Yoku's Island Express

Ever since I was a little kid, I have loved pinball. I loved playing real tables in arcades, Space Pinball on my grandma's computer, the myriad of Gameboy pinball games, and especially the battery-guzzling mini table I got at a garage sale. While I'm not playing pinball in any form as often or as intensely as I used to, I still love it. That, along with my newfound appreciation for Metroidvania games, made Yoku's Island Express very intriguing. Combining search action with pinball mechanics, this ended up being one of the most unique indie experiences I've played recently, and I loved it!

Playing as the little dung beetle Yoku, your job is to take over the mail service of a small island whose previous postmaster is retiring. This might be a pretty daunting task for a little beetle, especially one inexplicably chained to a heavy ball, but the island is surprisingly well-equipped with dung-beetle-accessible transportation. While the hills may be steep and the hallways convoluted, the flippers and poppers built into nearly every location can be used to launch Yoku's ball and carry the little beetle wherever he might like to go. That, along with the dung beetle equivalent of a high-speed rail system, gives Yoku's Island Express one of the most unique methods of locomotion I've ever experienced in a video game, and it's an unexpected amount of fun just moving around. Thankfully though, the travel isn't directionless, and this game has much more to offer.

While being the postmaster of a little island specifically built around your transportation needs seems like it could be a cozy occupation, something like a brazen act of terrorism can really throw a wrench in that. Yoku's new office lies in the village at the center of the island, which also happens to be home to a slumbering deity reminiscent of the Wind Fish in Link's Awakening, keeping the island and its inhabitants alive while it dreams. Unfortunately, Yoku's arrival coincides with a brutal attack that leaves it fighting for its life. Upon entering the village, Yoku is given the daunting task of uniting the different people groups of the island so they can work together to heal the deity and root out the so-called "god-killer." This story acts as motivation for exploring the island, as you'll need to locate each of the different tribes and solve their immediate issues before they'll be willing and able to assist you.

Yoku's Island Express does an amazing job of giving you both fun mechanics to play around with and actual reasons to play around with them. The island may be relatively small, but there is so much to see and do, and all of it feels unique, even within the indie sphere. I am aware that I don't often seek out lesser-known titles, largely because I want to be able to talk with anyone about any game, and the big names are more likely to come up. I'm really glad I stepped away from that hang-up for Yoku though, and I'm excited to start branching out a little more from now on. This is definitely a game worth its salt, and it has my hearty, pinball-loving recommendation!

The game is available for Steam here (as of 9/3/23): https://store.steampowered.com/app/334940/Yokus_Island_Express/
The game is available for Switch here (as of 9/3/23): https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/yokus-island-express-switch/
The game is available for Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S here (as of 9/3/23): https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/store/yokus-island-express/BP63MT1VJV6X
The game is available for PS4 and PS5 here (as of 9/3/23): https://store.playstation.com/en-us/product/UP4064-CUSA10654_00-YOKUSISLANDEXP00

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