FAR: Lone Sails

94%
Game Brain Score Based on 8,009 reviews
  • music
  • story
  • gameplay
FAR: Lone Sails Game Cover
A puzzle platformer about a journey through an atmospheric wasteland, this game is a pinnacle of design brilliance.
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In FAR: Lone Sails, you operate a unique vehicle to journey across a dried-out ocean, overcoming obstacles and hazards in a post-apocalyptic world once inhabited by a vanished civilization. Master your vessel, explore the desolate seabed, and discover relics of the past in this atmospheric, zombie-free adventure.

  • iPad
  • iPhone
  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Phone
  • Play​station 4
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Android
  • Epic Games
  • Mobile Platform
  • Play​Station
  • Tablet
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

94%
Audience ScoreBased on 8,009 reviews
music1,403 positive mentions
replayability66 negative mentions
  • Stunning visuals and beautiful art style that create an immersive atmosphere.
  • Engaging and relaxing gameplay with simple yet satisfying puzzles.
  • Emotional storytelling conveyed through the environment and music, leaving a lasting impression.
  • Very short gameplay duration, typically around 2-4 hours, which may leave players wanting more.
  • Limited replayability due to its linear nature and lack of complex mechanics.
  • Some players may find the resource management and vehicle maintenance tedious over time.
  • music2,085 mentions

    The music in *Far: Lone Sails* has been widely praised for its emotional depth and ability to enhance the game's atmosphere. Composed by Joel Schoch, the soundtrack is described as hauntingly beautiful, perfectly complementing the stunning visuals and the game's themes of solitude and exploration. Many players recommend experiencing the game with headphones to fully appreciate the immersive soundscape, which dynamically shifts to match the gameplay, creating a memorable and evocative journey.

    • “The soundtrack complements the visuals perfectly, creating an immersive atmosphere that pulls you into the journey.”
    • “The haunting soundtrack and minimalist storytelling create a sense of loneliness and wonder that sticks with you long after the credits roll.”
    • “The music is integral to the game and I still listen to it every now and then; what a strong finish!”
    • “Unfortunately, there isn't quite enough going on with those aspects to hold my interest: the soundtrack is ambient-driven (and thus not exactly foreground music), the visual curios do nothing for me, and 'oooo being rained on sucks, doesn't it' is a literal interpretation of a Travis song more so than a game.”
    • “The music ranges from passable to irritating.”
    • “The music is generic, save for the main theme which is divine.”
  • story1,582 mentions

    The story of "Far: Lone Sails" is primarily conveyed through environmental storytelling, allowing players to piece together a narrative of loss and exploration in a post-apocalyptic world without any dialogue or explicit plot details. While many players appreciate the atmospheric and emotional journey, some express a desire for a more cohesive and detailed storyline, feeling that the game leaves too much open to interpretation. Overall, the minimalist approach to storytelling, combined with stunning visuals and a haunting soundtrack, creates a unique experience that resonates with those who enjoy subtle narratives.

    • “What sets Far: Lone Sails apart is its storytelling.”
    • “The environmental storytelling is masterfully done, revealing subtle hints of a fallen civilization as you progress through vast, barren wastelands.”
    • “This game tells a beautifully haunting story without any dialogue or backstory.”
    • “There wasn't any story or explanation as to who you play as, why you're there, what you're doing or where you're going and it ends very anticlimactically.”
    • “But there is next to no story and no character to speak of, and the 'mystery' of the world did nothing for me.”
    • “The end felt inconclusive, not in the way of a good, thought-provoking open ending but more like 'so what was the story anyway?'.”
  • gameplay1,577 mentions

    The gameplay of "Far: Lone Sails" is characterized by its simple yet engaging mechanics centered around managing a mechanical vehicle, known as the okomotive, as players traverse a desolate landscape. While the game features light puzzles and resource management, many players find the gameplay repetitive and lacking in depth, with a runtime of approximately 2-4 hours that some feel is too short for the price. Overall, the experience is enhanced by stunning visuals and a captivating soundtrack, making it more about the atmospheric journey than challenging gameplay.

    • “Piloting the ingenious land-sailing vehicle feels rewarding, as you manage its intricate mechanics to traverse the desolate landscapes.”
    • “The gameplay loop of having to scavenge for fuel gets a little tedious at times, but the beautiful landscapes and soundtrack keep it interesting.”
    • “The gameplay is relatively simple but the moments between tasks, when you kick up your sails on an open expanse and feel and see and hear the winds take you, where this game really shined for me.”
    • “The puzzles were not always clear or intuitive, the gameplay felt slow (even though it's a really short game) and repetitive, and the buttons on the okomotive are large and too easy to accidentally press when running around quickly.”
    • “Gameplay is mostly divided into two sections: managing your machine while you drive through very scenic environments, and puzzle sections when you will step outside the machine and typically find a way to get your machine across some sort of barrier so you can keep driving on.”
    • “The gameplay loop is pretty much the same from start to finish, which, for me, was about 3 hours.”
  • graphics1,397 mentions

    The graphics of "Far: Lone Sails" are widely praised for their stunning, painterly art style that evokes a sense of beauty and melancholy throughout the game. Players appreciate the atmospheric visuals, which effectively convey the desolation of a post-apocalyptic world, complemented by a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack. While the gameplay may be simple and the experience relatively short, the overall aesthetic and emotional impact of the visuals leave a lasting impression on players.

    • “The art style is minimalistic yet stunning, with every frame feeling like a carefully composed painting.”
    • “The visuals are stunning, blending a muted color palette with detailed landscapes.”
    • “The handcrafted art style creates a desolate yet oddly beautiful world filled with mysterious ruins and stunning vistas.”
    • “The only 'criticism' is that you miss so much of the visuals when playing since you need to focus to keep your machine running.”
    • “The graphics are way too small to make key elements identifiable, which makes the game a frustrating experience for people with even the slightest visual impairment.”
    • “For me the visuals are just mediocre and gameplay and puzzles are just standard.”
  • atmosphere1,276 mentions

    The atmosphere of "Far: Lone Sails" is widely praised for its immersive and evocative qualities, characterized by stunning visuals, a haunting soundtrack, and a melancholic tone that enhances the player's journey through a desolate, post-apocalyptic landscape. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to convey emotion and storytelling through its environment and sound design, creating a unique experience that feels both calming and reflective. While the gameplay is often described as simple and linear, the overall atmosphere is considered the game's strongest asset, making it a must-play for fans of atmospheric and narrative-driven games.

    • “The soundtrack complements the visuals perfectly, creating an immersive atmosphere that pulls you into the journey.”
    • “The atmosphere, art, and music are just amazing and that should've been my first point but I was too sentimental at the time of my initial review.”
    • “The atmosphere is fantastic and you are treated as an intelligent being throughout.”
    • “The atmosphere can be both calming and intense; try to think of it more as an experience.”
    • “The atmosphere, story, gameplay, and music are absolutely amazing.”
    • “The atmosphere alone is worth playing this game.”
  • emotional279 mentions

    "Far: Lone Sails" is widely praised for its emotional depth, with players forming strong attachments to the game's vehicle and experiencing a profound sense of loneliness and hope throughout their journey. The minimalist storytelling, combined with stunning visuals and a haunting soundtrack, creates a unique atmosphere that resonates deeply, often leading to tears and heartfelt reflections on loss and perseverance. Despite its lack of dialogue, the game effectively conveys a touching narrative that leaves a lasting emotional impact on players.

    • “Far: Lone Sails is a beautifully crafted indie gem that offers a unique and deeply emotional experience.”
    • “Emotionally compelling narrative: despite having no dialogue, 'Far: Lone Sails' delivers a powerful emotional narrative.”
    • “The music, sound, and art come together to create a good and unique atmosphere which push emotional boundaries that video games usually don't approach.”
  • replayability194 mentions

    Overall, the game exhibits very limited replayability, primarily due to its short duration (typically around 3-4 hours) and linear narrative structure, which leaves little incentive for multiple playthroughs. Most players find that once the story and puzzles are completed, there is minimal reason to revisit the game, aside from achievement hunting. While some appreciate the experience for its artistic value, many recommend waiting for a sale given the lack of replay value.

    • “Very relaxed game, good replayability, great minimalistic graphics.”
    • “The only replay value is to get the achievements, because it will be the exact same game.”
    • “Taking your time and exploring/experiencing the world can run the game around 3 hours with definite replayability to get a full grasp on the nuances you may have missed.”
    • “Limited replay value: once the journey is complete, there's little incentive for replaying due to linear narrative progression.”
    • “The main drawback is that the game is very short and can be completed in less than two hours; you might get a second playthrough out of it for the time challenge achievement, but otherwise, there's basically no replay value.”
    • “Overall very short (finished in 2 hours) without any replay value.”
  • grinding88 mentions

    The aspect of grinding in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding the resource management and vehicle maintenance tedious and repetitive, particularly towards the end. While some appreciate the meditative quality of the gameplay, others feel that the constant need to scavenge for fuel and manage the vehicle detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the game is described as having moments of beauty and intrigue, but is often bogged down by its grindy mechanics.

    • “The over 9000 distance achievement obviously took the longest, having run through the game about 3.5 times to get it, but it wasn't too tedious with how easy on the eyes and brain the game is.”
    • “A bit grindy sometimes.”
    • “A bit grindy.”
    • “The gameplay loop of having to scavenge for fuel gets a little tedious at times, and I felt like one of the final scenes, one of the game's biggest moments (if you know you know - hint trumpets) ended woefully too quickly.”
    • “Gameplay is pretty tedious; going back and forth to keep your vessel going is fun for about 30 seconds and then becomes a chore you'll have to suffer through the (short) rest of the game.”
    • “Breathtaking visuals and an excellent soundtrack are bogged down by incredibly tedious gameplay.”
  • stability25 mentions

    The game's stability is mixed, with some players reporting a smooth experience, particularly on the Steam Deck, while others encountered various glitches, including visual issues on ultra-wide screens and occasional crashes. Although many users experienced no significant problems, a notable number reported bugs that affected gameplay, such as achievement tracking and map loading issues. Overall, while the game is enjoyable, it shows signs of needing further polish to enhance stability across different platforms.

    • “Runs great on deck, high 60 fps, no problems at all.”
    • “Great atmospheric and quirky platformer that runs great on the Steam Deck.”
    • “Additionally, it runs great on Ubuntu Linux via Proton!”
    • “☐ very buggy and/or incomplete”
    • “You need to walk into the buttons, doing it with a box barely works and is just buggy and even without one sometimes the game just makes you hover in the air having to walk away before trying again.”
    • “I also encountered some glitches along the way, for example the map not loading, and so I fall off a cliff into an endless void (have to reload 2 prior saves to fix it).”
  • optimization22 mentions

    Overall, the game's optimization is generally well-received, with most players reporting solid performance, consistent frame rates, and minimal bugs. However, some users experienced overheating issues and occasional FPS drops, indicating that while the game performs well under normal conditions, there are areas that could benefit from further optimization. Graphics settings are somewhat limited, but the gameplay remains smooth for the most part.

    • “Good performance and little to no bugs.”
    • “Performance was solid throughout and I didn't experience any bugs or crashes.”
    • “Controlling the vessel, running from station to station, pushing different buttons, keeping all the systems under control to make it run smoothly - that was the best part of this game.”
    • “My only criticism would be its optimization; the game surprisingly heated up my laptop.”
    • “- bad optimization, frequent fps drops”
    • “Beyond keeping the voracious appetite of the vehicle's engine in check, you must also manage maintenance of the okomotive, which is subject to regular damage from the landscape, and will lose performance as different parts break down and catch fire.”
  • humor11 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by its clever and whimsical mechanics, which often elicit laughter through creative puzzle-solving and amusing achievements. Players appreciate the lighthearted tone and the funny elements woven into the gameplay, contributing to an overall uplifting experience. While not overtly comedic, the game’s charm lies in its ability to make players smile through its quirky design and engaging exploration.

    • “Funny little game takes you on a journey.”
    • “I don't want to spoil anything, but that funny little car that takes you on your journey?”
    • “Funny in the sense that you need to solve puzzles to keep moving and when you actually complete it, you laugh at how creative it is.”
  • character development4 mentions

    Character development in the game is praised for its emotional depth and innovative design, enhancing the overall experience through strong world-building and character interactions. However, some players feel that the development can be limited, as it primarily unfolds through player interpretation and may lack deeper engagement. While the journey is central, repetitive puzzles may detract from the character development experience for some.

    • “It makes for an experience that really accentuates the elements present within the game, as well as the innovative character development that made me feel real emotions for an unsuspecting element within the game.”
    • “It's world-building and its character development are revealed through game progress solely by how the player interprets it.”
    • “The puzzles can become repetitive, and while the journey is the focus, some may find the lack of deeper interaction or character development limiting.”
    • “Its world-building and character development are revealed through game progress solely by how the player interprets it.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game is characterized by the absence of microtransactions or gambling mechanics, focusing instead on straightforward gameplay. However, some users feel that the experience resembles a paid advertisement rather than a fully developed game.

    • “No microtransactions or gambling mechanics, just pure adventure and very simple puzzles.”
    • “This feels more like a paid advertisement than an actual game.”
    • “The monetization model is frustrating and detracts from the overall experience.”
    • “It seems like every feature is locked behind a paywall, making it hard to enjoy the game fully.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

78% average critic score

Buy FAR: Lone Sails

Play time

4hMedian play time
4hAverage play time
3hMain story
6hCompletionist
3-5hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 131 analyzed playthroughs

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