Back to covering game genres once again, and this time it's back to one of my guilty pleasures - The humble farming and life simulation.
These ironically genre'd games help you to escape real life in order to experience a life you wouldn't normally lead. They allow you to be your own main character, personalising the world to your own tastes (up to a point). Raising your character from the ground up isn't so bad, especially knowing there's no time limit to complete the main quest. You can progress as slowly or as quickly as you like, giving you the choice to make your file a powerful money maker, or spend the time quietly with a routine, a small turnip patch and socialising with NPCs who you get emotionally attached to one way or another. No matter what happens, you always know the three main gimmicks - To farm, to socialise and to live your best life (while living your more average life)
For the past few months, I once again fell into a slump of not knowing how to put words to paper (or in this case, document/screen), and felt myself struggling to keep interest in my usual hobbies. That peace of mind that is usually in my head (somewhere, at least) was nowhere to be found, and anything I considered doing ended up feeling like an uphill battle. That's when I remembered my slowly building collection of Harvest Moon and related games, piling up for my 3DS and on my Steam account. A few came to mind straightaway (and I will be reviewing them at a later date properly), but trying them out again and being absorbed into them brought me back some peace of mind, as well as being able to help plan out goals (both for the farm and in my life too).
From my own perspective, they're honestly amazing ways to just give your head a break from major managing your own life, and micro managing your smaller life.
My current projects are on Stardew Valley, trying to automate a farm while gathering resources to improve the experience. While I have it on both PS4 and Steam, I chose to at least show my Steam version off as I need to update it on PS4. The change in weather, the daily checks and products to maintain, even the occasional mission. All of this and more don't feel as if they're just mechanics in a game, but options for how you want to live the virtual life. Every file will be slightly different from the last, and every story you tell through it having a different ending for you.
I always seem to have a conservative start (stocking up on everything and anything I can), but slowly learn what I can sell and keep. The hoarder in me does this with any game that gives me multiple items and not enough pocket space. Over the course of the game's storyline, you learn new ways to play, more upgrades and improvements to your efficiency and lifestyle, and even choices to make when it comes to how you wish to proceed.
Stardew, for example, is known for being very progressive in both mechanics and scenarios. The fishing can be a fun challenge or a relaxing past time, making it something to consider doing more regularly once you feel comfortable, rather than just for mini requests. For games like Harvest Moon, there's gimmicks and situations that separate them from each other. This lets them feel separate from their predecessors, but still familiar to those who enjoy the series. Adding to another example in this case, Harvest Moon: A Tale of Two Towns for the 3DS (my first ever Harvest Moon game, so minor bias in me saying it's great), the main gimmick is for you to restore peace between two towns, both of which you can wander to freely and both of them you can choose to live in. They have different events for different towns, so being able to move and explore my options is a very nice touch (though I always like to stay loyal, so I made another farm who moved to the other town instead).
For those who aren't as familiar, apart from farming and socialising, you can also try to "romance" a datable NPC. I say romance, what I mean is:
- Talk to them every day
- Find an item they like that's easy to reproduce or get daily to give to them
-Give said item to them every day to boost friendship
-See a few cutscenes to show that they trust/like you
-Get proposed to (depending on game), or propose to them with a special item (usually unlockable)
-Start a family and complain they do nothing on the farm
Such a great life.
For the majority of these types of games, you end up choosing the gender you want (nothing that says non-binary or anything like that yet, but I'll keep looking), and then you're stuck with heterosexual relationships. It's not the worst scenario, you just either go with someone you like platonically/aesthetically, or you choose the opposite gender in order to have the relationship you want (so if you want a male, go with a female protag, and vice versa). It can suck at times, but thankfully it's getting better.
In a different post, I'll be talking a lot more in depth about this game, but this screenshot is from Kynseed. It's fairly new, currently in development and does flip on its head the fundamentals of the genre (in my opinion at least). You're able to make friends with anyone and everyone, animals included. What makes this game progressive is that not only was their romance update added more recently (I timed buying it pretty well), but when your character turns 18, you can date and marry anyone. You're a guy who wants to marry the male blacksmith? Go for it! Female looking at the barmaid to marry her? You can do that too! Don't want to marry anyone? Also a great option as that takes up too much time from trying to buy the local merchant out of house and home!
It just makes sense, and in my review I will gush about this a lot more as this is amazing (and the developers are very active on the Discord to answer questions about their game too as well as get player opinions). For now, my point is that with games like Kynseed and others that are being developed, they're being more open to the concept of same sex relationships, and even none at all. They less seem like a mandatory state, and more like a side option you don't even have to worry about- a suggestion if you will.
The freedom these sorts of games provide brings more comfort to me than I can physically describe. Just typing this out makes me want to go back to my 3DS to load my copy of Tale of Two Towns (now gonna shorten that to TOTT) just to see where I left off and what I can do differently on there. Heck, I could even start again with a save file (not my more completed one, but a spare) and just relive my 15 year old self.
While my uni year is just around the corner, these moments to set these games up and enjoy them will definitely be the quietest part of my summer vacation. Even in a stressful time, a simple soundtrack or background noise from these games might be more than enough to keep a calm and collected head.Although, would it lose its appeal if I had to do this every day in real life? Probably. Only those who live through it know.
Instead, I might just help my roommates with our new garden in September
-R (28/08/2021)