In this video, I share with you my first thoughts on Luma Island after having played for 20 hours!
00:00 Introduction
00:19 Atmosphere & Controls
01:50 Professions
02:54 Exploration
04:35 Very Cozy & Consequence-Free
05:40 But Also Shallow
09:30 Some Problems with Farming
10:57 What’s a Luma?
12:14 Conclusion
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Your review is actually very accurate and exactly what I felt too, but that isn't a bad thing for me. I don't mind the "playing for the sake of playing" and I actually enjoyed fae farm (the price is too high for the content tho, so I still don't recommend it…). I also played Luma with a friend and it's a nice game to just grind and chat in and help each other's job out. I can see how playing alone would feel very mobile-gamey and mindless.
Thank you for your perspective on this.
6:16 I had that happening to me with Rune Factory 4, where the game kept me engaged going from one objective to the next, but I wasn't having fun. I was technically entertained but I wasn't enjoying myself, it's hard to describe but it feels like doing homework: you might be absorbed with it but is not enjoyable
I must thank you because although the lack of challenge and "mobile game-ness" of this game wasn't for you, this review actually made me super interested in the game! My work has been extremely stressful lately in terms of mental load and I like to wind down with stuff that doesn't require me to think. I quite enjoy the mobile game esque loop but as one might imagine it often comes bundled with exploitative in-app purchases so I love it when I can get that from a one time purchase ❤
Why aren't you seaking in your own language, your english is extremely bad
Oh I loved Lost in Blue, I put a lot hours into them. I might check this out.
I see Luma more as an adventure/exploration game rather than a farming sim and everything I've seen looks fun on that front. I'm excited to play the full version once I get home from work.
I feel like we played two different games.
I played early access and it’s incredible!! One of the best games I’ve played in ages. Played the full version, though. Not the demo.
Not every game has to be Stardew valley with a million overwhelming things to do. I loved Littlewood and this looks like a similar go-at-your-own-pace vibe. Thanks!
I really do appreciate these honest reviews. This looks good on the surface, but definitely doesn’t have the depth I’m looking for.
I love your reviews! Thank you so much.🙏🏽💖
not to be too mean but this game seems like the sims 4 to me… all look and no substance
Hello Josh 👋🏻
I feel completely the same way as you about luma island 🏝️ nice and ok, but not stunning (in short because have said everything). I have played the demo and this was enough to know where the game is heading for 🙈 it's not a game for me, but for my friend. And an hour ago she sent me a game code 🎁😅 sadly I know I will not enjoy this game but for her I will play it… Just a few times✨💕 I would really like to play fea farm again… For me it's the better choice between these two games🥰 but this is my opinion.
demo ean great. fulö game crashes 100% on rog ally…. cant play
What do you use the money on that you make?
This doesn't look compelling enough to be worth a pickup when I've already got a backlog and there are a couple of new things looking to catch my attention in the next couple of weeks (the Medieval Dynasty autumn update on Nov. 27, Greece for Euro Truck Simulator 2 on Dec. 4.)
I don't like the idea of a Skinner box progression loop with single-use resources that are only good for selling.
Tu viens du Québec toi c'est certain.
Just the fact that you mentioned the Lost In Blue games in comparison makes me happy. I've been looking for a similar, chilled out LiB-style island exploring game (with a less-frustrating crafting & health monitoring mechanic) for so long and I doubt it'll ever get a Switch port. I did download the Luma demo, but life sorta got in the way and never really played it. I might actually give it a try now.
This is exactly how I was feeling when I played the demo. It felt like something was missing, but I didn't know what until I watched this review. It was definitely the feeling of it being shallow. Thank you for the review!
How many hours of story content is there? Thank you
I like this analysis! Very good point about keeping you hooked on a shallow and mindless game.
What games do you recommend that have 100s of hours of adventure and wonder, I play single player games. Thank you
I think it would benefit to being able to use your items like fantasy life where the professions make your job easier in different ways.
Thank you Josh for the review! This is the reason why I subscribe your channel 😊
From your review it seems the game is closer to moonstone island style than RF or story of season series with hiw it focus more on chill exploration no punishment for the player. I just hope the changing class aspect were like fantasy life game where you gain exclusive rights to do more stuff so the game encourage your to constantly change it
Thanks for the review! The presentation looks amazing, but as a fan of HM/RF who couldn't enjoy modern farming sims other than Eastward Octopia, it sounds like I should pass on this one as well.
I've felt a similar way about games like Forager where playing almost feels compulsive even though by the end of it I didn't actually enjoy it at all. Games like that make me feel very bad so I go out of my way to avoid them, I really appreciate you're so honest about games that rely on loops like this. Having said that, I see in the comments quite a few people who also appreciate the review because this is just the sort of game they're looking for, which in my opinion is the sign of a very well done review. Keep up the great work Josh!
Golden sun with farming vibes
Can I play it locally with friends?
man i just wanna say 1 thing
The game look very beautiful and soothing XD
Thank you for this review
Hmm from your review alone I’m definitely mixed on it. I do enjoy games like Fae Farm but there’s just something about the way you describe it that makes it feel off from that. Sort of reminds me of Fantasy Life with the whole job system, but there they actually fleshed each job out fairly well. Having a single action button is a huge turn away.
Definitely got to watch more reviews on it, but my gut feeling is saying it’s a skip for me
It almost feels like a cozy farming game for people who either actively dislike or just can't get into cozy farming games? Like the lack of typical limitations/expectations of the genre can be very freeing & welcoming to newcomers & those just looking for a mostly brain off experience. But stripping pretty much everything away may also almost completely trivialize the game for vets expecting something close to the depth they're used to. 🤔
Your reviews are always useful and to the point. Love your channel!
Irritation is when your chopping around either mine or on island; You got to switch out tools every half second from axe; the pick axe; also weapon to switch around. It is a pain in the ass to do so. Torches needs to last a little longer; flares need to last longer.
Completely agree with this review. Enjoyed the demo and just assumed the full game would have a lot more about it based on feedback from the play testers and demo users. Maybe the devs are planning more, but I don't know. It needs to be less grindy, there needs to be an eating/sleeping requirement (if not essential then at least a benefit to these things – gives you more power or something), things you craft need to be useful outside your profession (e.g. to other players in your group or to you when you switch professions), there needs to be more of a disadvantage to dying (at the moment I just allow spiders to kill me for a quick way to exit the cavern, LOL), and I wouldn't mind if the graphics were improved (even on Ultra it looks like a slightly poorly upscaled version of a mobile game). Villagers don't seem to be important (there little in the way of relationship you can create with them). The map rotation is so confusing – if they added a compass pointer to North it would at least help understand which way you're walking. Oh and if you try to clear a nice area in front of your caravan to walk around in it just gets overgrown quickly again (not a cosmetic issue – it actually slows down player movement). I was hoping for a cross between Stardew Valley and Captain Toad. At least I didn't pay £30 for this. Hopefully it'll improve in the next few months.
5:20 thanks so much for this anecdote I was holding off on Luma Island because I’m horrified of spiders so glad we can toggle them off ❤️
Thank you for the informative and fair take on the game.
This game looks like its not for me I want a game like My sims. Hokko life is currently scratching that itch until i get my sims for the switch
Thanks for the review. I realized it was not for me 🙂
LUMMHAAAHHHLEEIN..
can you move the buildings/machines once they're built? I can't find the option to do that.
I love it, but the map is terrible. It almost turns me off of playing.
I played Fae Farm, and at first, I was impressed—wow! But the deeper I got into the gameplay, the more meaningless it felt. I stopped feeding the animals because it took too much time, and the only consequence was that they were a bit sad—nothing serious. I rushed through the plot just to finish the game and get married, but the marriage was such a disappointment—they didn’t even sleep in the same bed! Overall, Fae Farm was just okay.
Luma Island, as you mentioned, looks very similar, and now I know I don’t need a second Fae Farm experience—thank you for pointing that out! 😊
Oh, and does Luma Island have romance options? That’s really important to me!