Survival/crafting games have a legion of fans gained through an ability to drive creativity, ensuring a set story or goal is only one aspect on offer when unlimited builds reveal longevity. Minecraft is a pioneer in this space despite being generally for a younger audience. When the sun goes down, the land becomes more dangerous and that survival element ramps up to ensure something is always clipping at your heels. Far Lands, an indie title that utilises the survival/crafting staples, can be viewed quite similarly in design yet does so with the intention of a more mature audience (and, of course, no blocks).
Crash landing on a random island, your player is essentially naked and armed with a rock as a starting point. Text fills the screen to describe the scenario, but once gameplay begins it is all on you to find safety. This is a trope of the genre and is needed to feel progression, as your opening minutes are spent whacking surfaces with a rock to gain the obvious resources of stone, wood and ore. The entire island is basically open to you from the get-go, but you’ll soon see zombie-skeletons roaming the island and armed forces in forests guarding zones. Get too close, and they’ll chase or shoot endlessly. Perhaps much of this you’ve seen elsewhere, but Far Lands does have a layer of charm and old school gaming at its heart. Interested?
From a story perspective, it really is better to just dive in knowing you’ve crashed and survival is the focus. Discovery, safety and exploration is essentially the story. Sure, there are story aspects and the game does end. But your character is not narrating their tasks or undertaking the hero’s journey. With this is mind, let’s get to gameplay.
Far Lands as a survival game makes it known that staying alive is key. Therefore, your gameplay will be to gather resources across the beach, forest, bases and mountains to build a base, weapons, food and gear. There is a checklist guide that can be turned on and off if needing to ensure you are engaging with all of the possibilities, as the game can be fairly ‘do what you like’ initially. I focused on creating a small cabin first as it was clear that the roaming enemies were not going to stop chasing me until I had a door to keep them out. I also crafted tools – axe, pickaxe – to make the resource gathering faster, and also learned about the furnace, farming and more to keep a steady supply of crafting options and food at hand. Your gameplay is to chop and hit, followed by gathering and running. No mechanics are extensive and the game is intentionally light to allow the experience to lead. Once you’re well fed, armed and dressed, it’s time to explore in-land.
The full map of the game can be viewed immediately with the click of a button. This will show an island full of plot points, such as caves and lakes. I spent hours scouring the less-protected sections of the map and found trinkets such as pistols, machetes, protective gear, electronics and more. Inventory space is limited, so having a base with a chest and other storage options is necessary. Fast travel is limited to crafted warp points, and this really is required as it can be slow going moving from one side of the island to the other (unless you have unlocked the horse). Looking through a new area is quite thrilling as finds can be game-changing, assisting with progression. My biggest gripe here was that I needed mud to create a farm, and I had already used mud for something else. It took nearly two hours to find more mud – sure, I was doing other things while searching, but being so reliant on a single resource that was not plentiful (based on my limited knowledge) did add a slight blocker. Other than this, all progression is fairly seamless and competency is based on your ability to plan journeys.
Combat is part of the game, though avoiding it is preferred as you’ll die and leave all your gear if slain. The general zombies are easy to defeat with a spear, but their more evolved ‘hammer swinging’ versions can be tough and will deplete your health. But further to this are the people with guns. A few shots and you’re out. Getting a gun with actual bullets takes a while, and only then should you attempt to hurt others. Hunting animals for food is good practice, as there can be a bit of jank here. When fighting, you’ll go toe-to-toe if in melee mode and you will take damage. Adding clothes and other features will help your defenses.
In terms of performance, the graphics are fairly stripped back despite being a fully realised 3D world. Yet the lighting and backdrops are awe-inspiring and show such dedication from the team. I was highly impressed when a sun set across the horizon as I stood near a lake, the pink sun shining through the trees. Compare this to the pixelated zombies trying to munch your face off, and you’ll see an interesting juxtaposition of quality. The game generally runs smoothly, with some slight hiccups when the on-screen activity ramps up. It is not intended to be generational in how it works, as the experience really harkens back to old school PC adventures where hand-holding was a sin. I played on the PS5 and thought the presentation worked well.
Far Lands (not to be confused with my review of a game called Farlands earlier this month) is an enjoyable open-world survival game that relies on resource gathering and discovery to succeed. While many of the functions are minimalist, all tools and trinkets have a place in helping you both survive and thrive in a setting that at times can be gorgeous. Story is light and there are limitations, but Far Lands is a great game to engage with across a weekend for lovers of the genre. Watching a zombie slamming on your home with a giant hammer is a thrill not often seen, but one appreciated – especially when you grow strong enough to reduce it to cloth.
Pros
Straight into the fun, minimalist presentation
Weather and scenery is well achieved
Cons
Can feel limiting in its offerings
