Live action interaction games are a curious thing. I wind up asking myself who exactly they’re supposed to be for. They’re a specific niche which isn’t exactly popular among the gaming community mostly because they almost seem too low budget to take seriously. It’s like watching a film student’s passion project; it could either be hit or miss.
And boy, does Island of Hearts have a lot of misses. This live action interactive video game is published and developed by 4Divinity and is meant for adult audiences. Though it isn’t actually as X-rated as you may be thinking because there’s no actual adult content, just scantily clad women in bikinis with some provocative shots. Which, I guess, is it’s main appeal.
The question is whether Island of Hearts is worth diving into. With a diverse cast of love interests, is anything in this island catching your eye?
Island of Hearts puts you into the shoes of a man down on his luck. You get fired from your job because of your jerk boss, your girlfriend breaks up with you because of your attitude problems, and nobody really seems to respect you. Like any man who just lost his income, you agree to go on a vacation to a tropical island after being pressured by your shady friends.
Right at the start, allow me to be blunt. The game does not leave a good first impression. That’s not because I think live action interactive video games have no place in the gaming community but because Island of Hearts has uncanny and bad acting. I just couldn’t get into the mood or take whatever is happening seriously because the actors on the screen deliver their lines so blandly.
Who is this game for? Is it for people looking for a thrilling and romantic experience? Is it for people who are looking for a few laughs? While I didn’t find the game to be romantic, I did admittedly laugh at some of the jokes. It just has a few serious problems when it comes to execution.
The guy you play as is incredibly annoying. The game attempts to make him sympathetic but any good will is quickly drained out due to how obnoxious he delivers his lines. I can’t help but feel the game would have been a hundred times better if we just stuck to a silent protagonist. That way we can at least interpret the protagonist in our own way.
The girls… don’t fair much better. The cast is gorgeous, don’t get me wrong, but I just find it so hard to get attached to any of them beyond physical attraction. The love interests don’t strike me as particularly interesting because the scenes aren’t paced very well. It can often feel very rushed making it harder to warm up to the characters on screen.
In order to enjoy Island of Hearts, I actually had to get into the right mindset. And by that, I mean turning off my brain and just accepting how seriously stupid things can be. I began to enjoy it a little bit more after that.
You have six main love interests. Each of them have different personalities. Going by the interviews on social media, the actresses claim that the characters they play at least resemble some parts of their actual personality. However the way they act seem a bit exaggerated for effect. It’s also a bit hard to build up rapport when there’s just no chemistry between the main character and the girls.
It also becomes increasingly clear that some of the girls aren’t native English speakers. While most of the girls, such Sophia and Chloe, are fluent enough to be get by, some of girls, such as Emily and Lily, have very thick accents and can be a challenge to properly understand without subtitles especially with the latter being a very quiet character.
At no point in the game did I ever really become invested in any of the characters. Obviously chalk it up to personal tastes, but the love interests are a bit uncanny for my liking. A lot of the characters don’t feel natural. Like they’re practicing reading out a script rather than talking naturally to the player character.
Maybe it’s because the game makes them share screen time each other but I couldn’t feel attached to any of the girls. The pacing is also off with almost no moment feeling romantic. The island you’re on never actually makes sense as you’re playing because of this there’s a disconnect with what your guy is even supposed to be doing. He’s just sort of there.
Island of Hearts plays out much like any other interactive adventure. You choose from the options which can lead to different scenes. Picking the correct ones will earn you more points with certain girls. Depending on who you’re going for, you’ll sometimes have to pick one over the other.
There are also minigames which doesn’t really seem to affect outcome much but will earn you more points if you succeed. These really just involve clicking on the screen at the right time.
Once you complete a storyline, you can go back to the Main Menu to select different events so you can try out different choices, earn more points with the girls. If you have a high enough affection, you’ll be able to unlock an ending with the girl you like on the last chapter.
Island of Hearts is hard to recommend due to its numerous flaws. With its uncanny acting and unmemorable characters, this game only for those looking to fill a specific sort of niche. Chances are, you’re not going to feel butterflies in your stomach after playing this game.
Island of Hearts - Review
Island of Hearts isn't for everybody. It has a lot of flaws and doesn't really seem to have any vision or clear direction of where it wants to go. That being said it's not all bad and can have it's funny moments but you'll have to endure everything that's bland about the game to get there.
The Good
- Some Funny Moments
- Titillating Fanservice
The Bad
- Uncanny Acting
- Unmemorable Characters
- Awkward Pacing
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Bad
