Developer announced, developer fulfilled! The full version of the game, the beta version of which we had the opportunity to play, has arrived play a few months ago. Here's a little reminder for those who aren't in the know - the game I'm about to talk about was developed by indie dev team Castle Pixel with the help of publisher Playtonic Games. If you visit the team page, it will be clear to you that this team is inspired by old school retro games (like a bunch of other indie teams). But Cattle Country definitely went a step further than that and does not represent some nostalgia that will be nice to us and some other bunch of old cronies born in the former South. This is a project that targeted the proven formula of what works and what a good part of casual players like, which is the principle of gameplay "we work and build while drinking coffee at the computer and resting our nerves after an irritating work day, and the game does not punish us for anything significant if we are slowed down." I belong to this group, even though I love my job. Most seriously, I love my job as a game artist. And I like casual games of this type, not "You died!" masochism. There, I admit it. The older I get, the more cozy games are fine with me.
So Cattle Country has taken a good look at one of the extremely popular games (at least on Steam) which is Stardew Valley. Let's not be fooled – Stardew Valley also took its gameplay roots from an earlier game called Harvest Moon and dethroned it. You haven't heard of her? Now you can google it and do your own research. If we compare Valley and Country, the similarity is unquestionable in the mechanics, and in the art style itself. Even though it is pixel art, the color palette is different compared to the competitor. They're somehow more consistent and pleasing to the eye here, especially when I'm playing a pixel art game on a 32-inch screen. By the way, the game has support for 4K resolution. I think the main trick is that Cattle Country uses darker tones for the brown part of the terrain. This, at least for me, is immediately more pleasant and less straining on the eyes after a few hours of playing, and with this kind of art style the mentioned elements can be extremely important. So, we have an art style that makes the game look refreshed compared to its competitor, it is visually slightly better optimized.
Okay, what else do we have? The plot for your character begins somewhere in 1891. in a fictional settlement that has just been established in the Wild West. You are a newcomer, and it should be noted that you, as a player, can give him a name as well as name your character, property and all the birds you will ever own and pat on the head, and they return you with a heart above their heads. Too cute! What you can expect from your daily duties is farming, herding, fishing, mining, hunting and gathering the fruits of the forest. Enough work for the first hand, and the more you deal with an area, the faster you will progress there, because the listed activities are divided into categories and for each one you collect points and get skills. The more you advance in a category, the more new items you can acquire and expand or improve your business. Some items are purely aesthetic and serve more for the decor of your property. So that it's not all work and work, you also have the opportunity for social activities with locals and the option for romance. Not everything is ideal, occasionally you will be jumped by outlaws and bandits while carefree walking around the map.
The game also has elements of adventure, so you can participate in a rodeo or become a champion in dancing or fishing. As for the tools you start with on your property, there is a proven formula implemented. You get an axe, a hoe, a pickaxe and a scythe. Although there is a possibility to skip dialogues and tutorials, I still recommend that they be completed to the end, because there are also charming moments in them. I'm especially glad that in this game tools don't wear out and you don't have to buy or craft them all the time, and you have the option to upgrade them. Your character has stamina for work activities which is quite generous here and gives you the opportunity to do quite a bit. You restore it with food that you can prepare yourself, buy or eat raw (if it's an apple or something similar). Cooked food is worth eating, because it can also provide a few boosters for a few minutes. Whether you run out of stamina and collapse from exhaustion or simply stay up until two in the morning, your character will pass out and wake up the next day to the local doctor. If you do everything and are ready for the next day "normally", you just need to crawl into bed and the game will transfer you to the next morning. This also serves to end your turn in the game for the day, and your stamina is restored in the morning.
If you are interested in shooting in the game, it works differently depending on the situation. If you are hunting, your cursor turns into a crosshair and you aim at the target yourself. If the bandits ambush you, the shooting is in the form of a mini-game. You have a slider and at a certain moment you need to click when the icons on it overlap. It's the same with fishing. Mining is a special category of gameplay, where you are no longer in the top view, but move exclusively left and right as you dig and make tunnels. After you dig deep holes, you move through the mine using elevators and platforms (which you need to craft) and thus create a network of passages that, by digging deeper, bring you closer and closer to finding gold and other more valuable materials. Who knows, you might come across a Balrog if you dig deep enough (just kidding)! In addition to all that, the game also offers you some challenge tasks for which you usually get money if you complete them. Sometimes you will need to catch 100 pieces of fish, harvest a certain number of crops, etc.
Cattle Country is certainly raising the bar for Sim life type games at the moment. The game is fun, charming and filled with Wild West unexpected adventures and tasks, which some competitors do not have. The only task of the developer is now to ask the question about its long-term sustainability. This aspect should definitely be analyzed and work on content that will keep players glued to the screens for as long as possible through DLC and similar materials. It is extremely addictive and has great potential to become a leader in the Sim life category. The game is available for Windows, Linux, Nintendo, PlayStation 5 and Xbox, and it's up to you to choose the platform of your choice and get to work.
[modula id="4781"]A copy of the game was provided for review purposes by publisher Playtonic Friends and developer Castle Pixel
