Alba: A Wildlife Adventure – Photograph Animals, Save an Island!

Alba A Wildlife Adventure - Key Art

“The truth is: the natural world is changing. And we are totally dependent on that world. It provides our food, water and air. It is the most precious thing we have and we need to defend it.” – Sir David Attenborough

Overview

Alba: A Wildlife Adventure is a charming game in which the player must explore a Mediterranean Island as Alba, helping out and taking photos along the way. It was developed by Ustwo Games, the creators of the Monument Valley series of puzzle games and Assemble with Care.

Developer: Ustwo Games
Released: 11th December 2020
Price: £13.49 – £16.74

Platforms: Windows, Xbox One/Series X|S, Switch, PS4/5
Available on: Steam, GOG, Humble, Microsoft, eShop, PlayStation
Engine: Unity

Alba A Wildlife Adventure Screenshot - Arriving on the Island

Narrative

Alba follows the titular character as she visits her grandparents on a small Mediterranean island. The game begins with Alba as a very young child, taking her very first photo with her grandparents. The focus of the narrative is the major’s plans to build a super hotel in place of the, albeit rundown, nature reserve. Alba’s goal, with the help of her close friend, is to restore various aspects of the island and get petition signatures to prevent the hotel from being built. The story is told through the NPCs’ dialogue, as well as the gameplay itself and touches on themes such as friendship, ecological issues, and corruption.

Alba A Wildlife Adventure Screenshot - Utilities and Equipment

Gameplay

Alba’s gameplay is very laid back and casual, and despite the presence of some less-than-light-hearted themes, the game remains relaxing throughout. The player’s overarching goal is to save the island, and more specifically the nature reserve by preventing a large hotel from being built. This encompasses a range of tasks that help improve the island such as litter picking, repairing things such as bridges and birdhouses, photographing and identifying rare animals, rescuing and healing animals, as well as odd tasks for the island’s inhabitants. To help with this Alba has a map, a wildlife guide, a to-do list, and a phone.

The island is made up of a range of areas and biomes such as marshland, forest, and beach. The wildlife guide shows which animals are available to find and identify within each area. There are 62 animals in total and some are more common than others. It is a lot of fun to explore the island and complete the different activities. The game progresses in days, with set events and tasks happening each day. However, once the main part of each day is complete, players can choose to continue to explore and do more open-world tasks for as long as they want and must return home for the day to end.

Alba has a clean UI, with intuitive controls. The game is very accessible and family-friendly and will appeal to a wide audience. It is not a high-octane, adrenaline-fueled adventure but it is engaging and gripping, providing a world and purpose that it is easy to get lost in.

Alba A Wildlife Adventure Screenshot - Helping a Distressed Rabbit

Styling

Alba has a fun, 3D art style that uses a vibrant, saturated, and warm colour palette. The models are minimally detailed, making use of round edges and a lot of block colours. The effect is quite jolly and rather charming. The animations are truly delightful. Alba does not speak but players can enthusiastically nod or shake her head when she is asked questions. Likewise, when she runs she often stretches her arms out like a plane, or she skips!

The music is upbeat and joyful without being excessively energetic, maintaining the relaxing and casual feel of the game. However, it can also be very emotive in places, really portraying the gravitas of certain scenes. There are also some very immersive sound effects, mostly of nature and wildlife noises such as birds, crickets, or the ocean.

Alba A Wildlife Adventure Screenshot - A Moment of Calm in the Rice Fields

Summary

Overall, Alba: A Wildlife Adventure is a fantastic game. It is enjoyable, engaging, and utterly charming. It will take around 4-5 hours to complete and has a lot to offer. It boasts an adorable aesthetic, relaxing but gripping gameplay, tactful and moderate handling of hard-hitting themes such as the environment and political corruption, and delightful, immersive sound design. I had a lot of fun playing this game and it is easy to recommend to anyone looking for a wholesome and (mostly) easygoing experience. It can be enjoyed alone but would also be great to play with a younger family member due to its intuitive gameplay, and meaningful narrative.

Giveaway

Giveaway Time

If you like the sound of Alba: A Wildlife Adventure we are offering a chance to win a Steam key for the game. For more details and your chance to win (or just to chat about indie games), simply join our friendly Discord server and check out the announcements! A winner will be selected at random on Friday 31st January 2025.

Looking for more photography games? Why not take a look at these reviews:
Flutter Away – A Short but Delightful Photography GameTOEM: A Photo Adventure – A Wholesome and Whimsical ExpeditionThe Star Named EOS – A Photographic Walk Down Memory Lane

Did you like this article? Consider supporting Indie Hive through Patreon! Patrons receive an early access article on Sundays!
Become a patron at Patreon!

Leave a Reply