I think its fair to say that indie farm sims are a tad overexposed at the moment, which is why it was lovely to play a game that felt as fresh and original in what it used the farm sim mechanics to achieve as Before the Green Moon.
I am not quite familiar with Turnfollow's output but at a glance they seem to make mainly narrative focused adventure games. That tracks because for all of its farm sim-iness Before the Green Moon is definitely more narrative focused than its contemporaries.
So whilst your overall goal in this SciFi world is to make enough money to take the space elevator to the seemingly more prosperous Green Moon through the usual farming stuff, the real meat and potatoes of the game is the cast of characters who inhabit the town and their interactions with the player, who as is the case with a lot of these types of games seems to bring everyone closer with their arrival overtime. This is conveyed in an understated way though, because if there is a word that characterizes these people and their interactions its "mundane"
Not since Wayward Strand have I seen in a game such wonderfully mundane, subtle and human characters who's short interactions and slowly getting to know them in a (lets say non-linear way) feels a lot more real and true to life than getting them to monologue about their innermost feelings after gifting them 10 apples.
Relatedly, It feels refreshing to have a farm sim with a romantic interest with the player which is developed simply by... well the characters developing a friendship/courtship between them, not a gamified "relationship ranked up!" type system. Not that I am fully against those, I have enjoyed those systems in Stardew Valley in the past but I think the alternative is better.
On the gameplay side of things you might be disappointed if you're expecting a super in depth farm sim, its fairly basic and I got very rich very fast (hot tip, buy the tri watering can ASAP, also save up for the rain poncho). Some of the mechanics/events are poorly explained and as with all Harvest Moon type games it feels a bit overwhelming at first when this entire town is thrown at you to get familiar with, but you slide into it after a few days.
The game's aesthetic is definitely going for a retro 6th gen look and I like the earthy tones used in the farm and forest with hints of green, with the town being the greenest of all with splotches of white, brown and blue. I found it appealing. The music is alright too.
Before the Green Moon has been sitting on my wishlist since it came out in March this year and Im glad I finally got to it, my expectations where not atmittedly super high for it but it definitely surpassed them and I am eager to check out the rest of Turnfollow's games
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfp2O9ADwGk
I am not quite familiar with Turnfollow's output but at a glance they seem to make mainly narrative focused adventure games. That tracks because for all of its farm sim-iness Before the Green Moon is definitely more narrative focused than its contemporaries.
So whilst your overall goal in this SciFi world is to make enough money to take the space elevator to the seemingly more prosperous Green Moon through the usual farming stuff, the real meat and potatoes of the game is the cast of characters who inhabit the town and their interactions with the player, who as is the case with a lot of these types of games seems to bring everyone closer with their arrival overtime. This is conveyed in an understated way though, because if there is a word that characterizes these people and their interactions its "mundane"
Not since Wayward Strand have I seen in a game such wonderfully mundane, subtle and human characters who's short interactions and slowly getting to know them in a (lets say non-linear way) feels a lot more real and true to life than getting them to monologue about their innermost feelings after gifting them 10 apples.
Relatedly, It feels refreshing to have a farm sim with a romantic interest with the player which is developed simply by... well the characters developing a friendship/courtship between them, not a gamified "relationship ranked up!" type system. Not that I am fully against those, I have enjoyed those systems in Stardew Valley in the past but I think the alternative is better.
On the gameplay side of things you might be disappointed if you're expecting a super in depth farm sim, its fairly basic and I got very rich very fast (hot tip, buy the tri watering can ASAP, also save up for the rain poncho). Some of the mechanics/events are poorly explained and as with all Harvest Moon type games it feels a bit overwhelming at first when this entire town is thrown at you to get familiar with, but you slide into it after a few days.
The game's aesthetic is definitely going for a retro 6th gen look and I like the earthy tones used in the farm and forest with hints of green, with the town being the greenest of all with splotches of white, brown and blue. I found it appealing. The music is alright too.
Before the Green Moon has been sitting on my wishlist since it came out in March this year and Im glad I finally got to it, my expectations where not atmittedly super high for it but it definitely surpassed them and I am eager to check out the rest of Turnfollow's games
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfp2O9ADwGk
2 Comments
@00156 Thanks, 24 Killers is on my radar too.
01156
9 months ago