Island Time VR

I was pleasantly surprised with how addicted I was to Island Time, as each death was a personal challenge to do better and last longer. It’s one of those games I keep thinking about when not playing, drawing mental ideas and strategies for item management and tactical seagull intercepts. Though it doesn’t offer the comforts and stress-free environment of my real world island adventures, Island Time still manages to be a whole lot of fun.

It’s got an addictive gameplay loop and a charming atmosphere.

Much like Job Simulator, Island Time balances the ridiculous with a challenging task perfectly. Although it may get repetitive once you learn the ropes, the loop of discovering new ways to survive while dealing with whatever mishaps may occur is engaging and enjoyable.

Island Time is an interesting experiment, but its limited structure makes the game boring even after a few hours.

Island Time VR is an enjoyable and inoffensive little diversion that I spent a few fun hours with. That said, I have a hard time recommending Island Time to anyone that isn’t spending an afternoon giggling with buddies. This is the sort of game that is fun to demo VR on a rainy day, providing entertainment while watching someone flail around. But unfortunately, there just isn’t enough gameplay present on this tiny island to engage an experienced VR player for more than a couple of short sessions.

Island Time VR’s best attributes – the visuals and the voice acting – are unfortunately overshadowed by some very major flaws in repetitive gameplay, a very short running-time, and game-breaking bugs. If you are looking for a new friend, Carl the Crab will certainly suffice, but if you’re looking for a top-notch VR survival title, we’d suggest you swimming the other way.

Island Time VR is a survival game deprived of effective resources. Elements that should be in great supply—variability, actionable materials, and available real estate—are reduced to a minimum, instead depending on the novelty of virtual reality for sustenance. With PlayStation VR's incapacity for a proper room-scale experience, Island Time VR is left out to starve.