Farming “slice-of-life” fashion sims are nothing new, with one of many earliest examples being Harvest Moon (additionally identified in Japan as 牧場物語, or ‘Farm Story‘), however the style is stuffed with gems – and one of many newest, Fields of Mistria from the small developer NPC Studio, has confirmed itself to be a diamond.
Word: All info relating to Fields of Mistria at time of writing solely particulars materials out there within the sport’s Early Entry, which is presently out there on Steam.
Boasting over 100,000 downloads on Steam, Fields of Mistria, at a look, has an aesthetic that blends the pixel sprites present in Stardew Valley with an anime-inspired artstyle that instantly reminded us of the Rune Manufacturing facility franchise, however the sport is already a lot greater than that, and exists fully by itself. Its opening feels very commonplace for the style, however as soon as gamers embark on their farming journey, they’ll discover that the quaint little city of Mistria is overflowing with secrets and techniques.
Fields of Mistria Is Crammed With Ardour, and a Love For the Style
Earlier than diving into Fields of Mistria‘s lore and story, it’s essential to notice how the sport succeeds in making a participant expertise that completely balances what followers of farming sims love in regards to the style with the mechanics in a approach that’s approachable and the definition of user-friendly whereas nonetheless incorporating superior mechanics to customise the participant’s farm as soon as they get the cling of how every little thing on the farm works.
Each software has a clearly outlined function, and the participant’s backpack is simple to navigate. From the primary in-game day, gamers can start establishing their plots precisely the way in which they need them to be, and begin planning how they finally need their good farmstead to look.
Moreover, the hunt system gives gamers an opportunity to not solely enhance Mistria’s ‘Renown’ rating, however goes past the everyday “fetch quest” to often present gamers with a particular cutscene or “get-to-know-you” dialogue with NPCs, which makes the world really feel vibrant and alive.
Moreover, the villages residing in Mistria are stuffed with character. The city feels very lived in, and the addition of “Friday Nights on the Inn”, give gamers an opportunity to see extra of the NPCs after they’re having fun with every others firm. Different occasions, just like the Saturday markets, provide rotating dialogue displaying how the NPCs really feel about sure stalls, or different small tidbits in regards to the sorts of folks they’re exterior of their common day-to-day actions.
Te additional effort put in to stability the social facets of Fields of Mistria‘s gameplay simply as a lot because the farming is commendable, and one thing that the style has been in determined want of – which is particularly admirable when factoring in how enjoyable and rewarding the dungeon crawls the participant can later embark on are.
Fields of Mistria’s World Is Crammed With Mysteries
From the sport’s prologue, it’s clear that Fields of Mistria is stuffed with intricate lore, overflowing with magic and mysteries. Early on, the participant will get launched to Caldarus – a dragon guardian that enter a pact with the participant to help them on enhancing the city. Moreover, there are mentions all through the sport of an earthquake that set Mistria again and drove lots of the townsfolk away.
Because the participant interacts with the NPCs, they’ll start to piece collectively simply how devastating this occasion was, in addition to hear whispers in regards to the Baron and Baroness which might be presently away within the capital, permitting their two kids to take cost of fixing the city of their absence. As soon as the participant works with Eiland to restore the mines, they notice that the unusual occasions occurring on the town delve a lot deeper than an earthquake, and start taking over monsters of their adventures.
From the developer’s official web site for the sport, Fields of Mistria is described as follows:
Mistria, an idyllic village tucked between forest and sea, has supplied the participant an overgrown however full-of-potential homestead in trade for his or her help. The participant will assist to revive the city to its former glory after an earthquake wreaks havoc and unusual magic begins to circulation by the land.
On this religious successor to the Farm-Sim RPGs of the late 90s & onward (Harvest Moon SNES by Stardew Valley) construct the farm of your goals as you uncover magic, romance, and journey!
NPC Studio
About NPC Studio:
NPC Studio is an indie developer based mostly in Chicago, USA. Based in 2019, NPC Studio is a comprised of a passionate staff devoted to creating the video games that they wish to see on this planet.
As longtime followers of the Farm-Sim RPG style (since its first inception with Harvest Moon SNES) the staff brings 25 years of Farm-Sim data to the desk and goals to contribute meaningfully to the style — embracing its historical past whereas persevering with to push it ahead.
Tales of Mistria is presently in Early Entry, and is offered to obtain on Steam.