Stardew Valley Review
It's time for another Indie! Recently I had the misfortune of buying an Alienware Steam Machine in an attempt to get back into PC gaming. Unfortunately it shit the bed and I had to return it, leaving me a bevy of purchased games I thought I had no use for. Fortunately Stardew Valley, and Darkest Dungeon are playing out very nicely on my MacBook Air! Today I will talk about Stardew Valley.
Back to the Basics
I was a huge fan of the SNES game Harvest Moon. Never had I played a game that took the mundane act of farming, and turned it into such a fun experience. Getting into this game, I only hoped Stardew Valley was half as fun. And boy was I in for a treat.
The game starts off at grandpa's deathbed. He gives a warning to the dangers of living in a complicated world, and being burdened with modern society. After years working the normal 9-5, your character opens the letter and finds a deed to his farm.
The game starts you off in dilapitaded farm with little to no direction. Your only initial task is to plant the seeds given to you at the beginning. The rest is up to you. There are just so many things to do, and not enough time/energy to do them all, but that's alright. Whether you want to stick to crops, animals, fishing, or developing town relationships, there is no real pressure to do anything a certain way.
The game is very simple, with about 28 days in a season, with the typical 4 seasons. Each one only allows certain plants to grow, and other seasonal dependent activities. The town is full of people that have their own backgrounds and motivations, allowing relationships and even marriage to some of them.
Each activity nets you money when turned for sale. Crops can take several days to harvest, so some actions must be planned out in advance. Planting spring crops at the very end of spring can result in all the crops dying out. But there is an endless amount of hooks that will keep you playing longer. It started with gathering materials for a sprinkler for me so I wouldn't have to water my crops. Then I found I could build a stable and travel on a horse. Then I found I could upgrade my chicken coop for incubating my eggs, which led to a mayonnaise maker to get the maximum out of every egg. You get the picture.
An Enjoyable Time Waster
For those who loved Harvest Moon, the question is whether this is a worthy successor? I say it is better in every way. The characters are fleshed out, there is so much to do, even the fishing is a blast. And did I mention there is even combat sections? This game is an enemy of your free time, but I am calling it my game of the year.
9.75/10