Stardew Valley Review

So, my New Year's Resolution of posting something on here every week didn't exactly go to plan. Although I have written a few things on my Medium blog, so all is not lost.

I read a Twitter thread this morning from a journalist called Olly Smith, who had a bad experience working for free for a game review site. It made me realise that as much as portfolio building is a great, I need to be selective about the people and the projects that I work for without being paid. It also reminded me that I had a game review sitting around that wasn't being used anywhere, so that can be my newest contribution to the internet. Hope you enjoy my brief overview of the game.

I’m going to start by saying two things: 1. Do not buy this game 2. You should definitely buy this game. Ever since I downloaded this little farm simulation that’s like a Nintendo classic brought to Xbox, I’ve been inescapably hooked. Although I love the complexity and depth of expansive games such as Dragon Age and The Witcher, the simplicity of Stardew Valley gives it an undeniable charm. You may think that there is only so much you can get from a farm game, but somehow Stardew Valley manages to create an immersive experience that had me staying up to 5am on occasion, which is mainly why I suggest not buying it. Especially, if like me, you have final exams coming up soon. At first the game can feel a little slow, you don’t have much money and you’re just waiting for your crops to grow. But just like real life, if you slog it out, you will reap the rewards. Unlike real life, if you’ve done all your tasks for the day by 11am, you can go to bed and in seconds you’ll be transported to 6am the next morning. Eventually though, you’ll start making a good amount of money and be able to venture into various types of crops, animals, fishing and mining. Though the game could never be described as ‘thrilling’ with these mechanics, the systematic progression of skills and rewards in game is both comforting and addictive.

It's a good idea to keep your farm organised from the beginning

Whilst waiting for my crops to grow, I emjoyed getting to know the other residents of Stardew Valley. This is such an amazing part of the game, as each character is well constructed with their own backstories and personalities. Getting to know the characters works on a basis of talking to them, random events, helping out with task and giving them gifts every day (there is a very handy list of the likes and dislikes of each villager on the Stardew Valley Wiki).

Some of the inhabitants of Stardew Valley

There is also an element of romance in the game, as there are twelve possible villagers for you to woo with gifts until you can propose to them. The marriage element of the game is actually super useful as, once you’re married, your partner will do a lot of the daily boring tasks for you like water the crops or feed the chickens. I find myself with 5 boyfriends/ girlfriends in my current save as all of the characters are just too damn likeable. When you’re being told about struggles with depression, alcoholism, crushed dreams and future aspirations, it's hard not to fall in love with these pixel people.

Marriage event to one of the villagers, Hayley

The main problem I have with this game is that it was originally made for PC and sometimes playing on console is a little difficult. Obviously, bugs happen in games, but there are some mechanics that would just run smoother on a PC, such as the fishing and the video game machine in the pub (must… refrain… from… inception joke). That said, these are very, very minor issues which I’m sure will be fixed in future patches.

So overall, I think Stardew Valley is the perfect time-killing game. Much like the in game protagonist, if your hectic life is getting a bit much, you can dive into this countryside haven for a few hours, coming out on the other side feeling much more relaxed.

Perfect for: People looking for a simple way to have fun and escape reality for a while (unless you happen to be a farmer).

Not so great for: People who want to explore a giant open world, or people who are looking for a great deal of shooting and killing.