Islands of the Caliph is an old-school RPG with grid based movement set in a fictional island civilization. Thematically it draws on Middle Eastern folklore and religion, offering a lore-rich setting for your character's journey.
Very Positive
5 Steam reviews
| LANGUAGE | AUDIO | SUBTITLES | INTERFACE |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | — | — | Y |
| German | — | — | Y |
| Portuguese (Brazil) | — | — | Y |
| Spanish (Spain) | — | — | Y |
It says this game is inspired by "Islamic spiritual tradition" but I haven't found even one 9 year old to marry in it yet.
just some simple retro fun no matter in 91' or 26'
我是冲着复古像素游戏来的。
没想是一款彻头彻尾的宗教题材游戏。
忍着打通关了，游戏体验非常无聊。
It's just very nice.
Simplified rather than extravagant is a good way to describe it.
Simple attacks and easy to understand mechanics. However there is no handholding so the player is expected to figure out the way forward on their own.
There is also a refreshing abscense of 'filler' or grind to pointlessly pad out the game.
The first couple of islands will not be difficult though it's possible to get lost for a while on the very first one.
There will be areas to come back to later on.
Creatures and loot respawn so it's always possible to make a little bit of money or XP progress even if you've blown all your money on blister ointment and now cannot afford a ticket home.
There's a lot more but you should explore it yourself.
Visuals don't look good in pictures but they work in game. Low fidelity but magical.
Music is very enjoyable.
Maybe the game doesn't compare well to classics like Anvil of dawn or Ishtar III but it is in ways much easier to play and enjoy.
My only fault is the inventory is difficult to reorganize owing to no mouse controls. That's it.
The game is overt in it's Islamic influences and features without it feeling like a gimmick. It's just a normal part of the world, though i did find it amusing when i walked into a mosque and got told my character doesn't know what to do there. Fitting as probably most of the players will be the same.
tld;r Nice world, beautiful setting and music, simple and effective controls, combat, quest system + several worlds/islands to explore.
I think it deserves a playthrough just based on it's outstanding looks and music but it's a quality grid-based RPG as well, not just a pretty concept.
I did not complete the game yet, but I am enjoying it very much.
This game puts you in the setting of a low fantasy medieval middle-east where the region, or world, seems to be in a post-cataclysmic flooding event, as the only lands left are the peaks of the former land masses that were flooded hundreds of years ago. Throughout these hundreds of years, the people of these regions lost touch with not only each other, but their faith and culture. Some of the leaders look to other sources of power, such as the dark arts of magic, whilst others still hold onto their faith. It is up to you to help reuinite the Islands through your righteous deeds.
Fans of Oriental classics will thoroughly enjoy the in-depth Islamic "mythology" of Djinn and other spiritual concepts.
Playing through the game, it very much reminded me of TES:Morrowind. You start out with nothing, no guide, and you choose your own path. You start on your Homeland of Salam Island, and from there you can make your way to the surrounding 8 other islands. There is a Main Quest (from what I know so far), but this is not all there is, not by a long shot. There are other side quests that are very interesting in their own right (The Five Pillars).
I don't want to be biased when making this review, as I am a Muslim myself, and that is what intrigued me to this product, so I will also say the main thing that I disliked about the game is that you technically only have a single save slot per "character" or "game". You can have 3 different games, but each can only be saved onto 1 save slot, and there is only 3 save slots in total. This makes the game a bit more hardcore as you can't just save scum. When you are defeated in combat, or die to illness, you are given the choice of loading your last save, or continuing on with less money and a couple of items lost (nothing you cant bounce back from).
Overall, the thing that made me love the game the most was the way the developer created it in such an amazing educational manner. As I said before, I am a Muslim American, however there are somethings about my religion that I did not know about, such as the Islamic Months, which can be found in a book in-game. You can really learn alot about Islam from just playing this neat little RPG. The story is intriguing enough to make you want to keep finding more information. The game is excellent in it's level design, clearly taking influence from amazing classic CRPGs, you got dungeons, you got outdoor areas, and you have different enemies.
You really can't go wrong with this game for $10. Not only will you have fun, but you will also learn about what Muslims truly believe, and who knows? Maybe this could be the bridge to your own spiritual journey of finding the meaning to life, or finding your own truth. I'd recommend it to anyone nonetheless.
P.S. This is a great game to play while fasting in real life LOL
