Under the Island review – A must for old-school Zelda fans

If you fondly remember the likes of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, then you absolutely must play Under the Island. It’s as simple as that. This gorgeous pixelated adventure is clearly inspired by classic Zelda games, but has plenty of its own charm that it never feels like a copycat. Beautiful, clever and challenging in all the right ways, it’s a hidden gem that deserves to be celebrated.

Under the Island doesn’t waste any time in throwing you into the action. Playing as Nia, you’ve just arrived on a new island. Sent off by your mother to explore, you find yourself at the island’s shrine monument, where you meet Avocado, a local girl around your age. Avocado tells you, in no uncertain terms, not to touch the monument. But you do and lo, you fall down a trapdoor into a secret chamber hidden under the island.

It’s here that you’re told the fate of the island is at risk, and its survival depends on you. You must explore the island and find hidden ancient cogs – and only by finding these cogs can the island continue to function as it should. No pressure then.

Rather than wielding a sword and shield, Nia’s equipped with a hockey stick. It’s not ideal, but it gets the job done. By swinging it you can not only fight against enemies but you can cut down bushes and other obstacles that lay in your way. As you progress through Under the Island, you’ll gain new abilities and equipment too, such as a bag of bombs and a tool that can shoot fireballs. Some tools are wonderfully unique, too, like a bag of treats that can be used to lure certain animals found around the island. They come in handy more than you’d imagine.

I think that’s one of the real joys of Under the Island – just how imaginative much of its adventure is. Sure, some of it feels taken straight from A Link to the Past: using bombs to blow up secret doorways, and lighting torches to solve puzzles. But there’s so much here that’s wonderfully unique. A cooking challenge in lieu of a traditional dungeon, for example. And a puzzle that requires you to round up sheep. There’s plenty of traditional exploration and combat, but it’s these breaks from the norm that keep Under the Island feeling so wonderfully charming.

Related: The Best Games Like Zelda on PS5

While the format here is familiar – find a dungeon, complete a dungeon, move on to the next dungeon – there’s plenty more to be done if you choose to explore. Some areas of the island are blocked off until you’ve got the necessary tools to open them up, but for the most part, you’re free to venture wherever you want. It pays to wander, too, because you’ll find useful items, coins, and heart tokens that can be exchanged for more health – something that’s very helpful, particularly later on in the game when you start meeting tougher enemies.

That’s the only real gripe for me: sometimes, Under the Island’s enemies can be too unforgiving. Most will take off a full heart if they hit you, and some enemies later on will do even more damage than that. Dropped hearts are scarce, so it’s not always easy to replenish your HP. Get in an unfortunate situation where several tough enemies are pursuing you all at once and you can find your health quickly depleting. Make sure you’re saving every time you see a save point, because losing progress can be a pain. Thankfully, save points are doled out generously, and you’re never more than a few minutes away from the next one.

With opportunities to upgrade your weapon, however, combat difficulty is rarely something that frustrates. Most of the challenges here are fair and enjoyable, offering enough of a reward to make your efforts worth it. Ultimately, Under the Island is a pure delight, and the odd annoyance is easily forgotten thanks to its beautiful art, creative gameplay and utterly charming design. Whether you’re coming as a Zelda fan or someone who simply likes a good, old-fashioned adventure, you’re going to love it.