Stardew in space is finally here, after 2 years in early access! Farlands has had its 1.0 launch, with its initial roadmap complete. This farming sim comes to us from Jandusoft and Eric Rodríguez, with publishing also by Jandusoft in tandem with Anotherindie. Before we get into things, I want to clarify that I have been playing on PlayStation.
What is Farlands?
Farlands is a cosy farming and life-sim, but with the twist of being set in space. You leave behind your life in a crowded city, in favour of purchasing a cheap planet that has been abandoned. Your goal is simple. Grow crops, raise animals, re-envigorate the planet, and explore at your leisure. Of course, you can befriend folks across the solar system and build relationships with them, all while uncovering the story behind the abandoned planets. It doesn’t take long for your quiet new life to become an adventure, but that’s still better than city life, at least in my opinion.
Stardew in Space, but simple
I feel like the easiest way to describe Farlands really is “Stardew in space”. At the end of the day, it is a farming sim. The art style is honestly exactly what you’d expect. It’s a top-down pixel style, which suits it perfectly. The music is beautifully composed, created by El Pequeño Carlos and EnocGuitar (Enoc Benítez). It suits the atmosphere, mood, and even the seasons of the game. I found it to be a very nice touch, especially for an indie game.
Again, the gameplay is exactly what you’d expect. Farlands doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it doesn’t need to. The farming sim genre just needs to be intuitive, and that’s what Farlands is. You have the same tools that you have in all farming sims (at least the ones I have personally played), with the same general purpose. Same with growing crops, caring for animals, and selling produce. It’s a simple formula.
What sets Farlands apart is the cosmic setting. Using a planet instead of just a standard farm is enough in my books to make it stand out. I’m a big fan of Paleo Pines, Harvest Moon, Story of Seasons, Stardew Valley, and Graveyard Keeper. Each have their own shtick to make it stand out, be it story development, characters, or setting. However, they are all firmly set on one planet. Getting to explore, mine and farm on different planets is a nice touch, and a great selling point for Farlands.
The only issue I personally had throughout my time with Farlands was a specific visual glitch. As I mentioned earlier, I was playing on PlayStation, so I’m not sure if this was a universal issue across platforms. When moving after a moment, what I can only really describe as grid lines appeared on my screen. They could NOT be mistaken for rain. Very distinctly, a line would run from the very top of my screen to the bottom, and from side to side. It wasn’t constant, but appeared enough to cause annoyance.
Lands Far, Far Away
Overall, Farlands is a great game. I found myself completely zoning out and relaxing while playing. It was a total “no thoughts, head empty” experience for me. I enjoy the story and development of the characters, especially with none of it being taxing. Farlands was exactly what I’ve needed in a game lately, and it’s one I highly recommend.
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