Island 359™

Island 359™ offers an immersive VR dinosaur survival experience with a range of movement options and engaging gameplay mechanics. Players appreciate the realistic dinosaur animations, expansive maps, and the tension created by encounters with large predators like raptors and T-Rex. The game supports full body tracking and provides various modes including survival, mercenary, and arcade, each offering different challenges.

However, the game is currently in early access and shows signs of being abandoned by developers, with no recent updates for several years. Players report several bugs, clipping issues, repetitive gameplay, and limited dinosaur variety. The graphics, while decent for VR, are often described as outdated or low quality. The story is minimal and lacks depth. Despite these flaws, many players find it an enjoyable VR title, especially for dinosaur fans, recommending it mainly when on sale. The developers were praised for responsiveness in earlier stages but the current lack of support affects the overall experience.

Highlights

Players praise Island 359™ for its immersive VR environment, realistic dinosaur animations, and flexible locomotion options. The tension and adrenaline from dinosaur encounters, especially with raptors and T-Rex, are often highlighted. The game's sound design, including 360° surround sound, enhances the atmosphere. Full body tracking support and a variety of weapons with satisfying mechanics add to the gameplay depth. The open-world maps and multiple game modes provide variety and replayability. The developers' early responsiveness and continued content additions were also appreciated.

Overall, the game stands out as one of the more engaging dinosaur VR experiences available, delivering thrills and a sense of presence that many players enjoy.

Criticisms

Common criticisms focus on the game's technical shortcomings and lack of polish. Players frequently mention bugs such as clipping, objects falling through the world, and crashes, especially on newer VR hardware. The AI behavior is often described as simplistic or unrealistic, with dinosaurs showing repetitive attack patterns. Graphics quality is considered below modern standards, sometimes compared to early-generation consoles. Gameplay can become repetitive quickly due to limited dinosaur variety and minimal story elements. Controls and weapon mechanics receive mixed feedback, with some finding them clunky or unintuitive. The survival mode is seen as punishing and grind-heavy, with scarce ammo and loot. Finally, the apparent abandonment by developers and lack of recent updates diminish player confidence in the game's future.