Yoku's Island Express

 PlayStation 4
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 39 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 31 out of 39
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 39
  3. Negative: 5 out of 39
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  1. SuperkenGaming
    May 29, 2018
    8
    Yoku’s Island Express
    A Metroidpinballvania
    Yoku’s Island express is a 7 hour long Metroidvania game where you play as a postmaster beetle named yoku you’re here to deliver some mail, but this sets you on a quest of gathering the three chiefs of the island to perform a ritual to save makuma, the life blood of this island… and in Metroid vania fashion this means going as far as you can    Yoku’s Island Express
    A Metroidpinballvania
    Yoku’s Island express is a 7 hour long Metroidvania game where you play as a postmaster beetle named yoku you’re here to deliver some mail, but this sets you on a quest of gathering the three chiefs of the island to perform a ritual to save makuma, the life blood of this island…
    and in Metroid vania fashion this means going as far as you can on this one giant connected map completing quests to get new items to reach new areas rinse and repeat until credits role…
    this isn’t an ordinary metroidvania game though,,
    The entire map is one giant pinball machine..
    you have full control of yokuyoure rolling along this ball, but often you’ll find yourself in a mini pinball area where you lose full control and are just focused on the flippers.. hitting targets, collecting fruit so you can unlock other targets and fast travel bee line posts.. even working towards larger fruit carrying capacity
    for probably the first half of the game, the fruit feels worth collecting and looking out for..
    it feels scarce despite seemingly being all over the place due to how pricey unlocking bumpers and new items is..
    this encourages exploration, and youll soon find collectables insinuating there are a few secrets to uncover on this island, adding more intrigue….
    Everything about this game is so charming and well designed..
    As a metroidvania, I naturally felt overwhelmed at times…
    this game is very unlinear, you have a map you can keep referring to to the area you need to get to.. but until you’ve explored an area its clouded.. so finding the route to get there is completely up to you..
    youll constantly run into for the time being dead ends as you might not yet have the ability to get past a certain point..
    though if you stop and talk to the characters of this world, the game does a great job of giving you hints on where to go to next, or which area to investigate a little..
    As a giant pinball game, traversing upwards can feel a bit frustrating at times… as you are relying on timing od the ball and the triggers and you can feel a little out of control, but yokus island express is also super forgiving..
    you cant really die in this game.. you can only lose fruit and traversal progress…
    but none of it is ever too painful..
    Its just enough to keep you engaged and putting in a decent amount of effort…
    there are also side quests here on top of the collectables..
    tons to do to keep you exploring and hooked in this polished pinball world..
    This is a really unique experience worth checking out..
    theres nothing out there like it.
    I give Yokus Island Express
    a 7.5/10    … Expand
  2. samirbvr
    Dec 10, 2018
    10
    This game is a very refreshing take on pinball mechanics with a nice story behind it, add in some quirky characters, few side missions and crisp graphics, and we have a gem!!
  3. TokyoFerret
    Jun 12, 2018
    8
    This is a charming and fun game, with a beautiful organic graphical theme, and some unique and entertaining gameplay elements.

    Taking on the role of a dung beetle postman, you go about the job of delivering letters, whilst helping the colorful and cute inhabitants. The main quest sees you working to alert the islands tribal chiefs to prevent a menace known as the 'god slayer' from    This is a charming and fun game, with a beautiful organic graphical theme, and some unique and entertaining gameplay elements.

    Taking on the role of a dung beetle postman, you go about the job of delivering letters, whilst helping the colorful and cute inhabitants. The main quest sees you working to alert the islands tribal chiefs to prevent a menace known as the 'god slayer' from killing the last uninjured island god.

    Your character traverses the forest island via a little walking, and a lot of pinball-style bouncing around. The pinball areas feature various obstacles that you eliminate using mechanics and tools that are introduced over the game. One core mechanic is the collecting of fruit, which is used to unlock pinball flippers, that are in turn used to access new areas, or to take shortcuts. Additionally, as you gain new tools and abilities, you are able to more quickly traverse the world.

    I found Yoku's Island Express to be a fun and refreshing game, with a lot of heart, and a unique experience that turns pinball style gameplay into more than just score chasing.    … Expand
  4. McStreamy
    Jun 21, 2018
    10
    No idea why this game has so many negative reviews, nothing about this game is deserving of a purely negative score. The game looks great, the mechanics are innovative and interesting and the game is a ton of fun throughout. My only one issue can be getting around the island quickly, but you soon unlock the means to travel around the island faster (the issue is getting to the hop onNo idea why this game has so many negative reviews, nothing about this game is deserving of a purely negative score. The game looks great, the mechanics are innovative and interesting and the game is a ton of fun throughout. My only one issue can be getting around the island quickly, but you soon unlock the means to travel around the island faster (the issue is getting to the hop on point). It's also not a very long game but I guess that's why it's not full price. I personally enjoy a shorter experience between all these massive 100+ hours games nowadays.
    If you like pinball even remotely, get it. If you don't but the game looks somewhat appealing, wait for a sale and get it then. It might not score any GOTY's but it sure is a lot of fun and it is a well made game. Honest score 8.5/10, but giving it a 10 to balance out what I can only assume to be fake review scores.    … Expand
  5. metaboar
    Jul 7, 2018
    10
    LOL this game is literally everything you want. Rayman graphics with a weird mix of pinball and platforming plus a lot of collectables.
  6. michaelb1928
    Jun 5, 2019
    6
    Game was quite fun but I wasnt the intended target audience i think, I overall think this is a good game and if you are into pinball you will probably love this, it has a lot of charm, the music is quite nice and the gameplay is fun for what it is, now ive never been really into pinball so if your a casual like me you might get a bit frustrated with this as you really need to learn to knowGame was quite fun but I wasnt the intended target audience i think, I overall think this is a good game and if you are into pinball you will probably love this, it has a lot of charm, the music is quite nice and the gameplay is fun for what it is, now ive never been really into pinball so if your a casual like me you might get a bit frustrated with this as you really need to learn to know when to hit the ball at a certain angle to get it where you want to go, ive never really been a fan of this about pinball, i usually just mash the bumpers and hope eventually it goes where i want it to, but if you take your time and learn the mechanics i think you can have a good time with this, i did overall enjoy my time with it but as i said im probably not the best person to listen to as i am not a pinball game fan in the first place, I think the game dev team behind this are talented and id like to see where they go from here, if you like pinball i think your gonna love this, if your not tho like me i dont think this is the game thats gonna change your mind… Expand
  7. Gregormeister
    Jan 2, 2022
    10
    I'm playing many, many games every year. Triple A titles, but also a lot of indies.

    When my girlfriend and I discovered Yoku, we first thought that it might be too childish for us, but we liked the combination of flipper mechanics and a fun and light-hearted story. THEN we found out that this game indeed is a full-fledged metroidvania and that it offers so many things to explore and    I'm playing many, many games every year. Triple A titles, but also a lot of indies.

    When my girlfriend and I discovered Yoku, we first thought that it might be too childish for us, but we liked the combination of flipper mechanics and a fun and light-hearted story. THEN we found out that this game indeed is a full-fledged metroidvania and that it offers so many things to explore and discover, so we played it not only until the very end, but both of us went for the platinum trophy - separately and on our both accounts! (Trust me, that never happened before, we were just BOTH completely addicted.)

    Just try the free demo and don't be turned off by the initial childish art style and music - this game ROCKS!     … Expand
  8. sergio123456
    Sep 10, 2021
    8
    Juego muy entretenido, que mezcla las plataformas con el pinball haciendo que esta combinación engrandezca ambos géneros, no se hace nada pesado ya que su duración es correcta así como la cantidad de lugares por explorar harán que no nos aburramos ni un segundo.
  9. Ach01nos
    Jun 1, 2022
    10
    Incridible game, one of the most original game that i played from a long Time, it deserve a large 94/100
  10. Ginger_Avenger
    Nov 16, 2022
    7
    I have played pinball since back in the day. This was a fun take on combining some pinball gameplay with a standard platformer/adventure game. Nothing mind blowing, but the game seems to know the limitations of its design and doesn't overstay its welcome. A short and sweet little experience with the usual secrets to uncover as you go along.

Awards & Rankings

33
#33 Best PS4 Game of 2018

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 12 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 12
  3. Negative: 0 out of 12
  1. KeenGamer
    Jun 23, 2023
    85
    Yoku’s Island is worth exploring. There is the odd critique (dying at pinball?) - but the charming atmosphere and a well implemented mix of gameplay styles provide a very good time. The island of Mokumana has plenty of exploration, coupled with a few cool upgrades for Yoku to make it easier. Taking into consideration the right amount of collectibles and a story mode which doesn’t overstay its welcome and you’ve got a breezy, enjoyable adventure on your hands.
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  2. CD-Action
    Sep 27, 2018
    85
    I have no clue how Villa Gorilla came up with an idea to combine a platformer with a pinball (was there a hat full of cards with genres on them involved?) but it works like a charm. Instead of jumping you use numerous flippers, which fit into the game world surprisingly well along with other elements that usually belong on the pinball table. In addition to being super fun to play Yoku’s Island Express looks and sounds great and is one of the most charming games I’ve come across. I wholeheartedly recommend it to everyone. [08/2018, p.77]
  3. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Jul 2, 2018
    80
    Its necessary backtracking may bug you occasionally but the joyful core of its being will bring a smile to the lips of even the most stoic. [Issue#151, p.85]
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