FAR: Lone Sails – PS4 Review

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Title: FAR: Lone Sails
Developer: Okomotive
Publisher: Mixtvision
Website: https://www.far-game.com/
Genre: Vehicle, Adventure, Puzzle
Platform: PC, Mac, PS4 & Xbox One
Audience: 7
Release Date: 02/04/2019
Price: £11.99 – Rapid Reviews UK was very kindly provided with a review code for this game.

What the Developers say

“FAR: Lone Sails is a vehicle adventure game. In a unique vehicle you travel across a dried-out ocean following the tracks of a once thriving civilization. Through an array of roadblocks and through hazardous weather you need to keep your vessel going. Where will this journey take you? Are you the last of your kind?”

https://store.playstation.com/en-gb/product/EP3037-CUSA12901_00-0000000000000000

Introduction

What is there to say about a game that says nothing? I asked myself this while traversing the dried up sea bed, taking on various puzzles and fixing my boat cart, and I realised the game does not need to say a word to convey a message or tell a story. In fact, the journey itself was the story, and it spoke volumes without saying a word.

Audio and Visual

In both aspects Far: Lone Sail shines.

The audio is outstanding from the silence outside the cart or the pattering of the rain hitting the hull. Each sound effect is perfectly pitched and with high fidelity. Every raindrop, every gust of wind can be heard. The cart its self is bustling with sounds, but not a single one is overpowering.

The music is again not overpowering and is only really present in a few situations that made me feel this could be urgent. I also found a radio that played some charming jazz music from time to time — all adding up to a relaxing atmosphere.

Visually, Far: Lone Sail is one of the games that you have to stop in areas and take in the background. Even if that background is in shades of greys and black with bits of red thrown in. Even with the limited colour pallet, this is one of the best looking games I have played. It is the surrounding area being traversed that tells the story. With an art style this explanative, who needs words?

Gameplay and Replayability

FAR: Lone Sails is more an experience than a game that you will play and forget about. It is meant to instil the feeling of leaving your past behind and heading to the future. It wants you to invest in the game to become curious about the journey the character is on.

The game’s controls are simple to pick up, and no real tutorial is needed. Move, push, jump, grab items. This is all that the game requires the player to do. It is how you use them that is the key to finishing the journey.

As the character travels across the desolate landscape, the main focus is to keep the cart fuelled along the way. There was never any real urgency or shortage of fuel as practically everything that can be picked up can be used. Along with the fuel, keeping the cart, called an Okomotive, in good repair is the next job. This includes putting out fires and repairing damaged parts.

At points along the journey, the character will run into simple puzzles to solve, for instance, climb up a town to open the door to let the Okomotive pass or solve the puzzle to get the upgrade for the Okomotive. The puzzle sections are spaced far enough apart that progression feels natural and the pacing is perfect.

For players who like a relaxing journey with simple Okomotive management, or are tired of the stress of games like Faster Than Light (FTL) this could be right what you would like. Even for people who have never played games like FTL, this is more than likely something you will want to play. It is a beautiful experience that everyone should try at least once.

As for replayability, I can see this being low on people’s playlists. Again, not only as the journey will be the same but also as it is better experienced for the first time. That feeling of awe and investment can only be experienced once. Although, it is a short game with a runtime around two hours, so playing it again is doable.

Conclusion

FAR: Lone sail is a beautiful world of living art that tells a story of being on a journey without words. It is simply stunning and compelling. I would recommend this game to anyone to play. Even with its lack of replayability, this is something everyone should experience.

Rapid Reviews UK Rating

You can purchase FAR: Lone Sails on the UK PS store at the following link, https://store.playstation.com/en-gb/product/EP3037-CUSA12901_00-0000000000000000