Greek Sea Odyssey Island, Reviews

PHB Review: Greek Sea Odyssey Island

LJ

greek sea odyssey review

Haven’t completed your epic journey yet? Check out our Greek Sea Odyssey Island Guide!

Hello, Poptropicans!

With the recent release of Poptropica Worlds’ third island adventure, Greek Sea Odyssey, we wanted to share what we thought of it and, in the comments, open the discussion to all of you as well. So here it is: our comprehensive review of Greek Sea Odyssey Island! We’ll cover story, mechanics, visuals, and more. Let’s set sail!

Be warned: This review contains spoilers!

Storyline & Characters

dionysus gos

Let’s begin with a quick overview of the island: You arrive in Athens to discover that the tyrannical god, Zeus, won’t leave the citizens alone as they try to develop the world’s first democracy right here in ancient Greece. Athena, the goddess of wisdom, embarks you on a journey by sending you on a sea voyage, alongside Theseus, to collect three sacred items to topple Zeus.

Undoubtedly, we collect all three of the sacred items and get to encounter many cool Greek mythological figures along the way, like Daedalus as Disastrous Daddy, Dionysius as Drunken Party Ruiner, and Hippolyta as I’ve-Had-Enough Matriarch — all new to Poptropica! Though each character (and creatures like the Cyclops and Gryphon) brought something unique to the adventure, the most interesting character was probably Icarus, who was given a modern spin as emo teenager mixed with his mythological roots of hardcore harp, all while sulking at his petty father.

daddy daedalus

Meeting lots of new characters was a plus. The premise was also interesting, and well executed: a sea odyssey in search of powerful items inspired by several Greek tales. And, it took a different turn from what we were expecting (we had speculated a remake for Mythology Island from Poptropica Original)—but a good one.

Gameplay

zeusboss

Greek Sea Odyssey seemed a little short, with less challenging tasks in comparison to islands from Poptropica Original, a lament voiced by many players in the community. (An example of a less challenging task would be the rock-paper-scissors game with Cyclops, who’s daft enough to have only one move! But maybe that’s just his character. One part that could’ve been difficult, the Gryphon chase, allows you to skip over the challenge if you fall too many times and just choose to “go ahead” in the game.)

On the one hand, it’s kind of nice to have the difficulty toned down, since challenging puzzles could get frustrating on Poptropica Original. On the other hand, the challenge aspect now feels almost too dialed back, leaving us with not much to test our wits or maneuvering abilities. Even in the ending, it wasn’t too hard to skip over some orbs, and once we got to the top, Zeus relinquished his throne without another duel—not even with words (well, there was a little exchange, but nothing dependent on the player).

For the amount of time it took to wait for this new island release (over 7 months since 24 Carrot Island, and 4 months if we’re counting Dr. Hare’s Revenge), we were expecting to have a greater adventure to go on—and for it to end with a more climactic boss battle than it did.

There’s also been some funny business at the final showdown with Zeus. When players were struck by one of the electric orbs, it was like a never-ending death strike that took you all the way down to the bottom, forcing you to start over. We’re not sure if this is a glitch or not, but it’s not exactly a fun challenge either way.

On a more positive note, the audio experience of the adventure, engineered by Creator Kyle Fox, was well-crafted. Not only was there ambient music that matched moods at various scenes, but even down in the Minotaur’s labyrinth as we plodded through sludge to get to the Cyclops, we could hear the effects of our footsteps sloshing their way through. Now that’s attention to detail!

Visuals

The different scenes in this island are absolutely captivating. From the details in the Minotaur’s labyrinth to the stunning background scenery, you can tell that a lot of thought and work went into every visual. The Athena statue in the Parthenon was especially breathtaking! Check out some of the designs in the gallery below.

Whether you noticed them or not, there were numerous cultural references and interactive bits throughout the island. Some of these include Wonder Woman’s cameo in Themiscyra, The Bolt sword from Legendary Swords in the labyrinth, the unicorn in the bushes, and probably the most notable, the Sound of Silence song reference from Snakehead. Many Poptropicans found these quite enjoyable — we did too!

Verdict

All things considered—from the unique storyline mashing many Greek legends, to well-crafted characters, to not-so-challenging puzzles, to gorgeous Grecian scenes with witty references—our final rating for Greek Sea Odyssey is…

gso verdict

The wait for this island was excruciating for many players, especially since we barely saw any sneak peeks for what was to come (too little, to be honest).

We were pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn’t simply a remake of the popular Mythology Island on Poptropica Original, but rather a whole new story with lots of new faces along the way. Greek Sea Odyssey turned out to be a wonderful ride, albeit on the short end compared to other Poptropica islands (though about the same length as other Worlds islands, so this may be a pattern that sticks around). The challenges could have been amped up a notch or two as well. On the whole, though, there’s lots to love.

With its interweaving of Greek legends, fun details, excellent audio/visuals, and more, we’ve decided to award Greek Sea Odyssey 4/5 Grecian urns. Here’s to more odysseys in the near future for Poptropica!

Thanks for reading our review of Greek Sea Odyssey Island! How do you think this adventure compared to its sort-of prequel, Mythology Island? Do you agree with our verdict? Share your opinions in the comments below!

– the PHB team –

Bonus Items, Time Tangled Island

Get Time Tangled-up in Silly String!

Slanted Fish

Hey Poptropicans! The last of the March Prizes is here!

Head over to the unnamed building on Main Street of Time Tangled Island on Poptropica Original, to the right of Pendulum’s Lab, and hop up the windows until you reach one to the very right that has the can of Silly Streams. Grab it while you can—this week only!

As it’s the last the week of March, this is probably going to be the last March Prize. Previous prizes from this month are the Dr. Hare Plushy and Lucky PopGum, which are still in your inventory if you grabbed them earlier.

That’s all for this post. Have fun with the silly string (which, by the way, is also typically available as a gold card item in the store)!

Keep on popping, Poptropicans.

<・)))><<

Social Media

What’s going to happen to Poptropica Original?

Slanted Fish

og pop

Today we’ve got Poptropica Worlds, but Poptropica Original is the game where it all began over ten years ago. However, the OG Pop is on its way out.

Though we’ve made mention of the situation a few times here on the PHB, we haven’t yet discussed it on the blog in great depth. The bottom line, however, is simple: Poptropica Original was built on Flash, a technology that will no longer be supported by 2020. That’s why Worlds was created to continue the legacy on a newer technology, Unity.

The question of what will happen to Poptropica Original is best explained in this Facebook post from the Poptropica Creators, written December 2017:

Here are the main takeaways of that post:

  1. With the departure of Flash by the end of the year 2020, Poptropica Original as we know it is likely to be inaccessible by the arrival of 2021.
  2. Poptropica continues to own the intellectual property that makes up Pop Original—all the art, characters, stories, etc. They’ll be using that, along with new ideas, in their future creations, as we’ve seen from Worlds so far with islands like the remade 24 Carrot or Mythology-inspired, yet original Greek Sea Odyssey.
  3. It’s not just limited to islands on the web or mobile—Poptropica hopes to go where kids go, which could mean more books, comics, or something new.

So that’s that. As it’s 2018, we still have about two years to enjoy Poptropica Original: all its nearly 50 islands, tons of customization options (especially with glitching!), multiplayer functions, and more. Make the most of it and go explore, collect, and compete your heart out on this digital playground while you still can!

And where can we expect the new Poptropica Worlds to lead?

While Pop Original will still be around for as long as it’s able to stick around, expect most updates to come through on Worlds (though, oddly enough, we’re also getting March Prizes on Pop Original?). We’ll continue to keep you all posted with the latest news, both Original and Worlds, but the Creators haven’t been offering much on social media lately (and their blog hasn’t seen a new post since December).

With the recent layoffs of several high-up Poptropica Creators, a mass unfollowing of fans on Twitter, and now, this tweet from former Pop social media manager Jessica Devine (Skinny Moon), it seems things aren’t looking so good with the current management at Poptropica HQ.

In Jessica’s tweet, she links to a Verge article (link warning: some strong language used) about the “toxic culture” at another game studio that started out small, then grew so fast that it often pushed employees too hard in the race to put out new content. According to Jessica, “not all of it, but a good amount” resonates with her (and former coworker Mitch Krpata’s) experience working at Poptropica.

Whatever’s going on at Poptropica HQ right now, it’s leaving a lot of Poptropicans confused and apprehensive. Current Creators, if you are reading this, please step up your game (literally). Don’t burn yourselves out, but do give us an update here and there!

In the next two years, let’s hope that Poptropica Worlds can catch up some more with the original game, and bring us more of that Poptropica magic we’ve been in love with for so long. But we could use some more assurance from Pop HQ.

As much as we loved the original, we know it’s not going to last. But let’s build a brighter future on Worlds (and beyond, if Poptropica lives up to its statement of being a whole ecosystem). We’ve got lots of ideas. It’s not over yet.

<・)))><<

Poptropica Portfolio

Poptropica Portfolio: Mitch Krpata

Slanted Fish

Hey Poptropicans, let’s dive into another Poptropica Portfolio.

Like the last portfolio we showcased, this one features copywriting work, this time from former senior story developer and narrative designer Mitch Krpata, also known as the voice of Captain Crawfish—writer of Poptropica books, blogs, islands, and more.

Soon after he was let go by Poptropica, Mitch decided to compile a portfolio of his written work with the game he’s worked with for the past decade. Though the artwork is not his, the visuals help bring his words to life—as you can see below.

You can view the complete portfolio in this Google presentation. The slideshow covers his graphic novels, dialogue, UX/UI elements, titles and brand names, marketing, and walkthrough videos—all for Poptropica, but likely to expand over time as he pursues other projects.

In a blog post, Mitch says this of his work with Poptropica:

Bit odd to look back and see how much of my life’s work has been tied up in this one property. It’s a source of pride, because few people have the opportunity to write for such a wide, enduring audience, and also sobering, because I realize how many creative avenues have gone unexplored.

Thanks, Mitch, for everything you’ve done for Poptropica over the years! Your stories and good wit have brought a lot of life to the world of Poptropica that people will continue to enjoy in the years to come. Sail on, Captain Crawfish.

If you liked Mitch Krpata’s portfolio, be sure to also check out the portfolio of Jessica Devine (Skinny Moon), another copywriter we’ve featured here. If you’re into art, we recommend checking out the portfolios of other Poptropica artists as well: Tyson Burnham, Kyle Miller, Geoff Hassing, Nate Greenwall, Chris Goodwin, Abraham Evensen Tena, Jordan Leary, Lance Fry, Nasan Hardcastle, and Ashley Lange.

Hope you enjoyed this portfolio! Stay awesome, Poptropicans. ☠️

<・)))><<

Guest Posts, Pop 5

Pop 5: Why Poptropica is the best game for kids — a parent’s perspective

Slanted Fish

Hey Poptropicans—this is a guest post by Leona Henryson, a mother and educator who, along with her son, enjoys Poptropica and its fan community. From the perspective of one parent, here’s why Poptropica is great for kids!

Poptropica Portfolio image 10

Games have exploded across the years and are now found everywhere – on our phones, computers and the internet. The good news is that they’ve been coopted into doing more than just entertaining. They now educate in equal measures. This means they are useful for children and adults to learn everything from languages to math.

An example which nicely straddles the border between entertainment and education is the game Poptropica. This game, specifically designed for children and offers them an environment that is safe, even while allowing them to interact with millions of other children. They hone their puzzle-solving skills and collect points with which they can upgrade the appearance of their character. All while being kept safe and secure.

So what are the big advantages of the game?

#1: It’s hugely entertaining

There really is no getting around it. This game is hugely entertaining. There are so many different games that go in so many different directions that children will be sure to find something they’ll enjoy doing.

In fact, so many people have such good memories of the game growing up that they’ll return to it when they’re older just to go on a trip down memory lane.

Heck, even parents sometimes get sucked into the platform themselves, due to its entertaining puzzles, its whimsical characters and its funny ideas. That means that this offers a great opportunity to play games together.

And naturally, it’s hugely important that the game actually entertains children. After all, whatever other educational or social advantages the game has, if children don’t actually want to go on there to play, then it won’t be much use, will it?

#2: It performs as a gateway

In today’s environment it is important we all learn computer literacy, as a lot of the jobs that are going to be created in the next decades are going to depend on how well we can interact with computers. At the same time, we don’t want to just thrust our children into the world wild web, with its trolls, stalkers and adult topics.

That’s where platforms like Poptropica come in. They teach the former, while making sure the latter problems can’t intrude. In this way, it forms a great way for your children to start learning how to use the internet. They’ll come to learn a great deal of the basic ideas that govern how we interact with virtual environments and begin to understand the underlying ideas.

#3: Safe interaction

Another nice advantage is that the game has been constructed in such a way that children can interact and play games together, without inviting the problems normally associated with that kind of thing. On the different islands in the game, children can play games against other players and even communicate with them – albeit through a limited repertoire of dialogue options.

This means that children get to enjoy one of the most exciting aspects of the online word – namely being together with millions of other children who are sharing the same experiences – while not running any risk.

#4: It’s great to do together

The game can be at its most rewarding if actually done together with your child – particularly if they’re still young. That’s because some of the puzzles can be a bit challenging, and they do need pretty decent reading skills to understand the nature of some of the puzzles.

This could be seen as a drawback, but you can also turn this into a learning opportunity. For example, by helping your kid find the islands they enjoy the most and the topics that most excite them, you’re going to be able to get an idea of what they actually enjoy. This you can then explore further offline, for example. Or you can use it as a way to find interesting topics that you wish to broach.

In this way, the game can become a fantastic educational tool as well, as it opens up roadways and paths for you to find topics your kids find exciting.

#5: It’s worth your time

If you’re looking for a safe and fun way for your children to spend time online, then you have to check out Poptropica. It’s a highly enjoyable environment that you and your kids will love to explore and learn about.

This can be done for free. Alternatively, you can pay for a month of access for $3 US – which really isn’t going to break the bank – in order to get full member access. This opens up some more islands, gives them early access to the new islands being designed, and gives kids full access to the store where they can design the look of their character.

Whatever way you choose, you’re not going to be disappointed by Poptropica.

Hope you enjoyed this guest post by Leona Henryson! For another perspective that offers 5 more reasons Poptropica is great for kids, check out this post with thoughts from a former Poptropica Creator, James Lema (Director D).

The Poptropica Help Blog welcomes interesting Poptropica insights from anyone in the Poptropica community with thoughts to share. You can find some tips and guidelines on our Write for the PHB page. We also encourage sharing blog posts on the PHC.

If you have an idea for a PHB post, we’d love to hear it!