Skylar & Plux: Adventure on Clover Island Review

Skylar & Plux: Adventure on Clover Island which has been published by Grip Digital is a 3D platformer which has incorporated classic gameplay with a very playful and light-hearted story which can be found in a very beautiful environment. This game brings back memories as classics such as the older Ratchet and Clank and Crash Bandicoot games. The main character in the story is Skylar Lynxe who is followed alongside a companion throughout the story called Plux Owlsley. Skylar must protect her homeland from being destroyed by the CRT who are the main antagonists in this story.

The game begins with a very simple and informative tutorial which helps the player pick up the classic controls again very quickly. There aren’t many over complicating features or gameplay mechanics that are introduced to the player early on. These come later and are introduced to the player in separate areas of the map. The first containing a jet-pack which allows for higher jumps and allows for the player to glide through the level, this mechanic has been well designed and works well throughout the whole game. The next area gives the player the ability to use a time orb, which can rewind history or even slow down time to traverse across terrain that is moving too quickly, other than the area that the orb is found in there aren’t many other uses for it. The final area supplies Skylar with some magnetic gloves which can be used to pick up enemies and other objects needed for completing puzzles. This mechanic would have worked well if introduced earlier in the game as it makes the combat element of the game much more enjoyable. Each of the areas that players must explore using these mechanics are unique, ranging from beautiful beaches, inside vibrant volcanoes and high upon snowy mountainous areas.

Accompanying these beautiful environments are various music tracks that complement the gameplay greatly. Unlike many other games with music and puzzling aspects, I didn’t find myself getting frustrated at the background audio whilst trying to work out these problems which is always positive. One thing I can say that I didn’t enjoy during this game was the cheesy voice acting that was used throughout, however I feel like this was the aim during development so I wouldn’t say it was a huge problem throughout. This could simply be adding to its appeal for a younger audience, which it does well. One line which I found quite amusing was a Miley Cyrus reference, however I’ll leave that to you to find out.

Throughout my play-through I did not encounter any major issues or game breaking glitches throughout. One issue that I did find during the game however was a few of the checkpoints leaving you in places quite a way further back than I had already progressed, however this just simply meant traversing for another minute or so which wasn’t a huge issue.

Personally, I find games such as this one incredibly enjoyable so I found myself putting plenty of time into this game and have almost achieved the platinum trophy for it. Many of the trophies are simple to obtain and don’t require a huge amount of effort (other than grinding for around 20 minutes for enough credits to open every cage).

The pricing for Skylar & Plux: Adventure on Clover Island seems fair with it being £11.99 in the UK as of this date, however I feel like the game could have been made longer and allowed the player to spend more time experimenting with the many of the mechanics. By the time I had understood and began to fully utilise these, I had completed the game, leaving just the task of exploring the map to finish the collectables. Skylar and Plux gave me a huge feeling of nostalgia and brought me back to the roots of what I used to remember from gaming. So, if you have some spare cash laying around and want a slice of an old classic 3D platformer then I would suggest picking up Skylar & Plux: Adventure on Clover Island.

REVIEW CODE: A complimentary Sony Playstation 4 code was provided to Bonus Stage for this review. Please send all review code enquiries to press@4gn.co.uk.