Bugsnax: Isle of Bigsnax Review

The Bugsnax: Isle of Bigsnax DLC is a relatively short yet delightful expansion on everything that made the base game so much fun. If you're looking to get to know your fellow Grumpuses a little better, discover some new Bugsnax, and solve puzzles along the way, this free Bugsnax DLC is something that enhances the game in all the right ways. Read the rest of our Bugsnax: Isle of Bigsnax review and see how this DLC adds a fun new layer to the base game.

Explore a New Island Filled with Bigsnax

When the Island of Bigsnax rises out of the ocean off the coast of Snacktooth Island, you need to assemble a team to go exploring with you. Taking along Tiffany, Floofty, Chandlo, and Shelda (with Snorpy hanging back on the radio), you head out to explore and see everything there is to see. Through a series of quests triggered by each of your companion Grumpases, you explore this isolated microcosm that takes everything you experienced over on Snacktooth Island and condenses it down into this smaller story with super-sized Bugsnax.

For those who played the game back when Bugsnax launched on PS5 last year, there may be a slight learning curve to overcome as you relearn the tools and controls, as capturing the different Bugsnax can become a puzzle on its own. As for the new Bugsnax, there are 11 new creatures for you to scan and capture. Whereas on Snacktooth Island you would need to immobilize or disorient many of the Bugsnax to capture them, in the DLC you'll need to figure out how to shrink them down to a catchable size. Fortunately, there's shrinking spice available across the environment for you to throw onto the different Bugsnax. You'll need to move quickly though, as the canisters will self-destruct after 30 seconds. This creates a sense of urgency that requires you to effectively strategize the best order in which to do things, as some Bugsnax can only be shrunk down to size after a few other steps have been taken first. Though eleven new Bugsnax isn't a huge number, each creature has its own puzzle to solve before you can finally capture them. Plus, hidden hats across Snacktooth Island that you can collect and put on the captured Bugsnax in Grumple's barn create fun additional quests to fill your time when not decorating your new-found home on the island.

Build & Decorate Your Hut

A big part of this Bugsnax update is the ability to construct and decorate your own hut in Snaxburg. If you've already completed all the quests in the base game, you'll receive many gifts in your mailbox when you first update the game. These decorations give you some nice variety to work with as you customize your hut. However, the house-customization process isn't quite as free-form as some other titles that put a larger focus on this element. Instead of placing decorations anywhere you like, the hut has pre-set locations where only certain items can go, making the Bugsnax DLC feel a bit more like Unpacking than Animal Crossing.

Still, despite the limitations of the hut decorating, it's still nice to finally have a place of your own in Snaxburg. It makes the Journalist feel like an integral part of the community and not just someone who's living on the fringes while studying the inhabitants who have chosen to give up their life on the mainland to explore Snacktooth Island. This integration adds to the community feel of Bugsnax which made the base game so charming to begin with.

Bugsnax: Isle of Bigsnax DLC Review | Final Thoughts

Isle of Bigsnax is a fairly small, bit-sized update to what ended up being one of the most charming and LGBTQ-positive games of 2021. The home-decorating additions leave something to be desired, but the new Bugsnax to explore on the Isle of Bigsnax are the perfect reason to return to this world.

As a free expansion, Isle of Bigsnax adds some great additional value to this game and is a nice treat for those who enjoyed playing through Bugsnax initially. It doesn't fundamentally change the core elements of what makes Bugsnax so enjoyable, but it was never meant to. For those who already own Bugsnax, the Isle of Bigsnax DLC is a worthy update to jump into and explore.

TechRaptor reviewed Bugsnax: The Isle of Bigsnax on PlayStation 5 using a copy purchased by the reviewer. The game is also available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch.