Over the past four days, I've been so lost in Stardew Valley that I'm pretty sure the local police have legally declared me dead. What started off as a simple "Let's revisit this game for a day so I can write a review of it" turned into a four day binge that was completely unexpected. It's not too often that I can revisit a game that I've played in the past and be able to enjoy it just as much the second time around as I did the first. This game came out around four years ago and was developed by a single person which is impressive to say the least. Without further ado, let's get into it!
Presentation
Stardew Valley is simple in terms of aesthetics. It's very reminiscent of the 32-bit era of video games from long ago. While it may not be everyone's cup of tea, I feel like most gamers wouldn't bat an eye at Stardew Valley's visuals as they're quite impressive for what they are especially when you consider that everything was created by a single person.
Gameplay
The game starts out by your character deciding to leave his 9-5 office job because he/she receives a letter saying that their grandfather has passed away and that he has left the farm to you to take care of. As the player has become burnt out of the office life, the player decides to go out and fulfill that wish. To say this game is simply a "farming simulator" would be severely undermining what this game has to offer. While it does have it's basis around taking care of the farm, it offers much much more in terms of gameplay.
When you first arrive at the farm it's in shambles as it hasn't been kept up for some time. You start with some basic tools such as a hoe, axe, pickaxe, and a watering can as well as a couple others. You'll be cutting down weeds, clearing rocks, and chopping down trees to make room to be able to plant crops as well as put new buildings down to be able to raise animals if you so wish.
The gameplay takes heavy inspiration from games such as Animal Crossing and Harvest Moon with a touch of Minecraft thrown in. Not only can you take care of crops and raise animals, but you can meet and interact with the roughly 40 residents that consider Stardew Valley their hometown, fish at the many fishing spots with many different fish to find and catch, learn to cook (and eat) various foods and drinks. upgrade your house, explore the mines to get various minerals to upgrade your tools while fighting off monsters, participate in the various holiday events that the town throws, discover secrets, unlock new areas, and much much more.
There's four seasons in Stardew Valley with each of them taking place over the course of a month. In each season there's certain crops that can be grown, fish that can be caught, holiday events... you get the idea. It's a nice change of pace to the game as sometimes towards the end of each season things can become a bit bland around the farm and town.
The main goal of the game is to restore the Community Center to it's former glory as, like the farm, it's in shambles when you first arrive. You do this by collecting many different items that it asks you for such as certain crops, minerals, fish, items that you found foraging, and so on. The player can also go the route of working for the JoJo Mart (the evil corporation of the game who tries to undersell and thus put out the local business), but in order to unlock all the secrets that the game has to offer, they'll need to go the Community Center route.
You can also build friendships, get married, and even have kids if you want. The world of Stardew Valley is your playground.
Music
The music is nothing special or notable, but it's not supposed to be. The best way that I can explain the music is "calming". It's supposed to be subtle and not distracting and in that regard it excels.
Criticisms
The main criticism that I have about the game is that I feel that the town could have either been bigger in size or that the player should have been able to go to new towns to explore such as in Animal Crossing. Once you've went through a few years in the game, unlocked everything and seen all that there is to see, the game doesn't end but instead leaves you to keep playing if you so wish.
The other small criticism that I have about the game is that sometimes things seem to feel like an unnecessary grind. At times, the gameplay is fun because of that, but at others I just kept asking myself... why? For instance, in order to complete the Community Center it usually requires raising animals which requires a lot of money and wood for the various different buildings that has to be built all just to help complete these last few things and money isn't the easiest to come by in Stardew Valley.
Final Thoughts
Stardew Valley is a very fun game that breaks the role of a traditional "farming simulator" and offers the player much much more in terms of gameplay. There's a lot to do, a lot to see, and many secrets to uncover. You can easily lose track of time while playing this game. The first time I played it, I played it for 3 days straight which is unheard of for me. Towards the end of the game though, things can become a bit bland as while there may still be secrets to be uncovered, the game can feel like an unnecessary grind to finish up the last few things that you'll need to complete it. If you can overcome the grind, it's a rewarding experience that both the casual gamer as well as the hardcore gamer is sure to find very enjoyable!
Final Score
8/10
"Overall, it's a great game!"
