Upin & Ipin Universe Is the Open-World Hug We Didn’t Know We Needed
Step into the sun-dappled lanes of Kampung Durian Runtuh with Upin & Ipin Universe, a seamless open-world adventure that invites players to rediscover the magic of childhood through exploration, rhythm cooking, rooftop races, and firefly-lit hideouts. This in-depth dive into the game reveals a world crafted with heart where curiosity leads the way, and every corner hums with the warmth of Southeast Asian village life. Whether you’re catching jungle critters or spinning tops in backyard arenas, this is a kampung where play is the only rule.
Upin & Ipin Universe Review Pros
- Decent graphics.
- 4.57GB download size.
- Platinum trophy.
- In-game achievements that reveal parts of an image.
- You get the PlayStation 4 and the PlayStation 5 versions of the game, so you can potentially earn two Platinum trophies.
- Video settings – performance and quality.
- Inspired by the Upin and Ipin animated show.
- Dialogue text speed options – fast, slow, and normal.
- Camera settings – Invert axis and sensitivity sliders.
- Two voice choices and two text languages choices – English and Melayu (Malaysia).
- 3 save slots.
- Cutscenes are a mixture of FMV and in-game, including character interactions.
- Open world adventure gameplay.
- Tutorial pop-ups as you play.
- The catalogue is where all found items get stored. There are many sections – fish, items, critters, plants, recipes, race cars, gasing, collectables, and achievements.
- Third-person view.
- Clear easy to easy-to-understand menus.
- In solo play, you control both characters and can swap instantly between them with a button press.
- Two-player local co op support.
- A full 3D game world with 360-degree camera control.
- Use a net to catch critters, and you can hit bushes to get critters out.
- The game autosaves frequently.
- Fully voiced characters.
- The game uses the DualSense speaker for sound effects and usually collectables.
- Quests are split into main and side, and you have full quest management.
- Play how you want.
- Day and night cycle in play. As you do quests, it advances time. At night, you have to get home before Kak Ros finds you.
- Cooking is like Overcooked in its layout, but as a kid, you get ingredients and take them to adults to prepare and cook them. It’s all timed, and you have some button-tapping interactions.
- Find many collectables and money around the world; luckily, they have a blue light emitting from them.
- Fishing is another activity you can do. Grab a rod and some bait, then use the rather simple one-button and icon system.
- At any time, you can drop in on a quest or activity.
- The time of day bar shows at all times.
- Area locations will pop up as you enter them.
- It’s a game that younger gamers could play together and act like a digital babysitter! The only challenge is the camera, but they probably have more patience than me.
- The game is kid-friendly, no swearing or gore, etc.
- Find and ride vehicles like bikes around the villages.
Upin & Ipin Universe Review Cons
- You cannot remap the controls.
- No real game settings or accessibility options.
- For me, I thought Upin and Ipin looked like scary adult mannequin heads, but I’m weird.
- The jump feels really floaty and doesn’t feel good.
- I found the camera to be a nightmare; it doesn’t work like a normal camera and goes in real close when rotating, it can be affected by the environment, and it’s all rather unpleasant.
- Not a huge fan of the characters or the game world, it’s just not my cup of tea.
- Despite having a camera, the game still takes control away from you, and the activities have set camera angles that fight with your control.
- A lot of pop-in happens.
- The music is grating and repetitive.
- Overall, the controls are bad when running around; the slightest bit of elevation or step is a nightmare and inconsistent.
- It is very easy to play for hours and realise you haven’t done any story missions, the game just throws everything at you.
Related Post: Trapped in Kvark – A Brutal, Retro FPS Revival
Upin & Ipin Universe
Developer: Streamline Studios
Publisher: Streamline Media Group, Inc.
Store Link:
Upin & Ipin Universe Review
Summary
Upin & Ipin Universe – The Thrills and Highlights of Gameplay
Upin & Ipin Universe captures the carefree joy of kampung adventures with third-person open-world gameplay that lets players switch between characters instantly. The world is packed with collectables, critter-catching challenges, fishable ponds, rhythm cooking, rooftop races, and glowworm hideouts. Whether you’re questing solo or in two-player local co-op, the dualsense speaker adds immersive sound cues while the tutorial system guides you intuitively through jungle encounters, gasing matches, and timed cooking segments. Autosaves are frequent, exploration feels rewarding, and the day-night cycle adds structure, especially when you’re racing the clock to get home before Kak Ros spots you. For younger players, Upin & Ipin Universe offers a forgiving playground full of engaging side activities that feel spontaneous and heartfelt.
Upin & Ipin Universe – Where It Falls Short: Key Negatives
Despite its warm premise, the Upin & Ipin Universe stumbles on basic functionality. The jump mechanic feels floaty and off, and general movement is hampered by awkward terrain navigation and inconsistent collision. The camera can be claustrophobic, unpredictably swinging too close and resisting control, often breaking immersion during set-piece sequences. Controls can’t be remapped, accessibility options are absent, and character designs, while faithful to the source material, may feel eerie to some. Repetitive music and intrusive pop-in dull the vibrancy, while the lack of direction in mission prioritisation makes progress feel scattered. It’s easy to spend hours in Upin & Ipin Universe without advancing the story, leaving casual players adrift.
Upin & Ipin Universe – Immersive Story and Narrative Elements
True to its roots in the Upin & Ipin animated series, the game leans into everyday kampung charm with a nostalgic blend of childhood curiosity and simple adventure. The FMV and in-game cutscenes pepper the experience with light-hearted character interactions and playful storytelling. Time progression linked to quests adds a gentle narrative rhythm, nudging players toward discovery through exploration rather than linear pacing. Though sparse on grand arcs, Upin & Ipin Universe thrives on episodic warmth and small stakes, making it more of an open-ended memory lane than a traditional plot-driven experience.
Upin & Ipin Universe – Visual and Performance Aspects
Graphically, Upin & Ipin Universe delivers a modest but pleasant 3D world with decent textures and a charming Southeast Asian village setting. The 4.57GB download keeps things lightweight across both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, with dual trophy support as a bonus. Frequent autosaves and clear UI elements add convenience, while area labels and lighting cues help make exploration intuitive. However, graphical pop-in can disrupt immersion, and the visual quality struggles under dynamic camera shifts. While there are toggles for text speed, voice language, and basic camera sensitivity, deeper video settings or accessibility features are largely missing.
Upin & Ipin Universe – Overall Verdict: Is It Worth Playing?
Upin & Ipin Universe is a heartfelt celebration of kampung life that will charm nostalgic players and younger audiences alike. It’s brimming with personality, curiosity, and low-stakes fun, but its technical limitations and lack of polish hold it back from wider appeal. As a digital sandbox, it succeeds in capturing childhood imagination, but players looking for tight controls, refined structure, or expansive storytelling may find its charms stretched thin. Those drawn to its cultural roots and laid-back pacing will find Upin & Ipin Universe an affectionate, if occasionally clumsy, open-world hug.
