Regardless of first hitting storefronts a decade in the past, Stardew Valley nonetheless stays king of the farming simulators. Solo developer Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone struck gold when he took the system established by video games like Harvest Moon and improved on nearly each side, weaving charming visuals and music with a rewarding gameplay loop that sees gamers restore a rundown farm–and town–to its former glory. Since then, many related video games have strived to realize the identical stage of ubiquity to various levels of success, however 10 years of enhancements and updates on an already stellar Stardew expertise means most gamers haven’t had a cause to depart Pelican City behind. Nevertheless, one of many newest challengers to the crop accumulating crown, Fields of Mistria, feels primed to alter every thing.
After two years in early entry, NPC Studio’s debut title has formally entered 1.0 and is already garnering vital acclaim. And although there’s loads to like about about Fields of Mistria, its willingness to lean into and treatment a few of Stardew Valley’s most obvious weaknesses–weaknesses like its story, surface-level relationships, dearth of variety, and lack of a world that feels really connected–make it one of many first farming sims that looks like a real contender towards Stardew Valley.
Fields of Mistria has loads of the gameplay components invented by Harvest Moon and perfected by Stardew Valley. You progress into an deserted farm and introduce your self to the 2 dozen or so characters, a lot of whom you may romance; You undergo 4 28-day seasons and attend occasions and provides presents; You enter the mines to gather ore and battle monsters; And, naturally, you farm. Apart from the instant hit of anime-inspired visuals–the city chief’s pastel-colored hair and bevy of glittery equipment look extra like Sailor Moon than Harvest Moon–it would possibly seem to be little greater than one other copycat. It doesn’t take lengthy for these emotions to soften away although.
Early on in my playthrough, I donated a worm to the city Museum. The subsequent day, a villager commented on simply how bewildering that motion was. Just a few days later, I responded to a easy quest to ship some copper ore to the city’s cranky blacksmith. Just a few hours after turning the supplies in to him, I bumped into his older brother, who thanked me. Within the metropolis sq., NPCs interact in conversations amongst themselves you can eavesdrop on, whereas a weekly recreation of D&D on the inn offers you a have a look at varied group dynamics.
Fields of Mistria permits this net of relationships to be absolutely explored in a means Stardew by no means achieved. I do know that Penny likes to hang around with Maru, however I’ve by no means seen her speak to Haley, or Pierre, or the Wizard. In distinction, the world in Fields of Mistria feels extra alive. It’s extra like a city the place everybody is aware of one another, and never one the place everybody simply is aware of you.
Romance is one in every of Stardew’s greatest weaknesses. Whereas the cutscenes surrounding every of the sport’s marriage candidates are cute and memorable, precise marriage is a bit anticlimactic. Your partner will get their very own room, and typically they offer you espresso or water your crops (which is often ineffective as sprinklers have taken over by that time within the recreation), however that is it.
Mistria’s romances profit from how linked the world feels, however they take leaps and bounds over Stardew’s by permitting you to go on dates together with your paramour. It’s not just a bit cutscene to boost your coronary heart stage; it’s a deep mechanic that requires the participant to seek out the appropriate objects to get inspiration for a date, with every profitable outing providing a cute (or steamy) image of your accomplice as properly. Marriage and kids are new to the 1.0 launch, and whereas kids are simply as primary as Stardew in the mean time, marriage carries ahead the identical narrative depth as courting. Wedding ceremony dates might be chosen, and particulars deliberate together with your accomplice. The marriage itself is a protracted, interactive cutscene versus the 10-second affair in Stardew.
Mistria’s quests additionally construct on one another in a extra narratively compelling means than Stardew Valley’s plot. In Stardew Valley, the closest factor to an overarching story is advised by way of finishing the Group Middle (or siding with Joja Mart, in case you’re evil), which step by step introduces enhancements to Pelican City. That is performed by donating the assorted stuff you harvest, fish, forage, and mine to the middle, after which you are greeted by a brief cutscene and, often, some one-off dialogue from the townsfolk. Stardew’s principal plotline exists within the background, and is merely meant to information you thru your first couple of years within the Valley.
In Fields of Mistria, going deeper into the mines and enhancing the city each characteristic deep questlines with main penalties, rewards, and impacts on the world at massive. There’s a storyline–storylines, even!—to finish as you develop relationships with the townspeople, improve your gear, and broaden your farm. Reaching the underside of the mines, as an example, will unlock particular (and marriageable) characters that widen the parable and magic of Mistria. One other questline unlocks new buildings and distributors, and enhancing the city stage excessive sufficient results in requests from King Kelinien himself. I can’t go into particulars with out spoiling some huge surprises, however the truth that there’s even one thing to spoil is a step ahead.
What most units these two aside, nonetheless, is that Stardew Valley is a farming recreation with RPG components whereas Mistria looks like an RPG recreation with farming components, and it is all the higher for it. Even Discipline of Mistria’s farming–though not a lot completely different from what we’ve come to anticipate from farming sims–features RPG components, permitting gamers to unlock perks from a decently sized ability tree. Whereas Stardew’s longevity owes quite a bit to the energy of its farming mechanics, Mistra’s deal with roleplaying–on making a stronger story and extra vibrant interactions between NPCs–sets it aside by excelling in areas that Stardew doesn’t.
Do I feel that Fields of Mistria is healthier than Stardew Valley in each conceivable means? No, but it surely’s nonetheless early in its roadmap. Stardew has proven how a lot might be added to a recreation through the years, each with official post-launch expansions and quite a few fan-made mods. If Mistria will get updates for half so long as Stardew has, it’ll be in nice form. I might argue Mistria nonetheless has quite a bit that may be discovered from Stardew, too. For instance, I feel its narrative and character relationships could possibly be improved even additional by introducing battle, which Stardew affords in spades. And though Stardew Valley would not have a robust story, among the subjects it covers in its Coronary heart Occasions are way more mature, darkish, and nuanced than its colourful, cutesy pixel artwork suggests. Plus, some individuals simply do not such as you upon first assembly, whereas in Mistria, just about everyone–minus surly blacksmith March–loves you from the beginning. Whereas I feel among the Pelican City residents are just a little too impolite at first (taking a look at you, Haley), I feel Mistria wants so as to add complexity to its characters to make them shine past simply being anime eye sweet. Fields of Mistria isn’t a Stardew Valley killer, and it doesn’t should be. However by dedicating itself to its characters and worldbuilding, it escapes Stardew Valley’s large shadow in a means few farming sims can.
