Fae Farm – Review

Many gamers who enjoy a ‘slice of life’ experience will probably know of titles such as Animal Crossing, Rune Factory, Story of Seasons, and Harvest Moon. These games have always offered a relaxing grind, allowing gamers to build their own cozy home, farmsteads, or even the homes of NPCs. There’s a reason that these games remain popular to this day, as they allow gamers to go on an adventure that still reminds them of the hustle and bustle of real life. For today’s review, we’ll be taking a look at Fae Farm, the newest contender stepping into the ring of a genre that already has quite a few behemoths.

Story

The story of Fae Farm follows the tropes of the genre, as you happen to end up in a village that is in urgent need of help and development, and you just happen to be the person they’re looking for. You get a rundown farm that you can fix up, and you will go around helping all the townsfolk of Azoria. Fae Farm, however, adds a few more fantasy elements by throwing a few strange beings in the mix, as well as different races such as Elves and Fae. Overall, the story is pleasant to play through, and it’s fun to see how the world opens up around you.

Graphics

Fae Farm is a very cute game. You’ll be thrown into a very colorful and charming world, and the overall visual quality reminded us a bit of a top-down version of Grow: Song of the Evertree. The cartoon-like visuals work well for a game such as this, and the fantasy setting is adorable from start to finish. All in all, the game looks pretty, but it lacks a bit of personality. This is mainly due to the fact that NPCs look a bit bland, especially when looking at their faces. Many facial features are similar to other characters in the world, safe for a different skin tone. We feel as if the characters’ faces could have used a bit more love.

Sound

Overall, the game’s sound design is on point. The game boasts a relaxing soundtrack when exploring the world, to kick it up a notch or two when you’re actually in a dungeon. We did notice the tracks loop rather quickly, but it never gets to a point that things become grating or annoying. We did find it a missed opportunity that the game didn’t have any voice acting, as it would have added a lot more charm to the mix. We were disappointed to sometimes encounter NPCs outside who appeared to be singing, who then sadly made no audible noise. The SFX are decent, and they provide adequate audio feedback for the action you perform.

Gameplay

Fae Farm is a relaxing adventure sim in the same vein as Rune Factory or Animal Crossing. You’ll be managing your own farmstead in the world of Azoria, while also maintaining relations with the villagers, exploring dungeons, and of course, crafting to your heart’s content. The overall offset is quite simple, even though the game does not always clearly explain how to obtain certain items or how to craft certain things. Of course, looking things up is often the trick here, and exploring the world around you is also a great way of obtaining the necessary information and supplies for the job at hand.

Even though you’ll sometimes have to look for what exactly you have to craft or achieve, Fae Farm is easy to get the hang of. The controls are simple, the game does help you by automatically assigning the correct tool when you’re out gathering resources, and there’s never anything overly complex that you’ll have to do. You’ll only have to swap between a few tools, when you for example wish to go out fishing, catching critters, or fighting monsters. The combat in the game is very simplistic, and you’ll get a few spells that you gradually unlock as you progress through the story. Overall, there’s a very relaxing atmosphere, which does help you wind down when venturing out into the world around you.

When you delve into the first dungeon, one of the NPCs actually makes a remark that dungeoneering is in fact a grind. This is absolutely no lie, as you’ll have to do a lot of grinding in this game, be it for resources, or simply to make progress in the dungeons themselves. Even when outside, your day abruptly comes to an end when the clock strikes midnight, so you’ll have to plan accordingly. Dungeons also require seals to make progress, giving you the chance to skip floors, so you don’t have to start anew each time. These seals, of course, require materials, and you’ll once again have to grind for them. Nonetheless, the overall gameplay loop is enjoyable, and even the grind turned out to be rather relaxing. Fae Farm does often halt progress when it comes to upgrading your tools or crafting new items, as you’ll have to reach undiscovered areas first. This once again reminded us of Grow: Song of the Evertree when it came to how the world around you opens up, as you’ll need new spells and abilities to clear certain types of corruption around you.

Many of you will probably be wondering if you can also romance a few NPCs, and that is exactly what you’re able to do. In Fae Farm, you’ll have six eligible bachelor(ette)s to choose from, and the game also allows same-sex marriages. You’ll have to complete quests for your beloved NPC(s) in order to build up your bond to eventually have the option to marry. The same counts for other NPCs as well. You might not want everyone living under your roof, but you can build friendships with the rest of the villagers, and this is quite fun to do. We do have to mention that not every NPC feels as fleshed out as they could have been, but it’s still amusing to get to know everyone, and this also prolongs the overall game time.

Conclusion

Fae Farm is a very entertaining and relaxing adventure sim that will certainly keep you occupied for a fairly long time. We loved the overall simple mechanics and venturing out into the world of Azoria. While we would have loved a bit more flair when it came to the cast of NPCs, most characters did manage to capture our hearts, and it was a blast getting closer to all the villagers. Even though the game plays it a bit too safe at times, we suggest checking this one out if you’re a fan of titles such as Rune Factory or Animal Crossing.

Ibuki

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Aspiring ninja.

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