Castaway Paradise

As close as you're going to get to Animal Crossing on a non-Nintendo console. Addictive as hell but ultimately it turns into a bit of a grind.

Castaway Paradise has a lot of potential to be a fun game. It’s relaxing and satisfying in the same way that some good mobile games and Animal Crossing are. The cycle of completing tasks, rebuilding, and customizing works pretty good. It’s not as in depth as other games of this genre however. And despite all the charm it eventually falls a bit short of being really good.

Castaway Paradise is one of PS4's more pleasant experiences, offering a tropical vacation that'll keep you busy for hours on end. Although the game's addictive qualities do wane over time, the process of steadily expanding and improving your island is both relaxing and satisfying.

The gameplay in Castaway Paradise is not the deepest thing ever created, but it’s relaxing and is the kind of game that you can continue to come back to and play for an hour or so at a time. The game actively encourages this by providing daily rewards for logging in, as well as daily challenges to partake in.

For those looking to scratch the six year itch left by a lack of Animal Crossing games, I recommend giving it a try. But at the end of the day, its successes and unique twists aren’t enough to make it a title that’s going to stick around for a long time.

If not for the long waiting times - a remnant of the freemium model the game was initially based on - this would've been a fun experience. Besides that, the decorating of your own house is a fine element of the gameplay.