This recently-released farm sim isn't afraid to wear its inspiration on its sleeve, but in the end that made me wonder why I was bothering with a dressed-up version of a game I already played the hell out of. Some of the more obvious things were:
You're an office worker who moves back to the family farm to escape the grind. At the same time a soulless corporation wants to take over the area to exploit its resources.
It has an empty museum it's up to you to fill, finding gems and ancient items, by bringing geodes to the local blacksmith to break open.
Related, you use your hoe on dig spots to find items including books (to restock the library) and notes with clues.
On certain days of the week a "black market" merchant sells rare items at exorbitant prices.
A festival's centered around potluck soup, where adding something really tasty gets you free friendship with every NPC.
Speaking of festivals, there's a Night Market where you can go shopping on the beach in the middle of winter (but doesn't have anything as unique as a psychedelic mermaid concert, or going fishing in a submarine).
There's a supernatural helper who'll open new areas or give rare items in exchange for offering them certain items (at least, after they finish releasing all the base content).
The general store's closed on Wednesday.
It even has a "concerned monkey" who sells weird cosmetic items in an abandoned house, just like Hat Mouse.
There's some aspects where the game tries to expand on things set up in SV. Like how SV talked about mermaids sometimes, but this game lets you go diving and actually meet them. Or opposed to just having an evil corporation be part of the town, this game tries to make defeating them part of the unfolding storyline. Instead of just donating gems and treasures to the museum, this has you collecting bugs, fish and dinosaur bones too.
In the end though, this game's hurt by how the developers were not only obviously copying lots of their ideas from a popular game, but being one of the more blatant examples of a partially-complete game getting release I've seen in a while. Some content's just not there: I'm stuck waiting on at least one major plot because the place I'm supposed to go next apparently hasn't been added to the game yet. Neither have the books I've dug up. I get letters to meet up for a date, and half the time nothing happens. You can complete the mermaid plot, but can't give them presents or date them yet. What's up with the hot air balloon? Decorating is really weird/limited; my new aquarium, lamp or TV has to go on the floor. I have a computer the game won't even let me put indoors, so it's outside next to Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen's tombstone. I'm done trying to figure out if it's the game, or me.
It could be something cool after they deliver on all the base material. I hope I'll be interested in coming back to check it out when that happens.
VideoGame A prettier, less enjoyable Stardew Valley
This recently-released farm sim isn't afraid to wear its inspiration on its sleeve, but in the end that made me wonder why I was bothering with a dressed-up version of a game I already played the hell out of. Some of the more obvious things were:
There's some aspects where the game tries to expand on things set up in SV. Like how SV talked about mermaids sometimes, but this game lets you go diving and actually meet them. Or opposed to just having an evil corporation be part of the town, this game tries to make defeating them part of the unfolding storyline. Instead of just donating gems and treasures to the museum, this has you collecting bugs, fish and dinosaur bones too.
In the end though, this game's hurt by how the developers were not only obviously copying lots of their ideas from a popular game, but being one of the more blatant examples of a partially-complete game getting release I've seen in a while. Some content's just not there: I'm stuck waiting on at least one major plot because the place I'm supposed to go next apparently hasn't been added to the game yet. Neither have the books I've dug up. I get letters to meet up for a date, and half the time nothing happens. You can complete the mermaid plot, but can't give them presents or date them yet. What's up with the hot air balloon? Decorating is really weird/limited; my new aquarium, lamp or TV has to go on the floor. I have a computer the game won't even let me put indoors, so it's outside next to Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen's tombstone. I'm done trying to figure out if it's the game, or me.
It could be something cool after they deliver on all the base material. I hope I'll be interested in coming back to check it out when that happens.