Spiritfarer®: Farewell Edition

I received this game thanks to a contest a while back where the prize pool contained a large variety of games and I wasn't sure if I'd like it. The art looked decent and the concept was interesting but the seemingly lighthearted themes and the mention of managerial gameplay didn't sound like something I'd enjoy. However, that ended up becoming a non-issue for me. Spiritfarer actually combines light managerial gameplay with elements of adventure games, crafting games and platformers. Tied together by appealing art, a beautiful soundtrack and themes that somehow take both a serious and lighthearted look at death, it creates an experience unlike anything I've ever played. One thing I like about this game's interpretation of death is that it avoids any specific worldview and combines some of the common beliefs about the afterlife. Sure, it may not agree 100% with your personal interpretation of the afterlife (for example, I'm a Christian and it doesn't agree with my view) but it does so in a way that is very respectful, not attempting to target or attack anyone for what they believe. In spite of being a game that tackles a serious and emotionally impactful subject, it manages to remind the player that ultimately, this is just a fictional tale that is meant to convey a message of hope, regardless of one's worldview. I sincerely commend the writers for that. In terms of the gameplay, it's all extremely smooth and well-designed. Movement feels as snappy as a platformer, building on your ship is easy and intuitive, the crafting/managerial aspects are all relaxing. Often, managerial sims can be pretty stressful and involve too much micromanagement which can get old. This game does it in a way that feels very cathartic and relaxing, which works flawlessly with the overall vibe of the game. If you're unsure if you'd enjoy this game, just know that it is SO much more than it appears. It's a truly unique game with very solid developers and it's just a fantastic experience.

"Spiritfarer" is very beautiful. The amount of care taken in animation, especially of the main character, would put many games with far more money and manpower put into them to shame. The relatively simple, high-contrast color palette makes everything pop like something from a golden age cartoon, while individual scenes and images bring up wonder, awe, and mystery while making it look effortless. The gameplay is... good. I'm tempted to use words like "acceptable" or "competent", but that's damning with faint praise, and it deserves better than that. There are moments where I feel nothing would have been lost by making a space between jumps a little shorter or requiring a tad less grinding, and a few intuitive leaps I wouldn't have minded a clue about, but... It's hard to explain. The game very much isn't *about* the things you do in jumping, running, harvesting crops and mining ore, so it feels petty to harp on small impatiences with those mechanics. They do fill up a fair amount of your play-time, and they do begin to feel a little like filler by the end. But most of the play-time (mine, anyway), they're just more time to enjoy those lovely animations and settings. This is a game about grief and loss. If you don't remember that, boy howdy, will it hit you before the game is over. Grief and loss being very personal things, I cannot unconditionally recommend the game to everyone, and it's the one big thing keeping me from giving the game that five stars, much as I think the vast majority of people would get something out of it just for artistic beauty. Smaller gripes include one character who is basically seems to be there to import the message "life isn't fair". And for once, I wish the protagonist wasn't mute, to pipe back: "Lady? I don't need you to 'teach' me life isn't fair; I have a LIFE to do that." The lack of individuality in townsfolk, and certain other details, also suggests budget constraints. But I'd care less if what's forefront wasn't so well done.

Considering I don't really jive with management games that often, I actually found it pretty meditative going around the boat tending to various tasks. It helps that this game doesn't push any deadlines on you, unlike most other games where there is risk of irreversible failure, so there wasn't any pressure to rush. In fact, rushing through the game runs antithetical to the experience of bonding with the spirits and unravelling their backgrounds. It did feel a bit like a slog closer to the end though, trying to accumulate the correct resources to acquire the necessary upgrades. Having played several metroidvanias though, I've found the platforming elements manageable. Might be fiddly for complete platformer virgins though. The game did a pretty good job of taking the player through a journey of learning to let go and reconcile, in the face of mortality. Beautiful animation + music carry the setting very strongly, especially since there aren't any voiced lines. (Also if you want to get the artbook, play the game FIRST before looking through the book, because it contains spoilers and actually dives into more explicit character background details)

Every character is totally different, each with their unique animations and backstory. It's very hard to choose a favourite, but I feel this is a game where it was very easy to connect with the characters. You also have a cat and you can pet Daffodil!

“Cozy management game about ferrying spirits of the dead to the afterlife” captures the essence of Spiritfarer rather completely. Very pretty, with smooth visuals, sound, and gameplay. Chill, can even be played without a mouse. Spiritfarer does well in portraying death, in many of the forms it can take and the myriad of different ways it affects us all. Regardless of your background, there’s likely to be at least one of the spirits whose story resonates with your own personal experience, and I think that’s why it’s as popular as it is. I, for example, hated Jackie for his apparent arrogance, but ended up more sympathetic to him than pretty much any other spirit by the end of his arc. A very likeable spirit I met early on left me without saying goodbye, and the void left by their passing was something I would feel for many hours after. It's not flawless. The minute-to-minute gameplay borders on tedious. I wish that the game gave more of some spirits’ stories (apparently the art book of all things contains some rather crucial, missing details). The quality/depth of their writing also varies, sometimes substantially. Spirits rarely interact with each other, and even then usually only in very generic ways, which feels like a missed opportunity and makes them feel more 1-dimensional and less like living... dead?... people. The art is fine, but I can't recall ever being blown away by it. SPOILERS: But. By the end of the game, I've succeeded in helping these people make their peace and move on. Their houses remain, empty, their owners gone forever. But they're not the only ones who need help. One spirit remains. You can delay, remain on your big, empty ship for as long as you want to, but the end result is inevitable. The moment I saw this, felt this feeling, the game's potential was finally realized. I could keep playing as long as I wanted to. But at some point, I had to move on.