It is criminal that this game has not gotten more attention. It’s somehow only gotten 11 reviews on Steam since August 2017. It doesn’t have a community behind it, despite the fun cast of characters and interesting storyline. And that is just wrong.
Press Kit game description:
Pinewood Island is a visual novel with elements of romance, mystery, and psychological drama. You play as Delilah- one of the students on a month-long trip with Professor Kent on a secluded island. Things go from bad to worse when Kent is found dead, and you learn that you are trapped until a boat comes for you in 4 weeks. At least you won't be lonely. The flirty Carl, quiet Ray, or outlandish Matt have all caught your attention. Will you pursue one or abandon all thoughts of romance to focus on survival?
If You Like ~ What Else Will You Like:
Amnesia: Memories - Dark themes, mature content, choices matter, 1000 ways to die
Hatouful Boyfriend - Dark themes, subplots, choices matter
Long Live the Queen - Challenging, choices matter, subplots, 1000 ways to die
Should I Play This:
Pinewood Island isn’t gratuitously explicit regarding mature content, but I would caution players to consider their comfort level with the subject matter before reading. Not everyone would be comfortable with the situations presented (though I, for one, am thrilled to die as many ways as possible).
Spoilers and screencaps under the cut.
Characters
Pinewood Island features a wide cast of characters, all of who have their own unique design. The character design is appropriate to the style of the game, and the individual identities of characters are not lost in the tension of the story. To go into detail about each of them would take ages, but trust that they’re swell, and that they feel like people you’ve met before.
Delilah, the MC, is not a blank slate. She has her own characterization and is pretty likable. The choices the player makes dictate her reactions to situations and impact her relationships with other characters in a meaningful, authentic way.
Learning about the characters, seeing their personalities shine, and figuring out how to help them were satisfying experiences. The side-stories that contribute to the varying endings that make this game worth replaying.
Routes
Left to right: Ray, Carl, Matt
Each route has a number of endings, differing based on a number of factors including (but not limited to) affection level with your boy, what you figured out about the killer, whether you decided to accuse someone of the murder, and the manner in which you handle conversations with other characters.
Art/Design
The backgrounds and scenery are lovely and plentiful and shift with time of day. Good choices for imagery. Character sprites are crisp and colorful. CG moments are appropriate to their timing in the story. Art quality and style are consistent throughout the game. GUI is visually appealing and suits the dark theme of the story.
Sound is appropriate for the tone, albeit a bit repetitive at points. Playing with sound off often made it more ominous. The game does not feature voice acting, so if that’s a “must” for you, you’re going to be disappointed.
There are a limited amount of CGs at a total of 16 across all routes and endings. Each boy gets 4 CGs, and there’s 1 for each of a few... unfortunate events.
Writing
The actual story of the game never fully gets lost to the romancing of cute boys. The “voices” of each character read as authentic. The tension of the plot doesn’t suffocate the characters, and instead tests certain aspects of their personalities.
My big criticism for this game’s writing is the pacing. It’s easy to notice where the issues are because for 90%+ of the game the pacing is spot-on. The four weeks spent on the island flow naturally and feel right. As it so often goes, it was the endings that messed with the immersion. They are so abrupt that it feels like it kicks you in the face out of nowhere. There were interesting threads pulled up in some of them, but you can get the gist of what happens from the snippets that are there.
There are short epilogues to the story content, giving a description of life after the ending. Some of these epilogues have small bits of narrative, whereas others have overview. The style is less consistent than the rest of the writing in the game, and the way they’re written pulled me out of it.
The Other endings, where the player can earn the 4 Other CGs, seem to come out of nowhere. They have little information with them, but you can see the foreshadowing if you pay attention and make the wrong choices.
That said, the variety of the endings is a treat. Each boy has at least 6, and there are multiple loveless routes. Factors that play into endings are sprinkled throughout the story. Unexciting daily choices influence the outcome from start to finish. The choices made in the last 5 minutes can impact the ending, as well, which was a great change of pace from being locked into a good/bad/NTR from a midpoint in the game.
Overall Opinion
I received Pinewood Island as a gift during the Steam Winter Sale 2018, and my cousin’s money was not wasted. I had a great time and made it a point to 100% it to see what each of the possible outcomes were. I wish we got a little more from each of the endings, but their length and level of detail didn’t ruin the rest of the game for me. I’m impressed with the depth of the decision-making tree and branching paths. I’m actually impressed with the game as a whole.
In case you’re wondering, my favorite routes were Ray’s because of the variety of potential endings, the significance of each decision, and the way it concluded if things went well.
If we put OELVNs on a tier list, I’d put Pinewood Island in the upper third of mid-tier games.
