Hunter Island Review

Monster Hunter? Pokemon? No, this is Hunter Island from ZigZaGame Inc. A game that incorporates both catching monsters and fulfilling side quests in RPG style. Fans of the Pokemon games will feel right at home here, as Hunter Island manages to capture the tone and enjoyment of just what makes this style so engrossing.

Anyone familiar with the rules of Pokemon will not find it difficult to work through. Players start off with the option of three different monsters - each with different elemental attributes. It is then the player's job to decide whether they will be a male or female protagonist, but it doesn’t really make a difference because whichever one is chosen the other will still join them on their journey.

What truly jumped out at me was just how visually captivating the game is. All of the graphics are of such a highly impressive standard that it blows any similar iOS game out of the water. All of the adorably cute "Arkadians" give Hunter Island a true character and personality. The amount of content is almost limitless, too. With hundreds of side quests to choose from - alongside the main story quests - it would be hard to believe that there could be room for disappointment for anyone who picks up this unbelievably charming game.

The interface seems quite daunting at first with its virtually non-existent tutorial. However, after tapping a variety of icons to figure out what’s what it’s easy to work through each option as it’s not too dissimilar from its Nintendo counterpart. Catching Arkadians is initiated by tapping the card shaped letter icon next to each of its kind in battle, and by doing so players will be given a rough estimate as to their success rate (by paying more silver or gold, they can achieve a better result). Returning to the town is no more difficult than tapping an icon, and the option of warping to previous locations is also an added bonus. Going through all the in-game options would be endless, but keep in mind that the towns are predominantly useful and it’s hard to go wrong. Arkadians fully recover in town, and buying different Ocarina instruments (which have various attributes to control strength, magic, and defense) are hugely important. The option to battle friends online is also available, as well as additional missions, but Arkadians must reach at least level 20 before this can be undertaken.

Hunter Island is a deeply engaging experience for players of all ages that will tremendously reward those who embark on its epic journey. Without a doubt, it’s one of the most impressive iOS RPGs I have played all year.