What it's about a steampunk machine and a long road
You drive a big, rusty, steampunk machine across a wrecked world, and you're the one who keeps it alive. It's a side scroller, so you go from left to right, stopping to feed the engine, pull a lever or open the sail before moving on. The controls are the stick and two buttons.
There's barely a tutorial, and you don't need one. The game makes you understand right away what you're supposed to do. I love the concept, it's simple and really clever.
How I got into it a sale, a cover and three sittings
I found it while browsing the Nintendo store, totally by chance. It was on sale for very cheap, and the art on the cover and the few clips I saw really caught my eye. I paid €1.49.
I got into the vibe from the very start. I couldn't bring myself to stop playing, and I did the whole game in three sittings, around 4 hours in total, and that was me being reasonable. If you play at a normal speed, without looking at everything and stopping to admire the beauty of it all, it's probably shorter.
How it looks simple at first, then you start to notice
The graphics look simple at first, and then you see how much thought is in them. Everything fits the vibe of the game, and it's really nicely done. The color palette is minimal and it's a beautiful piece of art on its own.
The machine is a relic from the future, as modern as it is retro, and it's amazingly cool. The world around it is desolate and post-apocalyptic, and somehow they found a way to make it look amazing. If you have a keen eye you'll see it. It's really beautiful, and I stopped a lot just to look.
How it sounds still when I think, alive when it moves
This is where it got me. I love the contrast between the stillness when I'm figuring out what to do, collecting and organizing, and the music when the machine starts to move. It isn't the music I expected for a wasteland. Some stretches have a jazzy vibe that goes so well, and others get a "let's go on an adventure" tune that fits just as well.
The timing and the genre of each piece are spot on, and the songs are just as good as the way they're used. I went and looked it up, and it's Joel Schoch with a group of other musicians. Great work! The theme song is fantastic.
The story and the people no words, and I'm alone
There's no literal story. You have to infer it from the context and make up the story on your own, and it isn't clear. You really are alone, and that loneliness is what makes the game so good for chill. The colors set the mood right away. I won't say more, since filling it in yourself is half of it.
After work: effort and challenge perfect for a tired evening
Yes, it's actually the perfect game for a tired evening. Nothing in it fights me, nothing rushes me and I can't really die, so a mistake never costs much. That's why I put the challenge at 1. The biggest setback is having to redo a puzzle or a maintenance job because I stopped the game at the wrong time.
If I haven't played for a while, it can take a second to remember where I am and what I was doing. It comes back pretty quickly, and the autosave lets me get back on the horse.
A satisfying sitting can be 30 minutes, really, no problem. Under that is a bit short. 45 to 90 minutes works best for me: several stretches of driving and a puzzle section or two, real progress without rushing. After a puzzle or a repair, I drive a short stretch before quitting so the autosave catches my progress.
Docked vs handheld both, depending on the evening
It plays well in handheld, though it can feel small sometimes. With Handheld Mode Boost on, you can really tell the difference on Switch 2. It's real nice. Docked gives those grand landscapes all of their glory. Handheld on the sofa works, and handheld in bed is even better.
What gets in the way the real annoyances
- It's autosave only and you can't pause in the middle of a puzzle. That's the downer, and it's what costs the game a point.
- If I quit at the wrong time, I have to redo the puzzle or the maintenance.
- The story is never told to you.
- It might feel dull if you're used to or love faster-paced games.
On Switch 2 runs great
I couldn't find a dedicated Switch 2 Edition, so it plays through Switch 2 as the Switch game. It runs great and I have no complaints, and Handheld Mode Boost makes everything look better. The normal price is €14.99, but check your store, because I think there are often sales on this game. I bought it for €1.49.
Verdict should you play it?
Far: Lone Sails looks simple, and it's a wonderful game. It asks almost nothing from a tired head, and it gives back a world that's lovely to look at and music that always knows when to show up. It's perfect for a tired evening.
It might feel dull if you love fast games, and the missing pause costs it a point. For me it's a 9. I couldn't stop playing, and I'm definitely going to play Far: Changing Tides, a companion game set in the same world. Grab it when it's on sale.
