What I liked about this game is the fact that a lot of situations can be dealt with in different ways. Very often, there won't be just one way of solving a "puzzle", and the game rewards creativity, giving you more points if you try different things and come up with interesting solutions. You will spend some time experimenting with your inventory, trying to craft new items out of things you find on the island. I call it crafting because it's not just basic item combination (i.e. click item A on item B to get item C), you have actual recipes for various things. I had a lot of fun exploring the island and experimenting with what I found, and the game encourages and rewards that.

That said, I have found myself stuck a couple of times. Never to the point where I had to check a guide to progress further, but I had a few "rub everything on everything" and "click on everything" moments.

Also, for me, a great deal of the game's appeal came from the Jules Verne lore. The game has loads of little details which fans of the book will love, and I'm honestly not sure whether the world and the story tidbits will hold up as well for someone who's not familiar with the source material. It's still a nice survival point'n'click experience, with gorgeous music and lovely hand-drawn cut-scenes, as well as an interesting crafting mechanic.

So, I'd definitely recommend it, but don't expect it to be heavily story driven. It's more about exploration and experimenting. :)

I really recommend Return to Mysterious Island. It's a very enjoyable and intelligent game, especially if you like point'n'click adventures. See above. :)