Beasts of Maravilla Island

You might not realize it, but games based around photography are having a moment in 2021. Not only did Nintendo release the long-overdue sequel to Pokemon Snap, but this year also brought us Penko Park, a port of Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water and the debut release from Banana Bird Studios -- Beasts of Maravilla Island. It's a serene and often relaxing adventure that is all about getting to know the island's weird and wonderful creatures and taking pictures for the whole world to see. And let me tell you, after a week covering the circus that was E3, sight-seeing on a tropical island far from civilization sounds like the perfect vacation right about now. Too bad it's just a video game.

Let me introduce you to Marina, a young woman who has decided to follow in her adventure-seeking grandfather's footsteps to uncover the magical secrets of Maravilla Island. This was the location of so many tall tales of mythical beasts and undiscovered species, and with her grandfather's recent passing, Marina has decided to visit the island and see for herself if the stories were true. Equipped with his trusty old camera, a detailed journal and an emotional letter, this is her way to honor his legacy and introduce a whole new generation to the wonders of Maravilla Island.

I don't think I'm spoiling anything when I tell you that grandpa was right, this is a magical island filled with undiscovered treats. The lush forests are teaming with weird and wonderful creatures that defy our expectations, such as monkeys that fly around the sky like birds or otters that look and act a lot like alligators. All this fascinates the nature-loving Marina, who can't help but fall in love with everything she sees. Instead of being afraid of these new and unusual creatures, she is quick to get up close and take as many pictures as possible. She's eager to show the rest of the world what she has discovered and spread the work that was started by her grandfather.

Spread across three sizable locations, Beasts of Maravilla Island has as predictable structure that involves us learning about a new animal and then taking pictures of it doing various activities. For example, the game will want you to not only take pictures of those monkeys resting on a tree limb, but also flying through the air, singing their annoying song and even dancing during an elaborate mating ritual. Marina will need to solve simplistic puzzles in order to trigger these events and get the perfect photo. Once you've figured out how to get the four required snapshots, a path will open up that will take you to a brand-new setting, complete with new animals, insects and vegetation.

While I wish I could have visited more parts of the island, the three different locations mix things up enough to keep from feeling repetitive. The game does a good job of introducing unique types of puzzles and terrain in each stage, and I like the different coloring and how every location has its own atmosphere and ambience. I also appreciate that there's a slight but important story that adds a much-needed layer of mystery to the adventure. While not especially deep, the narrative does a good job of tying everything together and leaving the player with an inspirational message about the importance of nature.

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But like all great vacations, our visit to Maravilla Island is over too soon. Unless you get lost in the trees, it shouldn't take players much more than 90 minutes to photograph every inch of this tropical paradise. While not necessarily small, the three stages are all a little too linear and the puzzles are so basic that the solutions are always blatantly obvious. This is the kind of game that could have benefitted from having twice as many locations or more mythical beasts to interact with. The adventure is over just as it's starting to heat up, leaving me with that disappointed feeling that I didn't explore enough of the island. I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that it took me longer to watch the unskippable credit roll than to play through the entire last stage of the game.

I was also annoyed by how buggy the experience was. There's a general lack of polish found throughout all of the stages that lead to Marina getting stuck on the background or animals clipping through the environment. And I hate to continue to harp on the credits roll, but there was a bit where I started to wonder if the game had crashed on me. Everything from the gameplay to the graphics to the ending feels like it needed a little more time in the oven.

Still, even with the jank and short adventure, Beasts of Maravilla Island still proves to be a relaxing scavenger hunt through three colorful settings. I liked the mystery it sets up and the puzzle solving is a nice touch, but suspect that everybody except for the youngest gamers will fly through Marina's far-too-brief expedition like a Rainbow Crested Quetzal Monkey. I guess that explains why she didn't bring an extra set of clothes.