Isle of Reveries PS5 Review - An Owl’s Dreamy Zelda Adventure That Truly Soars

Isle of Reveries, developed by desertcucco and published by Electric Airship, is a retro-inspired action-adventure game launching on PS5 on September 4, 2026. It is a Legend of Zelda-style title with a clear Game Boy Color aesthetic and a focus on exploration, dungeon crawling, and inventive puzzle-solving.

You play as Lief, a cunning little owl on a pilgrimage skybound to the forsaken Isle of Reveries, a place said to grant any wish. Along the way, Lief navigates a large overworld filled with charming anthropomorphic characters, battles enemies, and delves into mysterious dungeons. The story focuses on discovery, community-building, and the quiet melancholy of a classic adventure, with characters Lief rescues eventually settling into a township that grows and offers new quests and stories.

The core features revolve around a free-roaming overworld spanning eight distinct biomes and seven themed dungeons. Each of which has it's unique mechanics and a key item. These key items remain useful for both combat and puzzles long after their dungeons are cleared. Side activities include bug catching and fishing for a break from the main path. A limited co-op mode (local or via Remote Play Together on supported platforms, with console support arriving via post-launch patch) lets players tackle two multiplayer stages with a friend.

The Gameplay ...

Gameplay is classic top-down action-adventure in the spirit of early Zelda games. Lief explores screen-by-screen (or open areas), fights enemies with a growing arsenal, and solves environmental puzzles. A dedicated jump button keeps movement fluid without constantly swapping equipped items. Combat mixes swordplay and tool use, while the world encourages free exploration without heavy hand-holding.

The prominent gameplay mechanic is Lief’s fairy companion, which can copy and spawn a variety of objects found in the environment including puzzle blocks, torches, mushrooms, arrow-shooters, and more. These copies interact with the environment and Lief’s other items in creative ways, enabling solutions like holding down switches, creating platforms, or attacking from a distance. This system, combined with dungeon-specific key items that stay relevant, gives the puzzles depth and encourages experimentation. The result feels like a loving evolution of classic Zelda design rather than a pure clone.

The Presentation ...

Presentation leans fully into a polished Game Boy Color-inspired pixel-art style. The top-down view, hand-crafted screens and rooms, colorful yet limited palette, and charming character designs evoke the hardware constraints and personality of late-’90s handheld classics while looking crisp on modern displays. Pixel-art cutscenes add narrative flair. The original soundtrack, composed by Auxilotl, features atmospheric and melodic tracks that match the biomes and dungeons.

The Verdict ...

Isle of Reveries is definitely playable for fans of classic action-adventures. Controls feel responsive, the copy-and-spawn system adds fresh puzzle variety, and the world rewards curiosity. At the announced $17.99 price point it offers enough value for an indie title of this scope, especially given the township-building layer, side activities, and multi-platform support. Overall quality appears impressive enough for a passion project that successfully channels its inspirations while introducing meaningful new ideas. 

It is an experience best suited for players who love classic Legend of Zelda (particularly the Game Boy Color era), retro pixel-art adventures, thoughtful environmental puzzles, and cozy exploration with light combat. If you enjoy games that respect their inspirations while adding clever new tools, or simply want a charming, self-contained adventure on PS5, Isle of Reveries is well worth checking out.