Stardew Valley is basically the same game 8 years later
Stardew Valley is basically the same game 8 years later
There’s a reason why people still play this cozy farming sim, and it’s not just because of all the updates
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Ya know what other game is basically the same game 8 years later? Pretty much all of them. Games almost never just up and fundamentally change their core design after release. Why would a dev do that, when they can just make a new game?
What a weird article title.
Title now shows as "In 8 years, Stardew Valley never lost sight of its core philosophy" for me.
People don't really like to read the articles before commenting, huh.
Knowing Stardew was such a beloved game, I knew I had to get context before judging the author because it could be read both ways.
People who assume games not changing = criticism are telling us more about their own uncharitable view of others than anything else.
EDIT: That said, if I were to offer criticism, I feel like the author gives too much credit to Stardew as though it invented or pioneered the tight gameplay loop: perhaps at least some mention could have been made to Harvest Moon, the game from which Stardew borrows - and perfects - most of its major systems.
Also to be fair, it doesn't go anywhere with that thought that Stardew hasn't changed. Felt a little low-effort, like a retrospective on Stardew that just basically listed what people liked about it.
I did read it, and I did notice that the title was editorialized a bit here, and I think that's immaterial to my main point. The article is basically "sun found to rise once again after 8 years". As you mentioned yourself, it really doesn't go anywhere with the idea.
No Man's Sky on the other hand
Well, that one wasn't really much of a game at the release. More like a tech demo that they somehow transformed into a game later.
I mean... it started as a resource farming simulator.
Now it's a resource farming simulator with mechs and submarines and bases.
Still the same basic game with the same basic core mechanic... just with more mindless stuff to keep you busy.
Mecha and subs and bases... and Multiplayer. The galactic hub community in NMS is awesome
So... mindless stuff for more than one mind! Genius!
Wait, is NMS a game nowadays?
Has been for years now
Then you get shit like Stellaris that fundamentally changed their game at least two times. It's not even close to the game I originally bought, and I say that with mixed feelings.
Stardew is in a good place, it doesn't need to change. If you want Stardew-but-not then play something else, plenty of good games. Slime Rancher, Core Keeper, Sun Haven...
You can always go back to the old versions