PLATFORM: PC | RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
Strange things are happening in the quiet little town of Elderfield. Right at the start of the game, you encounter tentacle-faced cultists in the woods and have to fend off a vicious alien creature before you can return home, and things only get weirder from there. Amongst other things, your next door neighbour is a cat called Dave, an old man asks you to build him a new wife, and there are some very peculiar goings-on in the local shopping mall…
Your home is, quite suitably, your base, where you can sleep, save your game, cook food, check letters and emails, and catch up with the local news reports. A new bulletin comes through on your TV every day, and by heading to the location mentioned you’ll uncover more about what’s actually going on. These leads are sort of optional and will end up repeating after a while, but if you choose to follow them you’ll find yourself in some highly unusual situations. Your very first objective leads you to a ghostly apparition on the waterfront, but you’re likely to be distracted by the mention of Farmer Hans and his nearby farm which is in need of repair. Desperately in need of some cash, you head over there to see if any jobs might be going. Hans, a colossal skeleton who has grown so big that he’s now permanently wedged in a corner under the stairs, allows you to take over tending his fields, which in turn kicks off the farming element of the game where you plant seeds, wait for them to grow, then sell or use the crops to gain money and buy or craft new tools.
You won’t spend all of your time on the farm, though, as there’s a whole town to explore. As you progress, more areas and locations become available, all containing multiple questlines. It’s a deceptively huge game, with its farming, foraging, fishing, mining, cooking and animal husbandry being equally important as its missions, characters and storyline, and surprises lurk around almost every corner. It’s also pleasing to note that the turn-based combat, which isn’t everybody’s cup of tea, is both deep enough for JRPG fans to get their teeth into but accessible enough (and, more importantly, fun enough) for those who might be less keen on turn-based games.
Like an unhinged combination of Stardew Valley and 16-bit cult classic Earthbound, Welcome To Elderfield‘s surprisingly robust busywork – – is wrapped in plenty of wacky situations, characters and dialogue. Everything you do feeds back into the game’s systems by increasing your skills, unlocking new tools or items, or advancing the story. It’s likely to take a hefty amount of time before you reach the point where you’ve unlocked everything (the demo version alone contains at least 20 hours’ worth of content), so those who enjoy a farming game with a bit of grind will be in their element here. Crossing the “cozy” farming genre with horror elements and quirky humour has been attempted before, but not always successfully. Addictive gameplay, engaging quests, systems that are deep enough to immerse yourself in without feeling totally overwhelmed, excellent pixel art visuals (especially during the close-up combat sequences), Lovecraftian lore and a superb soundtrack make Welcome To Elderfield one of the most impressive entries in the genre so far.
