gift them flowers.
The game has a lot to offer; it's packed full of places to explore, crafting and even being able to fight enemies. Within the Moonlit Forest, I found myself grinding for supplies in there for a long time. I figured there was a reason why I needed to go in there, and lo and behold, I would need a lot of minerals for my crafting. Crafting takes time, especially if you have a lot of materials to build. Whilst I left the machines to do their thing, I would go off to explore or grind away some more. This takes up energy; it's important to stock up on food and drink to help you keep going for the remainder of the day instead of jumping back into bed to rest fully.
Now here is the coolest thing I love about the game: the extensive amount of modes of transport on offer (some you have to pay for), from ostriches to your very own scooter. My favourite mode was the rollerskates them things made me zoom around like crazy. I would be jumping over barriers and going as fast as I could up stairs. Although sometimes it became staggered and I wouldn't move up certain sets of stairs, I still did it. On top of that, you can customise your character however you see fit; there are also 3 different outfit options you can change into: daytime clothes, bedtime clothes and swimming clothes. The more you play, the more you can unlock; this goes for hair and makeup and your very own home.
My fellow cosy players who want a pet in-game, you can adopt one! So far, I have 2 little cats who live happily in and around my home. I had to guide them all the way home and tell them to stay; you also have to make sure they have fresh water and food, just like in real life. Some people see it as a chore, but I see it as a way of life. Owning animals is part of the game; most of them are to produce materials you need, so being able to have actual pets is slightly different, especially when you can set it so they follow you around. It's definitely what I needed after my family has just lost our family cat. Seeing my two little cats together in-game reminds me of when I lived at home, and my cat and family cat were besties. You can also meet random wild animals, feed them and give them lots of love.
The game is massive; there is no doubt about it. It keeps me busy for hours on end because I'm always finding something new to do. I will sing its praises in that retrospect; I do, however, feel that they should have delayed the full launch for consoles. Why consoles? Well, my friend played the game before me on PC, and I showed her a lot of the issues I was having. She told me she has never had any of these on PC, so I guess my train of thought went straight to how different it is to run a game like this that is ported to console. This isn't me crapping on developers because I understand how difficult it can be to iron out issues, but I do believe that it could have been delayed a bit longer so they could establish the glitches and issues within the console version.
Starsand Island is playable even with these problems. I'm happily having a blast now and haven't been able to put it down since I was given the opportunity to review it.
Have a cosy day
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