Title: Spiritfarer
Seller: Thunder Lotus Games
Developer: Thunder Lotus Games
Genre: Adventure Platform
Official website: thunderlotusgames.com/spiritfarer
Available on: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC
Tested version: Nintendo Switch
Release date: August 18, 2020
Where to buy: Switch E-shop, PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store, Steam
When a game comes out about death, one would be forgiven for waiting for a dark cross of a miserable landscape. Although death is still just around the corner in Spiritfarer, the last thing that deserves to be called is darkness. This delicious independent name is a birthday party which means being alive and bonding with others. It is enhanced through a desirable artistic style, attractive play, scoring and the best writing.
Spiritfarer is animated through Charon, the figure of Greek mythology that transports spirits to the underworld on the Stygian River. The game begins with Stella accepting Charon’s position before leaving this world. It leaves you the message that your adventure will be simple, but complicated. That’s the theme of the rest of the game. Spiritfarer never tries the player who opposes complicated battles or puzzles that are hard to solve. Instead, Stella’s bureaucracy is linked to various spirits as she travels to the islands. Knowing them is the most joyful facet of the game because each of them is complex with its flaws and eccentricities. But saying goodbye is where Stella’s adventure becomes complicated. Their task is to make their last days as violent as possible, helping them resolve their unresolved disorders before they are fit to leave.
The characters are so magnificently written that you feel like you’re talking to someone you know in the genuine world. The developers founded many characters on other people they knew. This makes them feel much more developed and makes the player feel like they are helping a genuine user instead of looking for a classic NPC.
For example, Gwen, who takes the form of a deer, is the first spirit to sign up for Stella’s houseboat. His humor is dry, he’s kind of a guy, but he’s a little eaten and, in his own words, he’s a bit of a snob. The design of her character gives the impression that she is dressed in a lush fur coat and high heels. While he grew rich in the genuine world, he suffered a bygone childhood. And it’s only after Stella has helped her accept what Gwen can move on to the afterlife. Each spirit is strangely deep and tells Stella stories about her beyond as she progresses in her missions. Like wasting someone on genuine life, plans made but not fulfilled and relationships that don’t thrive are felt when a brain is in a position to move on.
Stella spends her time sailing to other islands. Each island has a combination of resources, secrets and, in some cases, spirits to gather for your trip. Spiritfarer’s resource control game is incredibly convenient for the player. Stella’s only tool, Everlight, is an ever-changing magical object that can be anything you want and never breaks. It’s your fishing rod, your beak, your boat paddle and much more. Having the ship as a base of operations also allows the player to carry out several responsibilities at once. Stella can sail for an island. And as the boat progresses, it can grow, cook or produce resources. There are even quick spots at sea in the form of bus stops that cross an overly enthusiastic seal.
Stella can send it in other ways. Some resources and knowledge, the currency of this world, can be exchanged to expand the shipment, let it succeed in new spaces on the map and in the variety of Stella plans. The plan table allows Stella to build various structures and modify the ship’s design. The only thing that’s not practical is that you can’t take a look at the recipes you’ve unlocked unless you’re in the kitchen. You also can’t see the map without going to Stella’s room to chart a route. But fortunately everything else is simplified for an elegant experience.
Everything Stella can do as Spiritfarer benefits her passengers. Agriculture, fishing, cooking and the structure of your boat will lead you to achieve your goal. In a way, Spiritfarer makes sense of the resource control game that has made recent titles like Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Stardew Valley so popular. Stella not only makes her boat the symbol she needs or sells her crops. Each action lends itself to the spirits moving forward.
Each spirit has a mood card. Here, you can see how they’re feeling, what their likes and dislikes are in terms of food, and what perks come with each mood. Atul, the boisterous toad spirit, will pick berries for Stella if she visits an island that has them and he’s feeling happy enough. In his best mood, he’ll play joyful music on his flute, which raises the spirits of everyone on board (no pun intended). Completing quests, like improving a spirit’s house or taking them to a specific island, will make them much happier while smaller things, like feeding them or hugging them, will only raise their happiness a little bit.
However, some requests will diminish your happiness. Atul, in particular asking for popcorn, will watch videos with his little ones and be unhappy to never see them again. But even those moments serve to develop all the brains and lead Stella to help them succeed over their problems.
Spiritfarer is one of the most charming games of 2020. The comforting characters and writing have already done so, but their presentation is simply charming. The hand-drawn graphics, encouraged through woodcuts through Japanese artist Hiroshi Yoshida, are impressive. Every stopover on Stella Island will give you a break, avoiding enjoying the scenery. Every symbol of this game has to be hung on a wall and admired.
Maxime Lacoste-Lebuis’s charming score, which I want without delay on vinyl, completes the game’s stellar artistic taste. Sometimes he’ll playfully dance on a captivating island. For others, the wooden strings and tools will swell during the most impressive moments of the game. It reminded me of Breath of the Wild or Studio Ghibli’s iconic sheet music. Everything from the game’s bittersweet themes to its childish joy and impressive artistic taste, gives the impression of being an adaptation of Hayao Miyazaki who is waiting to perform.
Verdict: Spiritfarer is designed for players who love resource control and simulation games like Animal Crossing. But it goes way beyond that. The characters are deep and charming. His writing is fun and touching. His artistic taste and score magnify everything that already makes him so special. This proves that death need not be presented or discussed so negatively. As in genuine life, saying goodbye can be painful. But the player ends with the reminiscence of a glorious connection without which Stella’s adventure would not be the same.
Nintendo fan, e-book enthusiast and fantasy novel reader. I write about the things I’m passionate about and I give way to the displays that keep you company and don’t give up. Also for WatchMojo and CBR.