UPDATE: A HUGE game patch dropped today, reducing RESOURCE grind and ghost/spider health and spawn rate!! As a solo player who died about a dozen times in the caves last night (even with a moonstone whip), I WELCOME the nerfed enemies! 🥰🥰
Dev said they're going to fix the grind a bit, but I don't mind it. It's less grindy imo than Stardew Valley and there's more freedom to do what you want, when you want.
@@JayneAFK I'm eager to see how they tweak it. I don't mind the grind much either except making my way through the forest mine, holding my A button down for 7-14 hits on hundreds of rocks in my way. 🤪 Multiplayer has a huge advantage right now. ❤️
I love this game. I'm so happy to have a chill game that isn't focused on mostly social sim. I'm so tired of having to chase NPCs around giving gifts and having boring repetitive conversations. I love this game and love that it gives big Fantasy Life vibes. Glad you have had so much fun with it as well ❤
NPC's bore me to death in most games (I'm talking to you, Palia!). There's only so many gifts you can bring or items you can fetch until it gets monotonous. But I love grinding to make my cute Luma Island farm and master my profession.
I was playing it last night. I was thinking about the mines being a chore and not fun. And not having the ability to run from enemies because you have only one way to slowly jog, and that's it. Other than those two being my only complaints, it's fun.
I kept dying in the mines last night too. Having someone with you AND a fully upgraded whip helps a lot. Wish they'd tone down the mine enemies for solo players.
the Luma will also show you pathways through the temples! Yes, the Goats will scare off the foxes and the chickens can be fed with hay (just throw it once a day like the luma food) and they will give you an egg! :) This game is SUPER cute! :)Also use your Hoe to gather the berries! It works really great!! Great video Buckeye!!! Love it!
Interesting about the temple paths; didn't notice my Luma helping me but now I'll look!! I did try my hoe but I'm terrible with missing and accidentally tilling the ground. 😂 Awesome tips, thank you!
I would have never seen me playing this game. But an amazing friend gifted me this game and I really am enjoying it. I love solving puzzles, killing things, and searching for items. This game is has all. I agree that it is a lot like Zelda but with some twists. Thanks for the review Buckeye Bunny and for the tips for this game.
@@BuckeyeBunny Oh, did they really? Didn't know that! Got the spiders turned off since day 1 so I didnt know they turned into ghosts. It's all hero now, right? I mean PVE and all? I haven't played beta. lol I'm 25 hours into the game and at the 4th biome.
@@redlionpride Yeah, there are spiders and/or ghosts, but you don't die or lose inventory. The latest update just causes them to make you drop stuff if they hit you (haven't tested it yet though).
I love the grind as it goes hand in hand with exploring, and I love exploration! I think the game is fine as is. I just wish the spiders took 1-2 less hits to kill 😅.
Imo, the grind isn't the problem. It's the repetitiveness of gameplay that lacks any complexity or weight. Professions differ in only what you sell and nothing else. You can basically do what the other profession does. What's worse is that the NPCs are as robotic as it gets. They could be replaced with a vending machine and it wouldn't make a difference. I find it also problematic that people in Discord agree with the design choice. A lot of them complain about interacting with NPCs in other games as it gives them anxiety and stress... in a game. That's why I find it hard to see the game further improving. Which I guess makes sense on why it's a full release. I was excited, played for a bit, got bored and left. Definitely wouldn't recommend for anyone expecting depth in gameplay. It's closer to a short grindy a mobile game.
I absolutely love this game. Yes, un-upgraded tools can be a grind but to me, I just don't mind. I lost track of time in it. Tip: if you want to be picking berries and flowers, hold your hoe. It will make harvesting them faster and direct target. Ability to not track any quests would be good though.
Ugh...(sigh) I guess I need to use the hoe that everyone keeps suggesting, lol. The pickaxe seems to make berry picking easier and doesn't accidentally till the ground like the hoe, but I know I'm supposed to use the hoe. 🤪😂
@@BuckeyeBunny Oh I haven't tried the pickaxe. You wont be tilling the ground in the wild but yea I have tilled on my farm so now I keep some gravel at all times lol.
The puzzles and exploration are the strongest part of Luma Island, along with the beautiful art style and environments. I think if the devs build up other parts of the gameplay over time it could really be something special.
Thank you so much for this video, everyone else is just playing the game with very little detail. This video gives us old timers a lot of useful information. My 8 year old grandson was sold on the game when you said that the spider can be changed into ghosts .
I'm happy the video helped you (and your grandson). They just updated the game today and made the ghosts/spiders easier to eliminate, so it's even cozier now. ♥
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and for the honest review! I guess I am fairly addicted to Luma Island - Steam is telling me I've played for 90 hours but it sure doesn't feel like 90 hours! This is the game I didn't really know I needed until I started playing it. I don't care about the NPCs or lack of depth to the lore, etc. because there are tons of other games that I play that have that, and sometimes I just want to ignore the NPCs and go about my day. Luma Island lets me do that, and it doesn't make me stop and sleep, or eat, or whatever else...I can get my grind on, explore and let my inner loot goblin have a field day! The temples are really well designed and just enough of a challenge to keep me engaged, but not overly difficult enough to frustrate me. I play solo so it is quite the grind I will admit, but hey have you played Coral Island and tried to do that grind mid to end game?!? Whew! So yeah, compared to that, Luma Island is a piece of cake! I completely agree with your downsides - and I'll add that the constant tool swapping in order to get the action I really want to do can be quite annoying at times. There is room for improvement, but I don't think any game is "perfect". Is Luma Island fun for me and worth my time and money? Heck yeah!
I feel the same, and Luma Island clearly targets a specific type of "cozy gamer." 90 hours is pretty impressive btw!! I'm only at 32 hours but plan to hit it hard this weekend now that I just entered the mountain biome. Gotta figure out how to make the ghosts easier in the mines - they're kicking my butt even with my moonstone whip.
@@BuckeyeBunny The Mountain is my favorite!! I think those ghosts/spiders are line of sight if I remember right. You can hide behind a rock, smack them and hide again. They won't see you, so they walk away and you can smack them again, hide, rinse repeat until your foe is vanquished. Meanwhile, I'm pretty lost in the Jungle and am finding it to be quite the challenge! Happy Thanksgiving!!
Everyone’s so into this game and hyping this game so much but after seeing gameplay and a lot of videos it just looks like another mining game to me. Mining to me does not equal cozy game at all😢
And the mines aren't cozy with the spiders/ghosts bombarding you...but the overall aesthetic and exploring are cozy IMO. It won't appeal to those who detest repetitive resource grinding to upgrade a farm. ♥
yo buckeye long time no see, I hope you remember who I am lol. Did you stop streaming? If you did I think you should back into it those days were really awesome!
Yes, I remember you...you're an OG on this channel. 😊 Yep, stopped streaming for a few reasons, mainly because of my rural internet issues, but I'm enjoying making videos on more chill games. ♥
It's easier to pick up berries if the axe is not equipped or the hoe is equipped. But I agree it is rather annoying to have to switch between tools or find the perfect angle. A different button would be good on paper but I think it would be frustrating to use. One button for the main actions is neat. Maybe those pick ups could be in a clear area instead?
Just bought this game based on the review. The mechanics are much lighter than I'm used to, but the low poly graphics are so quaint and cozy and I like the simplicity sometimes. Not a bad game, but I still prefer my factorios and heavier crafting games
I love the art style of the game. Also like that your not pressured to make relationships with the township. I just got it so we will see how it goes. Thanks for the review. I love Stardew Valley, but I also like a relaxing game to just jump into after work and play a bit.
Hi, just asking, is the rotation of map (camera angles) completely subject to your control? Or is it forcefully rotated by the system sometime? Because recently I have dizziness / nausea when playing games.
The camera can be freely rotated 360 degrees around the player on the X axis, but as far as up and down (Y axis), you can view the top of your player all the way down to the side of your player but not farther towards the ground. I hope that makes sense.
I am totally okay not having relationships with villagers. This game makes up for it with the exploration and the different professions. I am loving this game and im not at end game yet. I hear it gets pretty grindy at end game but im not worried about it. I started with the fisherman profession after trying each one in the demo.
I pick up the resources from the wild with my hoe not my axe, o even pixaxe - then I dont need to trouble over that I pick up other plants - this two instruments pick up ONLY needed flora and nothing else. thanks for the review!
So can I have two(or even more) professions at the same time? I wanted to try something else, but I was afraid I was going to lose my current one, so I decided to finish it first. This was not clear to me, but if that is true, that changes things!!
Nope, I haven't tried it, but I've heard you can have multiple professions at once, yes. Some, like cooking and brewing, are both farming related so go well together. I'm thinking maybe treasure hunting and jewelry crafting or blacksmithing might mesh well too but I haven't tried these.
@Trillyke I’ve done it, you just get an additional quest line for the new profession, and new blueprint(s) depending on your old/new profession and if they share any equipment
I hate what “cozy gamers” have turned RPG farming games into. They don’t want ANY complicated farming or monster killing. They want everything to be 1 hit to kill or catch and endless resources from 1 node. It’s annoying because at the end of the day these games are RPGs! That’s what they used to be and should continue to be. Not every game needs to be easy or a love sim where you’re romancing the entire town. I wish they’d go back to DDV and leave RPG farming games alone
There’s still more complex games available? I know there’s still games coming out that show up in my recommendations list that are more complex or more battling than what I want in a game (games are my only chill hobby since I don’t watch tv)
@ and just like there’s more complex games available there’s more easy, hand holding games available for “cozy” gamers who don’t want anything complex in a game. So… what?
I concur. There is a subset group of people within the cozy gaming community that play games solely for aesthetics and vibes. While this isn't inherently a bad thing, some people proceed to promote simplistic game design that lacks depth or complexity - particularly with farming sims, e.g., pressing the "a" button to catch a fish/bug instantaneously with no resistance, continuously pressing the same button to repeat the same combat animation for the upteenth time, or designing the same gameplay loop to model Stardew Valley which was created almost a decade ago. These recently released farming sims which contain the aforementioned examples (Coral Island, Fields of Mistria, and others) are not bad games by any means, but there are several mechanics which could be improved. While Luma Island has its flaws, the developers created an atmospheric mining experience and provided risk which many of these games lack. I appreciate their attempt to create a unique farming sim which strays away from the Stardew formula (which was heavily inspired by Harvest Moon). While being arguably the best farming sim of all time, Stardew Valley has its own drawbacks, and game developers would be wise to reimagine their own farming sim rather than replicating what has already been done. In-depth gameplay and innovation should always be promoted. As the community grows and matures, I hope we see different types of simulators such as library, post office, or grocery store sims. Games like My Time at Sandrock, Graveyard Keeper, and BloomTown make me excited for what's to come in the future.
I still have the demo downloaded, just haven't gotten around to playing it yet. I do usually prefer there to be unique NPCs and a story to sink my teeth into, but stranger things have happened!
"Too young to know what My little Pony is" ...? Buckeye are you referring to the 70's MLP, the 80's MLP or the widely acclaimed 2010 Friendship is magic? ... If your audience is too young to remember that? Man, I'm old. But yeah :) I can see how the game would tick boxes for gamers, I just don't think it's for me.
@@teaFoxFarrel I never made you for a My Little Pony fan. 🤣 Didn't know they were famous across the pond either. I never had Barbies but had a whole herd of MLP on my bedroom shelves. 😊
@@BuckeyeBunny Hehe :) Anything cute and fuzzy and there's at least an outside chance I know of it... And yeah, when me and my (older) sister were very young, Mum got her Twilight Sparkle, but didn't wanna deal with arguments over who's toy is better... So yeah, I got Applejack. Fast forwards, and folks were saying that Lauren Faust, who created the Powerpuff girls was working on a MLP show, and someone confirmed that yes, and it was really solidly written and worth a look in. And, sure, Twilight may have been the main character, but AJ was there too, and that made me smile. And yeah, the first few series were genuinely entertaining. Oh, and if you're curious what the other half thinks of that? He likes Rainbow Dash. *nods*
I love it at first was addicted , but after 15 hours I'm over the repetitive grind of the different biomes. So I regret buying the game. Because i don't see myself returning.
Aw, sorry to hear that, but I get it. Without fully upgraded tools and friends to help, the resource grind can be overwhelming at times. I hope they tone it down in future updates. ♥
I unfortunately refunded it, because I'm one of those people who sought more depth. A few things really pushed it over the keep vs refund edge for me: One, the character models for females, to me, are godawfully ugly, like ridiculously bad and blocky and way too few color options and absolutely no variety. Feminine this or temu-Lara-Croft that. Masculine? Bright or richly dark colors? Never heard of em'. Greens, browns and bathing suits/Gilead lookin' attire all the way. Meanwhile I could make a male character that straight up looks like a high class Vampire badass OR a straight up Beach Surf Bro OR many other options and I loved that. (Oh, and I couldn't even NAME my character? Excuse me?!) So, no connection whatsoever to my character upon loading up. Secondly, no purpose. It's a sandbox. Turn the game on, do whatever you want. Like the sims. Like minecraft. I can't stand sandbox games because there's literally no reason other than your own to do anything, and I'm someone who needs some direction, some purpose, to get sucked into anything. It doesn't have to be spectacular, hell I loved Fae Farm SO MUCH, but at least Fae Farm had SOME kind of opening backstory when starting the game, as minimal and cliche as it was, and SOME kind of childlike story to go with the gameplay. Doesn't have to be much, doesn't even have to be good, but it has to exist at the bare minimum for me. And Luma Island is just like "Nah fam, load up and go." So I decided Luma Island is either for people playing multiplayer, or sandbox lovers. There are other annoying game aspects about it, and many aspects I loved to counter those, and all the rest of the negatives could've been overlooked for me, if not for the aforementioned.
Thanks, I've tried that but keep plowing the ground, and the dirt piles bother me (and it's a pain to plant grass back), but it is an option I guess. 😉
TLDR: This game is boring All I hear from the reviews in general is "this game is great because it's beautiful and it doesn't stress me with HP/stamina bars or sleep time, enemies, etc." It's true, this game is not for everyone because not everyone is willing to play a boring game just for the sake of pushing buttons without a real goal. Most os your good points are bad points for me. Exploration and puzzles? Lmao, it has the same 3 types of puzzles repeated all over with the same sequence. That and the fact that you don't have a minimap or a compass to guide you plust having to cut down trees or moss so you don't go at 1 mile/hour makes the exploration horrible. 7 professions? wow, that would actually be cool if the professions had some goal that wasn't just to make more money to buy more recipes so you can sell new items (items you can't even use, they're just for selling) and that's it. People compare it to Fantasy Life because you have jobs there too, but hear me out, Fantasy Life's professions were meaningful. They had a story each, they even were useful to other professions, you could actually use whatever you crafted... that was a good profession system, this one is... luckluster, like the rest of the game. Multiplayer? wow, nowadays multiplayer should be a given on any sim-game , and the fact that they kinda force you to play with someone else to ease the grinding is not really a good point. Luma? really, Luma? Luma are useless, they're just an extra income of basic materials, nothing else. The game is called "Luma island" yet the Lumas are the least important thing on the game xDDDDD it's hilarious, really simple gameplay? I'd say you got the words wrong, it's not simple, it's simplistic. It's made for the chrystal generation. it's so simplistic it's boring. The fact that you have 0 risks is not "cozy" it's boring. When did videogames became something boring? $20 for a mobile game with a repetivie loop, no feeling of achievement, no story, no decoration of the houses, useless NPCs...? a good price would be $10 and I'm overvaluing it Combat? I mean, if you're going for a boring game to "play" while your mind is disconected, why do you even add such a sloppy combat? hitboxes are a hell and there's no risk if they hit you. Don't add combat to a game like this. They wanted to attract more people saying it has combat when it really doesn't... also, about the "reskin" of the materials... have you ever played a crafting game? In SDV you have bronze, silver, gold and iridum ores, bars, tools... they're basically a reskin that allow you to get more advanced materials, just like in Coral Island or any other game with a crafting system. tbh, that complain on your video seemed like it was included just because you saw someone complaining about it on reddit xDDDD My conclusion: Luma Island is a luckluster game that tries to mimic the greatness of other games but it falls short in everything. It's just another of those games that will be forgotten in one month after everyone has realized how repetitive and boring it really is.
True, Luma Island isn't for everyone. For me, the value of exploring, building my homestead, collecting Luma, and experiencing the game's aesthetic make it worthwhile despite some repetition and grind, but I can understand your opinion as well. Thanks for your input.
I think it well worth the price and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. It is a bit grindy, but the infinite storage space, different professions and NO "energy" limitations set it apart from all the other cozy games for me.
UPDATE: A HUGE game patch dropped today, reducing RESOURCE grind and ghost/spider health and spawn rate!!
As a solo player who died about a dozen times in the caves last night (even with a moonstone whip), I WELCOME the nerfed enemies! 🥰🥰
Dev said they're going to fix the grind a bit, but I don't mind it. It's less grindy imo than Stardew Valley and there's more freedom to do what you want, when you want.
@@JayneAFK I'm eager to see how they tweak it. I don't mind the grind much either except making my way through the forest mine, holding my A button down for 7-14 hits on hundreds of rocks in my way. 🤪 Multiplayer has a huge advantage right now. ❤️
I love this game. I'm so happy to have a chill game that isn't focused on mostly social sim. I'm so tired of having to chase NPCs around giving gifts and having boring repetitive conversations. I love this game and love that it gives big Fantasy Life vibes. Glad you have had so much fun with it as well ❤
NPC's bore me to death in most games (I'm talking to you, Palia!). There's only so many gifts you can bring or items you can fetch until it gets monotonous. But I love grinding to make my cute Luma Island farm and master my profession.
I was playing it last night. I was thinking about the mines being a chore and not fun. And not having the ability to run from enemies because you have only one way to slowly jog, and that's it. Other than those two being my only complaints, it's fun.
I kept dying in the mines last night too. Having someone with you AND a fully upgraded whip helps a lot. Wish they'd tone down the mine enemies for solo players.
the Luma will also show you pathways through the temples! Yes, the Goats will scare off the foxes and the chickens can be fed with hay (just throw it once a day like the luma food) and they will give you an egg! :) This game is SUPER cute! :)Also use your Hoe to gather the berries! It works really great!! Great video Buckeye!!! Love it!
Interesting about the temple paths; didn't notice my Luma helping me but now I'll look!!
I did try my hoe but I'm terrible with missing and accidentally tilling the ground. 😂 Awesome tips, thank you!
I would have never seen me playing this game. But an amazing friend gifted me this game and I really am enjoying it. I love solving puzzles, killing things, and searching for items. This game is has all. I agree that it is a lot like Zelda but with some twists. Thanks for the review Buckeye Bunny and for the tips for this game.
@@coachcoble5099 I need your help killing spiders in the mines, girl!! 😁
@@BuckeyeBunny Did you know you can turn off the spiders? I never experienced any problems with not having them around, resource-wise. lol
@redlionpride You can turn the spiders into ghosts but not off. They removed the "cozy and "hero" settings. 🥺
@@BuckeyeBunny Oh, did they really? Didn't know that! Got the spiders turned off since day 1 so I didnt know they turned into ghosts. It's all hero now, right? I mean PVE and all? I haven't played beta. lol I'm 25 hours into the game and at the 4th biome.
@@redlionpride Yeah, there are spiders and/or ghosts, but you don't die or lose inventory. The latest update just causes them to make you drop stuff if they hit you (haven't tested it yet though).
I love the grind as it goes hand in hand with exploring, and I love exploration! I think the game is fine as is. I just wish the spiders took 1-2 less hits to kill 😅.
Imo, the grind isn't the problem. It's the repetitiveness of gameplay that lacks any complexity or weight. Professions differ in only what you sell and nothing else. You can basically do what the other profession does. What's worse is that the NPCs are as robotic as it gets. They could be replaced with a vending machine and it wouldn't make a difference. I find it also problematic that people in Discord agree with the design choice. A lot of them complain about interacting with NPCs in other games as it gives them anxiety and stress... in a game. That's why I find it hard to see the game further improving. Which I guess makes sense on why it's a full release. I was excited, played for a bit, got bored and left. Definitely wouldn't recommend for anyone expecting depth in gameplay. It's closer to a short grindy a mobile game.
I totally get this viewpoint, which is why I hesitated to buy it...turns out I'm simple-minded and love it, lol! 😂
I absolutely love this game. Yes, un-upgraded tools can be a grind but to me, I just don't mind. I lost track of time in it. Tip: if you want to be picking berries and flowers, hold your hoe. It will make harvesting them faster and direct target. Ability to not track any quests would be good though.
Ugh...(sigh) I guess I need to use the hoe that everyone keeps suggesting, lol. The pickaxe seems to make berry picking easier and doesn't accidentally till the ground like the hoe, but I know I'm supposed to use the hoe. 🤪😂
@@BuckeyeBunny Oh I haven't tried the pickaxe. You wont be tilling the ground in the wild but yea I have tilled on my farm so now I keep some gravel at all times lol.
The puzzles and exploration are the strongest part of Luma Island, along with the beautiful art style and environments. I think if the devs build up other parts of the gameplay over time it could really be something special.
Use your hoe to harvest the berries. Plus, by using your hoe you have an increased chance at getting more than one berry.
Thank you so much for this video, everyone else is just playing the game with very little detail. This video gives us old timers a lot of useful information. My 8 year old grandson was sold on the game when you said that the spider can be changed into ghosts .
I'm happy the video helped you (and your grandson). They just updated the game today and made the ghosts/spiders easier to eliminate, so it's even cozier now. ♥
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and for the honest review! I guess I am fairly addicted to Luma Island - Steam is telling me I've played for 90 hours but it sure doesn't feel like 90 hours! This is the game I didn't really know I needed until I started playing it. I don't care about the NPCs or lack of depth to the lore, etc. because there are tons of other games that I play that have that, and sometimes I just want to ignore the NPCs and go about my day. Luma Island lets me do that, and it doesn't make me stop and sleep, or eat, or whatever else...I can get my grind on, explore and let my inner loot goblin have a field day! The temples are really well designed and just enough of a challenge to keep me engaged, but not overly difficult enough to frustrate me. I play solo so it is quite the grind I will admit, but hey have you played Coral Island and tried to do that grind mid to end game?!? Whew! So yeah, compared to that, Luma Island is a piece of cake! I completely agree with your downsides - and I'll add that the constant tool swapping in order to get the action I really want to do can be quite annoying at times. There is room for improvement, but I don't think any game is "perfect". Is Luma Island fun for me and worth my time and money? Heck yeah!
I feel the same, and Luma Island clearly targets a specific type of "cozy gamer." 90 hours is pretty impressive btw!! I'm only at 32 hours but plan to hit it hard this weekend now that I just entered the mountain biome. Gotta figure out how to make the ghosts easier in the mines - they're kicking my butt even with my moonstone whip.
@@BuckeyeBunny The Mountain is my favorite!! I think those ghosts/spiders are line of sight if I remember right. You can hide behind a rock, smack them and hide again. They won't see you, so they walk away and you can smack them again, hide, rinse repeat until your foe is vanquished. Meanwhile, I'm pretty lost in the Jungle and am finding it to be quite the challenge! Happy Thanksgiving!!
Everyone’s so into this game and hyping this game so much but after seeing gameplay and a lot of videos it just looks like another mining game to me. Mining to me does not equal cozy game at all😢
And the mines aren't cozy with the spiders/ghosts bombarding you...but the overall aesthetic and exploring are cozy IMO. It won't appeal to those who detest repetitive resource grinding to upgrade a farm. ♥
yo buckeye long time no see, I hope you remember who I am lol. Did you stop streaming? If you did I think you should back into it those days were really awesome!
Yes, I remember you...you're an OG on this channel. 😊 Yep, stopped streaming for a few reasons, mainly because of my rural internet issues, but I'm enjoying making videos on more chill games. ♥
Excellent review. I did purchase the game on release. I haven't played yet, but really looking forward to getting my grind on. Thanks for posting.
It's easier to pick up berries if the axe is not equipped or the hoe is equipped. But I agree it is rather annoying to have to switch between tools or find the perfect angle. A different button would be good on paper but I think it would be frustrating to use. One button for the main actions is neat. Maybe those pick ups could be in a clear area instead?
Just bought this game based on the review. The mechanics are much lighter than I'm used to, but the low poly graphics are so quaint and cozy and I like the simplicity sometimes. Not a bad game, but I still prefer my factorios and heavier crafting games
They nailed the cozy aspect...but the grinding isn't everyone's cup of tea. Glad you're at least trying it though! ♥
I appreciate your tldr. Although I had my answer within the first two minutes I made sure to let the runtime play for your analytics. Great job!
LOL, I don't think I ever had someone comment that they tried to boost my analytics, but I love and appreciate it!!! 😂🥰
@@BuckeyeBunny You know what! Screw it! I'm gonna subscribe and hit every video. You talked me into it!
I’m playing Coral island rn and wow im jealous of these graphics but idk if i can do two at once 😂
That might be too much to juggle, but there's always a spot on your wishlist. 😁
No joke, this is one of the better reviews I have seen in recent years. GG's
I put several days' work into this, so I truly appreciate your comment, ty! ♥
@BuckeyeBunny earned my sub!
I love the art style of the game. Also like that your not pressured to make relationships with the township. I just got it so we will see how it goes. Thanks for the review. I love Stardew Valley, but I also like a relaxing game to just jump into after work and play a bit.
I agree, it's so cute and inviting. I hope you like it!
Hi, just asking, is the rotation of map (camera angles) completely subject to your control? Or is it forcefully rotated by the system sometime? Because recently I have dizziness / nausea when playing games.
The camera can be freely rotated 360 degrees around the player on the X axis, but as far as up and down (Y axis), you can view the top of your player all the way down to the side of your player but not farther towards the ground. I hope that makes sense.
@@BuckeyeBunny thank you ☺️
I am totally okay not having relationships with villagers. This game makes up for it with the exploration and the different professions. I am loving this game and im not at end game yet. I hear it gets pretty grindy at end game but im not worried about it. I started with the fisherman profession after trying each one in the demo.
Honestly, I don't mind the grind as much as the ghosts/spiders in the caves. I die to them SO much, lol! 😂
you brake those blue crystals?? :O Now i gotta do it... I thought you had to add water. heh.
SO many fun puzzles in this!! ♥
I have 9 Lumas and neighter are a snail or a turtle. I'm so excited to get them!
I can't wait for the aquatic one!! (not gonna say what it is) 😉
I pick up the resources from the wild with my hoe not my axe, o even pixaxe - then I dont need to trouble over that I pick up other plants - this two instruments pick up ONLY needed flora and nothing else.
thanks for the review!
I want to be your steam friend 😅 We gave the same secret lab chair. Lol that's not the only reason 😂
My hubby won't play this withe 🙄 it's not his style although he plays Stardew with me
So can I have two(or even more) professions at the same time? I wanted to try something else, but I was afraid I was going to lose my current one, so I decided to finish it first. This was not clear to me, but if that is true, that changes things!!
Nope, I haven't tried it, but I've heard you can have multiple professions at once, yes. Some, like cooking and brewing, are both farming related so go well together. I'm thinking maybe treasure hunting and jewelry crafting or blacksmithing might mesh well too but I haven't tried these.
@Trillyke I’ve done it, you just get an additional quest line for the new profession, and new blueprint(s) depending on your old/new profession and if they share any equipment
I hate what “cozy gamers” have turned RPG farming games into. They don’t want ANY complicated farming or monster killing. They want everything to be 1 hit to kill or catch and endless resources from 1 node. It’s annoying because at the end of the day these games are RPGs! That’s what they used to be and should continue to be. Not every game needs to be easy or a love sim where you’re romancing the entire town. I wish they’d go back to DDV and leave RPG farming games alone
There’s still more complex games available? I know there’s still games coming out that show up in my recommendations list that are more complex or more battling than what I want in a game (games are my only chill hobby since I don’t watch tv)
@ and just like there’s more complex games available there’s more easy, hand holding games available for “cozy” gamers who don’t want anything complex in a game. So… what?
I concur. There is a subset group of people within the cozy gaming community that play games solely for aesthetics and vibes. While this isn't inherently a bad thing, some people proceed to promote simplistic game design that lacks depth or complexity - particularly with farming sims, e.g., pressing the "a" button to catch a fish/bug instantaneously with no resistance, continuously pressing the same button to repeat the same combat animation for the upteenth time, or designing the same gameplay loop to model Stardew Valley which was created almost a decade ago.
These recently released farming sims which contain the aforementioned examples (Coral Island, Fields of Mistria, and others) are not bad games by any means, but there are several mechanics which could be improved. While Luma Island has its flaws, the developers created an atmospheric mining experience and provided risk which many of these games lack. I appreciate their attempt to create a unique farming sim which strays away from the Stardew formula (which was heavily inspired by Harvest Moon). While being arguably the best farming sim of all time, Stardew Valley has its own drawbacks, and game developers would be wise to reimagine their own farming sim rather than replicating what has already been done. In-depth gameplay and innovation should always be promoted.
As the community grows and matures, I hope we see different types of simulators such as library, post office, or grocery store sims. Games like My Time at Sandrock, Graveyard Keeper, and BloomTown make me excited for what's to come in the future.
I still have the demo downloaded, just haven't gotten around to playing it yet. I do usually prefer there to be unique NPCs and a story to sink my teeth into, but stranger things have happened!
Ooh, is the demo still active? I think that would help a lot of people try out Luma Island before buying. ♥
"Too young to know what My little Pony is" ...? Buckeye are you referring to the 70's MLP, the 80's MLP or the widely acclaimed 2010 Friendship is magic? ... If your audience is too young to remember that? Man, I'm old.
But yeah :) I can see how the game would tick boxes for gamers, I just don't think it's for me.
@@teaFoxFarrel I never made you for a My Little Pony fan. 🤣 Didn't know they were famous across the pond either. I never had Barbies but had a whole herd of MLP on my bedroom shelves. 😊
@@BuckeyeBunny Hehe :) Anything cute and fuzzy and there's at least an outside chance I know of it... And yeah, when me and my (older) sister were very young, Mum got her Twilight Sparkle, but didn't wanna deal with arguments over who's toy is better... So yeah, I got Applejack.
Fast forwards, and folks were saying that Lauren Faust, who created the Powerpuff girls was working on a MLP show, and someone confirmed that yes, and it was really solidly written and worth a look in. And, sure, Twilight may have been the main character, but AJ was there too, and that made me smile.
And yeah, the first few series were genuinely entertaining.
Oh, and if you're curious what the other half thinks of that? He likes Rainbow Dash. *nods*
@@teaFoxFarrel This is too cute and adorable! ♥
Makes me wonder if you also owned any Popples.
@@BuckeyeBunny No, but I do remember them. Man, the 80's were awesome... Where toy companies were willing to make shows JUST to sell toys!
I love it at first was addicted , but after 15 hours I'm over the repetitive grind of the different biomes. So I regret buying the game. Because i don't see myself returning.
Aw, sorry to hear that, but I get it. Without fully upgraded tools and friends to help, the resource grind can be overwhelming at times. I hope they tone it down in future updates. ♥
I unfortunately refunded it, because I'm one of those people who sought more depth. A few things really pushed it over the keep vs refund edge for me: One, the character models for females, to me, are godawfully ugly, like ridiculously bad and blocky and way too few color options and absolutely no variety. Feminine this or temu-Lara-Croft that. Masculine? Bright or richly dark colors? Never heard of em'. Greens, browns and bathing suits/Gilead lookin' attire all the way. Meanwhile I could make a male character that straight up looks like a high class Vampire badass OR a straight up Beach Surf Bro OR many other options and I loved that. (Oh, and I couldn't even NAME my character? Excuse me?!) So, no connection whatsoever to my character upon loading up. Secondly, no purpose. It's a sandbox. Turn the game on, do whatever you want. Like the sims. Like minecraft. I can't stand sandbox games because there's literally no reason other than your own to do anything, and I'm someone who needs some direction, some purpose, to get sucked into anything. It doesn't have to be spectacular, hell I loved Fae Farm SO MUCH, but at least Fae Farm had SOME kind of opening backstory when starting the game, as minimal and cliche as it was, and SOME kind of childlike story to go with the gameplay. Doesn't have to be much, doesn't even have to be good, but it has to exist at the bare minimum for me. And Luma Island is just like "Nah fam, load up and go." So I decided Luma Island is either for people playing multiplayer, or sandbox lovers. There are other annoying game aspects about it, and many aspects I loved to counter those, and all the rest of the negatives could've been overlooked for me, if not for the aforementioned.
All valid points. Luma Island scratches an itch for me but clearly is lacking depth and direction that many cozy gamers desire. ♥
You can also use your hoe to pick the forest/farm/mountain flowers and shrooms
Thanks, I've tried that but keep plowing the ground, and the dirt piles bother me (and it's a pain to plant grass back), but it is an option I guess. 😉
You have a lovely voice 🙂
Aw, thank you for saying that!! 🥰
@BuckeyeBunny what is Luma island is like
I explain all about the game in the video. :)
@ Ah ok!
is it kinda of like a farming game ?!
It is such a great game!
TLDR: This game is boring
All I hear from the reviews in general is "this game is great because it's beautiful and it doesn't stress me with HP/stamina bars or sleep time, enemies, etc." It's true, this game is not for everyone because not everyone is willing to play a boring game just for the sake of pushing buttons without a real goal. Most os your good points are bad points for me.
Exploration and puzzles? Lmao, it has the same 3 types of puzzles repeated all over with the same sequence. That and the fact that you don't have a minimap or a compass to guide you plust having to cut down trees or moss so you don't go at 1 mile/hour makes the exploration horrible.
7 professions? wow, that would actually be cool if the professions had some goal that wasn't just to make more money to buy more recipes so you can sell new items (items you can't even use, they're just for selling) and that's it. People compare it to Fantasy Life because you have jobs there too, but hear me out, Fantasy Life's professions were meaningful. They had a story each, they even were useful to other professions, you could actually use whatever you crafted... that was a good profession system, this one is... luckluster, like the rest of the game.
Multiplayer? wow, nowadays multiplayer should be a given on any sim-game , and the fact that they kinda force you to play with someone else to ease the grinding is not really a good point.
Luma? really, Luma? Luma are useless, they're just an extra income of basic materials, nothing else. The game is called "Luma island" yet the Lumas are the least important thing on the game xDDDDD it's hilarious, really
simple gameplay? I'd say you got the words wrong, it's not simple, it's simplistic. It's made for the chrystal generation. it's so simplistic it's boring. The fact that you have 0 risks is not "cozy" it's boring. When did videogames became something boring?
$20 for a mobile game with a repetivie loop, no feeling of achievement, no story, no decoration of the houses, useless NPCs...? a good price would be $10 and I'm overvaluing it
Combat? I mean, if you're going for a boring game to "play" while your mind is disconected, why do you even add such a sloppy combat? hitboxes are a hell and there's no risk if they hit you. Don't add combat to a game like this. They wanted to attract more people saying it has combat when it really doesn't...
also, about the "reskin" of the materials... have you ever played a crafting game? In SDV you have bronze, silver, gold and iridum ores, bars, tools... they're basically a reskin that allow you to get more advanced materials, just like in Coral Island or any other game with a crafting system. tbh, that complain on your video seemed like it was included just because you saw someone complaining about it on reddit xDDDD
My conclusion: Luma Island is a luckluster game that tries to mimic the greatness of other games but it falls short in everything. It's just another of those games that will be forgotten in one month after everyone has realized how repetitive and boring it really is.
True, Luma Island isn't for everyone. For me, the value of exploring, building my homestead, collecting Luma, and experiencing the game's aesthetic make it worthwhile despite some repetition and grind, but I can understand your opinion as well. Thanks for your input.
Do you think Luma Island is a cop or a drop? Comment below 👇
I'm loving it, about 24 hours in. 👍
@tsu77 24? Whew!!! ❤️
Thanks for the thoughtful review! I'm definitely going to pick this up and do a let's play.
I think it well worth the price and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. It is a bit grindy, but the infinite storage space, different professions and NO "energy" limitations set it apart from all the other cozy games for me.
@hilljack68 I saw you playing Luma yesterday! ❤️❤️