The Missing: JJ Macfield and the Island of Memories

 Xbox One
The Missing: JJ Macfield and the Island of Memories Image
Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 8 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 13 Ratings

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  • Summary: The blunt disappearance of a close friend encourages J.J. to go look for her on the strange Island of Memories. You can’t die on this nightmare island, even if you’re seriously injured. No matter how many times J.J.’s brought back from the grips of death, she drags her mangled body deeperThe blunt disappearance of a close friend encourages J.J. to go look for her on the strange Island of Memories. You can’t die on this nightmare island, even if you’re seriously injured. No matter how many times J.J.’s brought back from the grips of death, she drags her mangled body deeper into the woods to find her friend.… Expand

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The Missing Makes You Remove Limbs And Burn Yourself To Solve Puzzles - 18 Minutes Of Gameplay

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
  1. XBLA Fans
    Jan 16, 2019
    100
    Besides being a fun puzzler, The Missing provides a look into depression and psychological torment. It’s grotesque yet elegant. I would even go to claim that it’s a borderline masterpiece. It leads you in one direction then turns out you were wrong the entire time. When it ends, it clicks all at once, and you suddenly want to read all the message conversations over again and play through to see everything in a different light. I couldn’t stop playing and actually spent seven hours straight playing until it was finished. I even kept replaying chapters afterward to collect what I missed. Overall, I think bold design choices were made, and we are rewarded with one of the best platformers available.
  2. EGM
    Oct 15, 2018
    90
    The Missing’s clever innovations on the platforming genre are more than just gimmicks. They underline the game’s deeply emotional core and create a uniquely affecting experience. Like any Swery game, you might run into some technical difficulties, but those are easy to overlook when the experience as a whole is so fully realized. The Missing is like a dream in every sense, but it’s one that you won’t forget after you wake up.
  3. GameCritics
    Oct 16, 2018
    90
    Those rough spots aside, The Missing isn’t just a great game — it’s an important one. It uses grim and upsetting content to put players inside of the mind of a troubled person, then offers them a path towards healing. It doesn’t suggest that overcoming mental and social problems is easy, but it resonates like few other things have in recent memory. I can’t say that I personally related to J.J.’s struggle, but by the end of the story, I can say that I felt her pain — and isn’t that what art is for?
  4. GameSpot
    Oct 11, 2018
    80
    The faltering plot twist doesn't detract from the overall experience. The Missing is smaller and more mechanically conventional than Deadly Premonition or D4, but its components remain focused on distinctly a Swery game: a dark, idiosyncratic experience that tells a deeply personal story that's as confronting as it is sincere.
  5. IGN
    Oct 18, 2018
    80
    The Missing: J.J. Macfield and the Island of Memories is an evocative, offbeat adventure with a sinister yet imaginative gameplay hook. Its story suffers slightly from subpar voice acting and an eagerness to tell more than show, but for the most part this is a dark, strange and utterly compelling journey into the tortured mind of its main character, and one absolutely well worth taking.
  6. DarkStation
    Oct 26, 2018
    80
    It’s bit of a shame, then, that The Missing locks a poignant message behind such a tricky game, built from bricks of pain. On the other hand, all the hardships are there for a reason: to understand J.J. and what she has to go through to accept herself. A unique and powerful experience, I can tell that the game will linger long in the mind after finishing it.
  7. God is a Geek
    Oct 19, 2018
    80
    The Missing is a compelling, interesting and unique horror-adventure.

See all 8 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 3
  3. Negative: 0 out of 3
  1. osprey
    Oct 24, 2018
    9
    I am so happy that Swery is back and this game is true Swery. It is beautiful and thoughtful and unique. There is a wonderful quirky storyI am so happy that Swery is back and this game is true Swery. It is beautiful and thoughtful and unique. There is a wonderful quirky story along with so much heart, so rare in modern gaming. As always in Swery's games he will test your patience sometimes but it is aways worth hanging in there for the bountiful rewards that playing his games provide. The art design is gorgeous and the characters are all important in telling the moving and important story. I have played through the game three times and each play through makes me love the game even more. Lovely soundtrack as well. I personally give this game a ten but to be fair there are a few issues that some would find annoying and I must admit that at first I felt a little frustrated. Please, please keep making games team and thank you White Owls for a wonderful game.… Expand
  2. Xplocion
    Jul 21, 2020
    9
    The good:
    An excellent psychological thriller that shows a tangled story to discover among its protagonists. You drive JJ looking for his    The good:
    An excellent psychological thriller that shows a tangled story to discover among its protagonists. You drive JJ looking for his girlfriend-girlfriend Emily lost on an island they go to for the weekend ... but things get weird. The puzzles are ingenious and cryptic (although easy). The Sketches gallery is a delight for designers. Lots of collectibles and unlockables for the story. Easy achievements.

    The bad:
    The graphics are very minimalist and even ugly. It might seem like just another game of walk to the right. The enemies are all soooooo far above JJ's abilities. A lot of dangers await JJ so if you are allergic to gore you will surely hate it.

    The Meh!:
    Its full name is "The Missing: JJ am field and the Island of Memories". You need to play it twice to know the background of the game and certain things that happen in it.    … Expand
  4. Xbox_Alive
    Oct 23, 2018
    8
    The story is fantastic because it tackles a number of meaningful subjects and by doing this it means it stays with you long after completion.The story is fantastic because it tackles a number of meaningful subjects and by doing this it means it stays with you long after completion. I really enjoyed the puzzles that were present in the game because I felt they connected with the story very well and the creativity present in them made them feel rewarding. Each character in the game felt important and they all added something different to the story they were trying to tell. Both the visuals and sound design combine together extremely well and whilst the visuals are minamilist in parts I found they brought the game to life well. Technically the game holds up really well for the most part during your time with the game and thankfully each mechanic holds up pretty well as well. I got a little frustrated during some puzzles because certain mechanics weren’t explained in enough detail. Sometimes the platforming elements in the game felt a little too awkward and traversing could be a pain from time to time. Overall I love game’s that tackle meaningful and serious subjects and when done right them said game’s often stay with you long after you’ve completed them. The Missing: JJ Macfield and the Island of Memories is a game cut from that cloth and to say I was hooked and interested from start to finish in regards to its story would be quite the understatement. Of course a story wouldn’t be as intriguing if it wasn’t for unique characters present in them and thankfully here’s another area where the game shines. In terms of the gameplay that’s available to you here this game is best described as a puzzle/platformer. The puzzles I thoroughly enjoyed because there was lots of creativity present in them and I only really got frustrated due to the lack of explanation at the start. Platforming in the game is not as good though because most of the time traversing just feels awkward but thankfully I was able to look past this quite easily in the end. Without a doubt then The Missing gets a solid recommendation from me because it thinks outside of the box and tries to be different in a number of areas and in the end it was a game that made me truly think, which is rare these days.… Expand

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Awards & Rankings

20
#20 Best Xbox One Game of 2018