Have you ever seen Steven Spielberg's "Jurassic Park" films or Michael Crichton's novels the movies were based on and wondered what it is to be like a dinosaur on an island similar to "Jurassic Park's" Isla Sorna?
One indie developer, Afterthought LLC, has the answer to that.
The game developer released its dinosaur simulator, The Isle, on December 1, 2015, which allows players to realistically role-play as any of the dinosaurs from the Mesozoic Era.
Although the game has been updated on Aug. 23, is it worth playing?
The Isle Premise And Gameplay
The Isle is a dinosaur simulator whose premise is fairly simple: you are a dinosaur, and regardless if you choose to play as a herbivore or carnivore, you must do everything you can to grow and survive.
The game has various dinosaurs available to play. If you choose to be a herbivore, you can play as a variety of dinosaurs, which includes the Triceratops, Pachycephalosaurus, and Maiasaura.
On the other hand, if you choose to play as a carnivore, you can play as one of the many carnivores in the game, which includes the Utahraptor, Spinosaurus, and even the Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Regardless of your choices, you are responsible for taking care of the dinosaur you chose to play as. Herbivores can graze on various plants on the ground, while carnivores can hunt down NPC dinos or other players, which even includes fellow carnivores.
However, both dinosaurs have to drink water, or they will die of thirst, forcing different kinds of dinosaurs to go head-to-head with each other.
Sniffing the air is possible to help you locate food, water, and footprints of dinosaurs that passed by in an area, including the one you're possibly hunting.
This ability is critically important as new players and those whose dinosaurs died/were killed will start the game as juvenile versions of the dinosaur they wish to play as.
From here, they can either play the game on their own or join a group of adult dinosaurs for safety in numbers.
While the game allows text chat with other players in-game, voice chat is nonexistent. To communicate your intent with other dinosaurs, you have to choose one of the four available options.
Pressing the "1" key on the keyboard will have your dinosaur roar, exposing its position/presence. This is helpful for people trying to look for each other. On the same note, pressing "2" will make your dinosaur growl submissively, showing that you mean no harm.
However, pressing "3" will show that you do not wish to be disturbed or are looking for a fight. It can also be used to scare off other predators.
Pressing "4" will make your dinosaur roar for help, implying that you are in danger and need help.
Since the game features a dynamic day-night cycle and weather system, you have to manage your time between looking for water, hunting/grazing, and nighttime activities.
For navigating during nighttime, dinosaurs have night vision to see in the dark. However, the quality of a dinosaur's night vision depends on its species. For example, the Dilophosaurus has the best night vision in the game.
Sniffing to locate water, footprints, and carcasses for carnivores is impossible when it is raining.
Resting is also important for any dinosaur as some life stages won't allow them to restore stamina while on the move or heal a broken leg. This also allows you to blend in with your surroundings, allowing you to hide yourself while you're resting.
Play Alone Or Play With People?
Playing alone in The Isle is difficult, but not impossible. You don't have to worry about other people's needs and their safety. However, since you're alone, you are perpetually vulnerable, even when you are a fully-grown adult. Herbivores are advised to be in a group for safety in numbers. Meanwhile, carnivores can have an easier time playing alone than being in a group.
However, playing with a group, especially when you're a juvenile, is most recommended regardless of whether you're a herbivore or carnivore.
Is It Worth Playing?
The Isle, despite being released in 2015, is still in early access. As such, there are still some features that Afterthought LLC promised that have yet to arrive, such as playable humans. There are also some bugs in the game, such as floating vegetation, but none are game breaking.
However, in the current state the game is in now, The Isle is worth playing if you have friends to play with or willing to make friends with other people in a server, which is the most recommended way to play the game.
The game feels more alive if you make friends in the game to role-play with.
If you're playing alone as a carnivore, you might feel bored after some time, especially if you wish to hunt NPCs only and not disturb other players.
If you're going to play with friends or other players, the game is a solid 8/10. If you're looking to go at it alone, it's 6/10 at best.
