Islets

A very fun metroidvania. Shorter than some, but just the right length for an adventure.

I've seen it described as a good intro to the genre, a kind of "baby's first metroidvania". That's true in that it's friendly, upbeat, and self-contained. It can be completed without having to look up strategies or secrets. It's definitely not as hard as, say, Hollow Knight. Bosses will still kill you, and there are a few tricky platforming sequences near the end, but it's all designed to allow you to "git gud" after just a few stubborn tries. Anyone with basic gaming chops can complete the game and feel like a champion.

But the fact that it's friendly doesn't mean that it simplifies the formula. There are lots of upgrades, powers, and enemies, and every new area has distinct challenges and its own mood. There's nothing especially innovative in any of the gameplay, but it's a solid rendering of a beloved formula. I especially enjoyed the bosses: all very fair, iterative, and distinct.

A good time. A good game. I strongly recommend it.