Dexter
In his latest video, YouTuber Zenny calls The Isle “the worst game in the history of Early Access.” His criticism is sharp, sometimes unfair, but often disturbingly accurate. But is the game really as broken as he claims? Or could there be one of the most innovative multiplayer concepts of our time hidden in all that chaos? This article seeks to do both: understand and explain.
When Love Hurts: What Makes The Isle So Special
Anyone playing The Isle for the first time quickly realizes: this game is no walk in the park. It’s unforgiving. Lonely. Wild. And at times, beautiful. You grow – literally – over hours, only to lose everything in seconds. It’s this unique mix of tension, danger, and emotional investment that captivates so many players. Zenny calls it “the worst thing that’s ever happened to me” – but also “one of the most creative and inspiring games” he’s ever played. That’s not a contradiction. It perfectly describes the tension The Isle has lived in for years.
The core concept – living as a dinosaur from birth to death – is as simple as it is radical. No mini-map. No missions. No tutorials. Just you, your instincts, and other players who determine your survival. And that’s where stories emerge: spontaneous encounters, fierce hunts, silent alliances. This kind of emergent gameplay has become rare in today’s heavily scripted blockbusters.
Criticism, Chaos, and Consequences: What Zenny Accuses the Game Of
Zenny’s video is a love letter – laced with venom. For over an hour, he dissects The Isle in all its aspects, shifting between sarcasm, frustration, and genuine passion. His points are varied – and often hit the mark:
Disorientation for New Players
The Isle offers no guidance. When you start the game, you’re literally thrown into the wilderness – no instructions, no tips, no clear goals. Zenny shows how even experienced gamers struggle with basic questions: How do I find food? What is edible? What do these icons mean?
That might be forgivable – if there were a tutorial. But there isn’t. Even downloading the current version requires navigating the Steam beta settings – a hassle for anyone who just wants to play.
The Decline of Map Design
Zenny is particularly harsh on the current map, Gateway. Where earlier maps like Isla Spiro featured clever paths, landmarks, and organically emerging player hubs, Gateway brings only frustration: impassable mountains, endless rivers, artificial choke points. The world is massive – but empty.
Players don’t meet because the game brings them together, but because it funnels them into narrow corridors. Freedom becomes frustration. Interaction becomes isolation.
Migration, Mutation – and Misunderstanding
Another major issue: the food system. What once was an exciting survival element has become a soul-crushing walking simulator thanks to the “Migration” update. Instead of finding food along the way, players now have to travel miles to specific zones – often without knowing if or when these will change again.
At the same time, vital mechanics like mutations or the new stamina regeneration are buried deep in menus with no explanation. Unless players randomly hit TAB and hover over icons, they’ll miss the window to select mutations – and important gameplay elements – and end up dying clueless.
Between Vision and Responsibility: Spotlight on the Developers
A particularly sensitive part of the video focuses on the game’s development history – and its most controversial figure: Dondi, the creative director and mastermind behind The Isle.
Zenny doesn’t mince words: he describes chaotic staffing decisions, alleged personal misconduct, and developer behavior that often caused more harm than progress. The break with the original programmer, the complete rewrite under the “Recode” banner, the constant system overhauls – all of it raises questions. And it fuels the impression that The Isle isn’t just a game, but an ego-driven project.
Yet as critical as Zenny is – he also acknowledges the genius behind the vision. Dondi, he says, is “not a scammer,” but a “creative mind with the worst work ethic on the planet.” A figure full of contradictions – just like the game itself.
And Still, We Love It
Here lies the tragedy – but also the fascination of The Isle: Despite all the flaws, broken systems, and developer drama – this game has a community that stays. Why?
Because no other game gives you this feeling: the trembling when you drink from a river, the adrenaline rush when a distant roar pierces the night, the quiet joy of surviving just one more night. The Isle thrives on moments – not menus or scripted events.
Yes, much is going wrong. Yes, the developers hide in their Discord bubble. But The Isle is more than the sum of its bugs. It’s a living ecosystem of emotion, encounters, failure, and survival. And that’s something no roadmap can ever plan for.
Conclusion – A Call for Balance: Less Is More!
Zenny is right about a lot. He points out problems that shouldn't be ignored. But The Isle is not a lost cause. It’s a game with soul – one that risks collapsing under its own ambition, but hasn’t yet.
What do we wish for? Communication. Clarity. Tutorials. And a reminder for the developers of why so many people love this game despite everything.
Because amid all the criticism, one truth remains: The Isle is unique. And that’s rare enough in today’s gaming world.
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