Sun Haven‘s official release is finally upon us, which has generated quite a bit of buzz in the farming-simulator community. Developed and published by Pixel Sprout Studios, Sun Haven sets out to be a refreshing addition to the genre, offering a unique blend of mechanics that are sure to appeal to fans of the farming and life simulation genres, with elements of RPG games spliced in as well for good measure.
It’s been in early access for over a year stemming from a successful Kickstarter campaign, with constant updates and tweaks along the way (which is going to continue throughout the games road-map which they update on their Steam page constantly). Coming from someone who is almost exclusively known for their cozy-game adoration; I was nervously excited to jump straight into this one and experience a blend of my two favourite genres.
In Sun Haven, players take on the role of a young farmer who inherits a rundown farm from their grandfather (ringing any bells?) in a fantasy world. The game takes place in a charming and idyllic village, which serves as the setting for the player’s adventures. As they work to restore the farm to its former glory, players will be able to interact with a cast of colourful characters, explore the village, and engage in a variety of activities that range from fishing & mining to intense boss battles.
Where Sun Haven really aims to seperate itself from the likes of Stardew Valley is in its emphasis on high fantasy and RPG elements. There’s a much higher focus on the overarching story of the world, which implementations of tech trees for character progression, and a much larger focus on freedom of play by removing gameplay mechanics like stamina bars, so you can do as much (or as little) as you want on any given day. There’s even different races you can play as and mounts to collect to further diversify your characters aesthetics.
In terms of gameplay, Sun Haven offers a deep and engaging experience that should keep lovers of both farming simulators and RPG’s hooked for hours on end. There are a variety of different activities to engage in, from farming and crafting to fishing and mining, and the game offers a sense of progression as players work to upgrade their weaponry and unlock new abilities to handle combat.
One of the standout features of Sun Haven is its robust crafting system. The game offers players the ability to craft a wide variety of items, from tools and weapons to furniture and decorations for their farm. This adds an extra layer of depth to the game and encourages players to experiment with different crafting recipes and techniques. It’s one of those games that I can already foresee players losing hours of their time in from decorating alone.
On the social aspect of things, the game is lacking. Residents you’ll interact with are largely shallow, with little-to-no extensive backgrounds to uncover or dialogue options. It’s an element that should have really been handled better to compliment the overarching story, but it falls well short from what I expected. There’s luckily still romance candidates to pursue if that tickles your fancy, which are unlocked when you reach 10 hearts of friendship with the NPC.
Every RPG should have a good combat system, and Sun Haven does its best attempt at this while trying to balance the simultaneous ‘coziness’ of being a farming simulator. Your combat options range from; swords being your melee option, bows being your ranged option, and magic for all of you beard-having wizarding-types.
A lot of your combat effectiveness stems from the skill tree mentioned earlier, as whatever path you progress down will impact how effective your re with different weapon types. Things like a sword’s damage are based on the quality of metal, whereas ranged damage can vary between how many points you’ve invested in your ranged skills.
The use of magic is where everything starts to get a bit messy. While the skill tree provides opportunities to increase mana reserves and certain consumables can boost mana regeneration, not all spells are primarily designed for combat, but rather for general activities like farming or clearing obstacles, and the combat spells that do exist, can be really mana-heavy. As a result, players may need to weigh the benefits of using magic against the resource cost of doing so.
In addition to this, from the limited time I spent attempting to play multiplayer, this avenue of the game still needs a lot of work. It’s incredibly buggy and some elements of the game in a multiplayer setting don’t work at all. If you’re looking at exclusively picking this up to play with friends, I’d hold off until some things are fixed, but as a solo experience, it’s incredibly enjoyable.
Graphically, Sun Haven uses a charming and ‘cutesy’ pixelated art style – which should also become an industry standard for farming simulators at this point. The game features a bright and colorful art style that is both inviting and relaxing. The village and surrounding environment are filled with small details and touches that help set the hight fantasy theming of the game as well’
Overall, Sun Haven is shaping up to be an excellent addition to the farming simulation genre. Its focus on combat (although clunky at times) and crafting, as well as its charming art style and engaging gameplay mechanics, make it a game that is definitely worth checking out. Although I don’t agree with the idea of it being labelled a ‘fully released’ game, it’s still enjoyable nonetheless.
