Platform(s): PC (version reviewed), Nintendo Switch
Genre: Cozy, Life Sim, Dinosaur, Management

After the enormous success of Animal Crossing: New Horizons in March 2020, many of us have been eagerly awaiting new releases of cozy life sim games that offer a similar or even better experience. Recently, the Northern Irish indie game studio Ambertail Games and publisher Team17 Digital have unveiled Amber Isle, a game heavily inspired by Animal Crossing and set in the world of Paleo Pines.

Amber Isle promises a wide range of customizations, allowing players to create their own dinosaur avatars, run their own shops, and decorate the island to their liking. Players can also interact with various Paleofolks (dinosaur folks) of different shapes and sizes and unlock new upgrades and recipes. As a fan of classic life simulation games like Harvest Moon and Stardew Valley, I was excited to dive into the world of Amber Isle. However, after spending over 15 hours in the game, I found that the magic I was hoping for was missing.

Stepping Stone

The game’s story revolves around a young paleo who is looking for adventure and purpose. After an unexpected mishap that leads to a fall onto Amber Isle, the main character is tasked with repairing the damages to an abandoned shop, much to the dismay of the grumpy iguanodon Mayor Clawsworth. With the assistance of the peppy pteranodon courier named Maple and the new megalosaurus intern Adi, the goal is to transform the deserted island into a vibrant village by successfully managing a shop.

The storyline follows a familiar pattern seen in other cozy sim management titles, where the main character settles in a new village and endeavours to make it well-known. While the abundance of story cutscenes and dialogues adds depth, the absence of voice acting, and the one-sided nature of conversations can be draining. Plus, the conversations outside the cutscenes are repetitive with these Paleofolks, and sometime to find one out in the world can be challenging. So, pretty much it’s just you in the village except when you’re ready to open shop, which is the only time you get to see other characters in the game.

At the heart of the Amber Isle lies crafting and gathering materials across seven different categories, all with a charming prehistoric theme. However, the process of unlocking new recipes and selling items may become repetitive, and the limited ways to spend accumulated money is a letdown. You either get to spend on decorations for the island or to decorate your shop, which is still, very limited choices. Plus, the lack of options for expanding the shop or personal space is also a downside. Your own “home” is pretty much a bedroom behind your shop, with nothing else to offer.

Exploration in the game feels constrained, with a small area for gathering materials using basic tools: axe, pickaxe scythe, and shovel. You can upgrade your tools once you’ve completed tasks for the new residents, which believe me, takes quite a while to get decent tools. Despite the charming visuals and the bright, cozy world, the game feels limited in terms of space and surprises.

Not Dino-Mite

The visuals are in 3D charming chibi-like dinosaurs in an adorable world of dinosaurs. It attracts those from the cozy gaming community to add to their wishlist and a high chance of purchasing Ambler Isle. Who could resist cute dinosaurs, right? I was hoping the same could be said to its soundtrack, which for me, did not provide a lasting impression compared to the graphics presented.

And one more thing to highlight is the camera angle when you decide to decorate, it feels fixed and the viewpoints given does not make sense in seeing the whole picture. I had to squint my eyes to recognize each item once its drop on the area. Even when you’re trying to adjust your POV, it’s still a hassle when you have to do it every time.

Amber Isle has the potential to be one of the top cozy management games if they play their cards right, but it currently feels pretty barebones except for the visuals. The shop management system only scratches the surface, the exploration area seems large on the map but feels limited once you explore it. The bond-building with other Paleofolks feels one-sided and the friendship meter seems useless; nothing changes even when you accumulate points. The storyline becomes boring after a while. It could have been better if the mechanics were expanded as much as the character customization. I’m sure the developer will expand the world in their future roadmaps, but for now, it just does not justify the almost RM90.00 price tag.

The concept of running your own chibi-dinosaur island and growing your business into a thriving centre in the village seems promising. However, Amber Isle makes this idea seem too good to be true, offering little to explore in this adorable prehistoric world.

Pros

• Cute chibi-like dinosaur characters.
• Detailed character customization.

Cons

• Generic storyline.
• Exploration area feels constrained and limited.
• Conversation with Paleofolks feels one-sided.
• Limited options to spend coins.
• Shop management only scratches the surface.

FINAL SCORE: 50/100

Review copy provided by the publisher.