[Review for Nintendo Switch] Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island

Whitethorn Games and Polygon Treehouse have crafted an engaging escape into a mythical world with Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island. This delightful experience places you in the shoes of Alex, an adventurous backpacker who stumbles into an unexpected adventure. The intrigue begins when her journey takes a detour as her boat crashes on a mysterious island, where Greek gods from ancient lore casually roam the landscape, blurring the lines between past and present.

As you embark on this whimsical journey, you’ll quickly learn that these gods are not lost, but rather, on an extended hiatus from our world. However, their memories have gone astray, and it’s up to you to retrieve their sentimental artifacts—mementos—to help reignite their recollections. The game is designed as a non-linear narrative, urging players to discover lost treasures while remembering to save your progress by resting at benches scattered across Ambrosia Island.

Control of Alex is straightforward, with the left stick guiding her movements and the A button facilitating interactions. To highlight all the interactive points of interest, press the left stick, ensuring you don’t miss a thing. Speed up your journey with a sprint by holding the Y button. Though your phone didn’t survive the crash, fear not, as the Ambrosidex—discovered at Ora’s feet, a talking statue known as the Oracle on the island—becomes your new handy tool to unravel the mysteries ahead.

Navigating the Ambrosidex is simple with the X button. Flip through its categories using the L and R buttons, and further with the ZL and ZR buttons. Its map function is essential as it pinpoints areas with Memento Heat, indicating places rich with memories waiting to be uncovered.

When exploring a hot area for mementos, remember patience is key—discovery isn’t always immediate! Keep an eye out for Ambrosia Fruit to trade with Hermes for keys to unlock fast travel spots around the island, useful for returning to search areas anew. These fast travel points are locked doors that seemed previously inconsequential until you possess the means to access them.

Ambrosia Fruit, once collected, becomes a valuable trade resource with islanders, especially once your friendship levels improve. Get to know the quirky residents by chatting about diverse topics, retrieving their mementos, and accomplishing various quests. Hermes, ever the opportunist, kickstarts this journey by requesting your help feeding some gulls with dried dates. Completing such tasks earns you Friend Points, pushing your friendship bar to new heights.

Living on Ambrosia Island means adapting to the daily routines of its inhabitants. Building friendships grants you access to their schedules via the Ambrosidex—a key tool for strategic planning, especially in time-sensitive pursuits like seeing Hermes in daylight. At your lighthouse abode, adjust time from dawn to noon, sunset, or midnight to match the required schedules of your new divine friends.

For completionists out there, Mythwrecked offers 32 Pin Badges as a testament to your thorough exploration and achievement in Ambrosia Island. Objectives range from picking 10 Ambrosia Fruits to gathering lost mementos, visiting homes for the first time, collecting mixtapes, and decorating your base. Other ambitions include unlocking all fast travel options, deciphering ancient columns, energizing wind turbines, feeding all gulls, restoring mosaics, and ultimately devising an escape plan.

Experience this enchanting island for yourself as Mythwrecked: Ambrosia Island launches tomorrow on the Nintendo Switch, retailing at $24.99. It’s a playful escape to a world where mythology meets modernity.

Note: This review is based on a Nintendo Switch copy provided by Whitethorn Games.