Land of Screens Switch Review – Ditch Social Media

Social media and technology have controlled many people’s lives for years, but it’s now worse than ever. With a lot of people neglecting real-world interaction and swapping it for online interaction, Land of Screens tells of the story of attempting to get people to stop looking at their phones.

Was it worth not looking at my phone for? Let’s find out.

Land of Screens sees players take the role of Holland, a young-ish girl who has just split from her long-term boyfriend. She’s on a new mission to avoid social media, attempting to avoid any and all trace of her now ex-boyfriend, Brian. The player will help Holland to establish real-world connections and friendships, as well as helping other people to ditch their phones and appreciate life.

A point & click adventure at heart, Land of Screens does come across as more of a walking simulator with a heavy narrative as there is very little gameplay on offer. Each area you enter features the same gameplay loop: walk across a small dedicated area and speak to a number of characters (who will all be sat on their phones) to accomplish a very meaningless task.

That’s pretty much it – not very exciting.

A game with a heavy narrative has to have an interesting story to keep you entertained, otherwise what’s the point? This is what Land of Screens is definitely missing. Sadly, with very little gameplay elements, I found myself often bored of the narrative that was being offered to me, and I pretty much had to force myself to finish it – which is ultimately not good. There isn’t really any memorable characters aside from Holland herself, unfortunately.

I did find Holland to be an extremely relatable character, and she often reminded me of myself in certain ways, especially in how attached she is to her phone. Guilty. She’s also a little awkward, and the way in which she deals with certain situations is me to a tee.

Land of Screens does have a lot of charm though, and much of this comes from its vector art style. Although quite simple, it does look pleasant. The overall message that the game tries to deliver is a sweet one, and it makes us look at the bigger picture of life – it just could have been executed a little better.

I only wish that the game would have came with a lot more narrative options so you could really shape your experience instead of being steered in a particular direction. In that aspect, I didn’t feel like I had connected with what was being said in any given situation – and that saddened me.

Overall, Land of Screens is a fairly average experience. It has some cute moments but ultimately, it was just missing something. It’s a short-lived story that sadly won’t have a lasting effect on you.

Land of Screens Switch Review provided by Nintendo Link
Review also found on OpenCritic
Publisher: Way Down Deep
Release Date: February 04, 2022
Price: $5.99, £5.39
Game Size: 2360.00MB