This is exactly why I play indie games. You would never get a game like this from a big triple-A studio. They would think it's too boring. I loved this. I loved every bit of it. It was exactly what I was looking for.
The mere premise of this game is a gem in itself. You are Alba, tasked with venturing around the island and photographing all 62 species of wildlife that you encounter. This part reminded me of Pokemon Snap, but instead of photographic fantastical creatures, you are snapping pics of real animals. And yes, I did in fact photograph all 62 animals.
This game taught me that there are so many different types of birds - my favorite being the Cormorant. Yes, Cramorant might have something to do with that. But I digress.
Then you encounter the main story of the game which is going around the island and collecting signatures to prevent the mayor from building a hotel near the nature reserve. This is such a cute premise, because even the hotel business owner tells Alba, "You think you're big enough to stop this?" And it's the perfect example that even the smallest act of kindness can change the world.
And let's talk about the sound design. I played this game with headphones on my PC and let me tell you - it was an incredible experience. I'm not sure, but I think the developers used real wildlife sounds which just added to the immersive experience. I felt like I was really there with all the animals. And the visuals were perfect for a game like this. It has this art style that blurs the line between realistic and cartoon.
The developers also list a couple of wildlife organizations that are dedicated to improving and safeguarding our ecosystems. This game was perfect and is so important.
My only two gripes with this game which were very minor was the fact that there is no sprint button. I get that part of the journey was taking in all the sights and sounds of the island, but a run button would've been a nice quality-of-life feature. My other gripe was that I wish there was a more diverse set of animals for you to scan. I found 90% of the animals were birds. I love birds, don't get me wrong. But I got excited when I scanned something other than a bird and wished it was split up a bit better.
Overall, this game was incredible. If indie games like this keep getting published, I will keep playing them.
The mere premise of this game is a gem in itself. You are Alba, tasked with venturing around the island and photographing all 62 species of wildlife that you encounter. This part reminded me of Pokemon Snap, but instead of photographic fantastical creatures, you are snapping pics of real animals. And yes, I did in fact photograph all 62 animals.
This game taught me that there are so many different types of birds - my favorite being the Cormorant. Yes, Cramorant might have something to do with that. But I digress.
Then you encounter the main story of the game which is going around the island and collecting signatures to prevent the mayor from building a hotel near the nature reserve. This is such a cute premise, because even the hotel business owner tells Alba, "You think you're big enough to stop this?" And it's the perfect example that even the smallest act of kindness can change the world.
And let's talk about the sound design. I played this game with headphones on my PC and let me tell you - it was an incredible experience. I'm not sure, but I think the developers used real wildlife sounds which just added to the immersive experience. I felt like I was really there with all the animals. And the visuals were perfect for a game like this. It has this art style that blurs the line between realistic and cartoon.
The developers also list a couple of wildlife organizations that are dedicated to improving and safeguarding our ecosystems. This game was perfect and is so important.
My only two gripes with this game which were very minor was the fact that there is no sprint button. I get that part of the journey was taking in all the sights and sounds of the island, but a run button would've been a nice quality-of-life feature. My other gripe was that I wish there was a more diverse set of animals for you to scan. I found 90% of the animals were birds. I love birds, don't get me wrong. But I got excited when I scanned something other than a bird and wished it was split up a bit better.
Overall, this game was incredible. If indie games like this keep getting published, I will keep playing them.
When I first started this, my naïve first impressions were, "Wait... is all you do in this game just walk around the island and take pictures of the wildlife?" and, while the answer to that is yes, it's far more compelling than you may realise.
Alba: A Wildlife Adventure is set on the fictional Spanish island town of Secarral, where the titular character is staying on vacation to visit her grandparents. While she's there, the town mayor and a shady businessman make the announcement that the town's beloved nature reserve is getting torn down to make way for a five-star luxury hotel. Now it's up to Alba and her best friend, Inés, to form a Wildlife Rescue League and save the island with petitions and photographs.
It's a short, sweet and incredibly cute adventure that is very confident in its messaging and presentation and conveys that through simple, cozy gameplay as you catalogue all of the island's adorable animals (none of which you can pet, unfortunately.) The locals and locales of the island are all really charming as well, which helps sell its chill summer vibes and relaxing atmosphere.
My only complaints with the game are its animal variety and smaller things like not being able to move around while you have your phone out to take a picture. These two go hand-in-hand since the vast majority of the animals you encounter on the island are birds and many of them you're only able to catalogue by photographing them as they're flying. Since they never really stop or fly slowly enough, it can be quite tedious as you try to line up the shot and zoom perfectly.
But I digress. Despite this, Alba: A Wildlife Adventure is a truly wonderful game with a powerful message that is conveyed sincerely and naturally through the exploration and joy of its environment, helped by the oh-so-charming sights, sounds, and vibes of the island and its people.
9.5/10
Alba: A Wildlife Adventure is set on the fictional Spanish island town of Secarral, where the titular character is staying on vacation to visit her grandparents. While she's there, the town mayor and a shady businessman make the announcement that the town's beloved nature reserve is getting torn down to make way for a five-star luxury hotel. Now it's up to Alba and her best friend, Inés, to form a Wildlife Rescue League and save the island with petitions and photographs.
It's a short, sweet and incredibly cute adventure that is very confident in its messaging and presentation and conveys that through simple, cozy gameplay as you catalogue all of the island's adorable animals (none of which you can pet, unfortunately.) The locals and locales of the island are all really charming as well, which helps sell its chill summer vibes and relaxing atmosphere.
My only complaints with the game are its animal variety and smaller things like not being able to move around while you have your phone out to take a picture. These two go hand-in-hand since the vast majority of the animals you encounter on the island are birds and many of them you're only able to catalogue by photographing them as they're flying. Since they never really stop or fly slowly enough, it can be quite tedious as you try to line up the shot and zoom perfectly.
But I digress. Despite this, Alba: A Wildlife Adventure is a truly wonderful game with a powerful message that is conveyed sincerely and naturally through the exploration and joy of its environment, helped by the oh-so-charming sights, sounds, and vibes of the island and its people.
9.5/10
the path to finding new media can be so wild sometimes. a month ago the youtube algorithm randomly recommends me a video about the fear of space from a video essayist who combines all kinds of media into their given theses. I like the video, check out another, one about games with the most "alive" environments. it's mostly about red dead redemption, but for at least a minute it's alba. which is now likely one of my favorite games of the year
um, yeah! this is exceptional for what it is: a warm-hearted, couple-hour, culturally rich game about community, ecology, and exploration through the eyes of a child.
the vibes are impeccable and the characters are sketched out well enough to feel tangible and human. absolutely overflows with charm. a lot of small, smart elements that keep the island feeling alive, both in terms of the wildlife and community. very grateful that it has room for additional save slots, as I could totally see myself revisiting this if I ever want to warm up my spirit
um, yeah! this is exceptional for what it is: a warm-hearted, couple-hour, culturally rich game about community, ecology, and exploration through the eyes of a child.
the vibes are impeccable and the characters are sketched out well enough to feel tangible and human. absolutely overflows with charm. a lot of small, smart elements that keep the island feeling alive, both in terms of the wildlife and community. very grateful that it has room for additional save slots, as I could totally see myself revisiting this if I ever want to warm up my spirit
An absolute serotonin shot of a game. It just makes me happy to run around watching wildlife on a cozy Mediterranean island. The caveat is that the game is rather short, around 3.5 hours to 100%. I would have loved to see the concept expanded more, but I cant imagine many people coming away from this disliking it.
positive wildlife conservation themes and pretty wholesome.
the gameplay isn't anything too insane. most of it is just taking pictures and pressing A until you've interacted with everything in a given area, but it's clearly created for a younger audience and so i don't think its fair for me to say "wow gameplay chugs" or anything like that. definitely the best part is trying to get all of the animals scanned on your phone, as you can listen to the sounds they make in the wildlife guide and then recognize that sound in game to figure out where they are if you can't easily see them.
unfortunately, i feel like so many birds look like each other (lmao) and that's kinda just a fault of reality, i guess, but when they're flying in the air and such it's very difficult to actually tell what a bird is unless you're pointing the camera at it. as such, a large portion of this game is spent looking at birds with your camera that you already have logged, which ends up feeling a little silly. totally could be a me problem though for sure. also, the wildlife guide is disappointingly bare. it has all of the creatures, what they look like, their scientific name, and their sound, but that's it. there's no fun fact or diet or wingspan or anything listed about the creatures, and that ends up making them feel more like checks on a checklist as opposed to creatures that you should strive to conserve, which i feel reduces the effect of this game overall.
there is a website called Ecologi that supports reforestation, and the creators of Alba, Ustwo Games, commits one tree to that mission for every game downloaded or sold. as of my time of writing, they're currently in place 5th on the leaderboard for businesses with just over 1 million trees funded, which i think is pretty neat. to conclude: Alba: A Wildlife Adventure is a cute and simple game without much mechanical depth, but one for a good cause. i think it's pretty easy to get behind, and definitely deserves to exist.
the gameplay isn't anything too insane. most of it is just taking pictures and pressing A until you've interacted with everything in a given area, but it's clearly created for a younger audience and so i don't think its fair for me to say "wow gameplay chugs" or anything like that. definitely the best part is trying to get all of the animals scanned on your phone, as you can listen to the sounds they make in the wildlife guide and then recognize that sound in game to figure out where they are if you can't easily see them.
unfortunately, i feel like so many birds look like each other (lmao) and that's kinda just a fault of reality, i guess, but when they're flying in the air and such it's very difficult to actually tell what a bird is unless you're pointing the camera at it. as such, a large portion of this game is spent looking at birds with your camera that you already have logged, which ends up feeling a little silly. totally could be a me problem though for sure. also, the wildlife guide is disappointingly bare. it has all of the creatures, what they look like, their scientific name, and their sound, but that's it. there's no fun fact or diet or wingspan or anything listed about the creatures, and that ends up making them feel more like checks on a checklist as opposed to creatures that you should strive to conserve, which i feel reduces the effect of this game overall.
there is a website called Ecologi that supports reforestation, and the creators of Alba, Ustwo Games, commits one tree to that mission for every game downloaded or sold. as of my time of writing, they're currently in place 5th on the leaderboard for businesses with just over 1 million trees funded, which i think is pretty neat. to conclude: Alba: A Wildlife Adventure is a cute and simple game without much mechanical depth, but one for a good cause. i think it's pretty easy to get behind, and definitely deserves to exist.
Loved this game. Short story around nature, the environment, community and friendship. Bite-size game, was able to complete all achievements and objectives. I had fun logging the animals, exploring the island and following the story until the end. A feel-good game where I also felt closure having finished it! Will fondly remember my playthrough.
Para aquecer o coração com fofura, oferecendo mecânicas simples e uma exploração divertida. Feito com carinho para relaxar e trazer a sensação de liberdade de uma criança explorando uma ilha repleta de surpresas. Sem a pressão de ter que fazer tudo perfeito, falhar ou perder conquistas. Basta sair saltitando por aí, descobrindo a fauna ao redor e fazer parte da comunidade.
The story is pretty by-the-numbers, but the gameplay itself is delightful and entertaining. I really enjoyed the mechanic of the protagonist nodding or shaking her head. Some of the birds are a bit difficult to scan due to the speed they move at, but the enviromentalist themes are well-done and it's overall a very fun game, if short.