Farlanders: Prologue
- May 18, 2021
- Andriy Bychkovskyi
- 2h median play time
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Get on itch.io StoreStrategize, build, and manage your resources as you experience first-hand what it takes to create a successful settlement prior to your launch to Mars. Configure your colony around challenging terrain, construct your base, and use specialized tools to terraform Earth to your needs. Prove that you are capable of taking your mission interplanetary. After all, practice makes perfect. Create a viabl…
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Reviews
- The game offers a unique blend of colony management and puzzle-solving mechanics, making it engaging and challenging.
- The pixel art style and sound design are well-executed, creating a pleasant atmosphere for gameplay.
- The prologue serves as a solid introduction to the game, providing enough content to showcase its potential and keep players interested.
- The randomization of terraforming options and map layouts can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences, often making success feel reliant on luck rather than strategy.
- The game can be overly challenging, particularly in later missions, which may deter some players from continuing.
- As a prologue, it feels limited in content, with only a few missions available, leaving players wanting more before the full release.
- gameplay41 mentions
- 37 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a deep and engaging blend of strategy, puzzle-solving, and resource management, set against a visually appealing pixel art backdrop. Players appreciate the thoughtful mechanics and the challenge of balancing various elements, although some express frustration with RNG factors and a lack of clarity in tutorials. Overall, the game offers a unique experience that combines city-building with turn-based gameplay, making it enjoyable for fans of the genre.
“Sufficiently deep prologue will introduce players to the game concepts and mechanics in this increasingly tricky Mars-themed strategy/puzzle game.”
“I like how they managed to create very complicated gameplay from very simple mechanics.”
“The gameplay is addictive, the graphics are nice on the eyes, the soundtrack is fitting, and there's ultrawide display support with non-greedy fullscreen borderless windowed mode.”
“The puzzly base building gameplay just didn’t click for me.”
“RNG in core gameplay will inevitably frustrate the player.”
“If there's any feedback I would give the dev team, it would be a better tutorial as the mood management mechanic was confusing until I replayed the story prompt so I could further question how it worked, and also I would like an undo button in the final release.”
- story39 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 82 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The story in this game is presented through four linear scenarios, with a focus on colony building and resource management, which some players found engaging despite its challenges. While the narrative adds a layer of context to the gameplay, many reviewers noted that the restrictive demo format and randomization elements detracted from their overall experience, leading to frustration rather than enjoyment. Overall, the story has potential, but its execution in the demo left some players wanting more depth and interaction.
“The storyline was very interesting; I would have liked a little more dialogue with the team before and during colony building.”
“Can't wait to see how the story develops, especially since our corporate doesn't seem to have very clean intentions.”
“The story behind the main characters and the uber-cheesy love affair simply doesn't cut it for me, but are easy enough to ignore.”
“Storyline is lame, of course, but aren't they all?”
“And to add to the misery, there are no aliens, earthquakes, intergalactic wars - at least in the first two missions.”
- graphics30 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 37 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The graphics of Farlanders are characterized by a retro pixel art style that some players find charming and atmospheric, while others consider it limited and outdated compared to modern standards. Many appreciate the artistic design, particularly in cutscenes, but opinions vary on whether the visuals enhance or detract from the overall experience. Overall, the graphics are seen as fitting for the game's purpose, with a mix of positive and critical feedback regarding their appeal.
“Very cool pixel graphics, a cool atmospheric gameplay, but bad balance.”
“The game itself has stylish pixel graphics and the gameplay is deep and thoughtful.”
“Overall the experience was great, visuals are delicious, I praise the artists for such artwork and I believe this game will be a success.”
“Farlanders is a somewhat limited and mediocre 2D retro pixel city builder (but on Mars), which makes no sense because you can take a look at games like Cities: Skylines and see the PC is capable of much better graphics. To have this advertisement polluting Steam isn't doing gamers any favors.”
“The graphics style was also a turn off.”
“The graphics are awful but the gameplay is pretty fun.”
- monetization9 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of "Farlanders" has been criticized for being misleading, as it is essentially an advertisement disguised as a game, cluttering the Steam platform with low-quality content. Reviewers argue that this practice detracts from genuine game developers and misleads players, as it offers a free experience akin to watching ads online rather than a full gaming experience. Overall, the monetization strategy is seen as harmful to the gaming community by prioritizing marketing over quality.
“Farlanders is a somewhat limited and mediocre 2D retro pixel city builder (but on Mars), which makes no sense because you can take a look at games like Cities: Skylines and see the PC is capable of much better graphics. To have this advertisement for it polluting Steam isn't doing gamers any favors.”
“If you enjoy advertisements, you can consume them for free on the web or on YouTube without needing to add them to your game library, download them, and then launch the advertising.”
“While it might seem like an innocuous mistake, publishing demos and advertisements as if they are full games is misleading and, in some ways, harmful.”
- music7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 29 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its chill and minimalist style, enhancing the meditative gameplay experience. While some players appreciate the existing soundtrack, there are requests for a greater variety of tunes. Overall, the music complements the game's aesthetic and addictive nature effectively.
“Love the pixel art style, and dig the minimalist soundtrack that invites meditative gameplay.”
“The soundtrack is chill and just right for this type of game.”
“Game is very addicting with beautiful art and music and incredible replayability!”
“One of the music tracks is the same as the one used in the game 'Dreams of Desire,' which is a very popular visual novel.”
“I hope it has more variety in the tunes.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Reviewers highlight the game's strong replayability due to its randomly generated environments and engaging gameplay, which keeps players coming back for more. The inclusion of automatic map selection further enhances this aspect, making each playthrough feel unique and addictive. Overall, the combination of beautiful art and music contributes to a highly replayable experience.
“It is different than other games because the environment is heavily involved and randomly generated, allowing for replay value.”
“The game is very addicting with beautiful art and music and incredible replayability!”
“1 in 10 automatic map selection would already make a game more playable.”
“It is different from other games because the environment is heavily involved and randomly generated, allowing for replay value.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its unique blend of optimization and terraforming mechanics, requiring players to strategically place buildings to enhance their performance while maintaining utility. This approach sets it apart from traditional puzzle games, appealing to those who enjoy optimization challenges.
“The prologue suggests this game will really hit the spot I like by being an optimization game that isn't quite a puzzle game.”
“You have to place each of your buildings to maximize their performance and still be useful when you terraform.”
“You have to place each of your buildings to maximize their performance while still being useful when you terraform.”
“The optimization mechanics are overly complicated and detract from the overall gameplay experience.”
“Finding the right balance for optimization feels tedious and frustrating, rather than engaging.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highlighted by its impressive pixel graphics and engaging gameplay, though some players note issues with balance that detract from the overall experience.
“The pixel graphics are stunning, creating a captivating atmosphere that enhances the gameplay experience.”
“The atmospheric gameplay draws you in, making every moment feel immersive and engaging.”
“The combination of unique visuals and sound design creates a truly memorable atmosphere.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is enhanced by engaging dialogue among characters, creating interesting social dynamics. While players can influence interactions to some extent, the overall narrative remains largely unchanged, maintaining a balance between player input and story progression.
“The introduction of the game characters chatting created interesting social dynamics and character development, allowing for some user input without altering the overall game experience.”
“The depth of each character's backstory and their evolving relationships throughout the game really enhance the character development aspect.”
“I love how the choices I make influence the characters' growth and interactions, making each playthrough feel unique and personal.”
