From character creation to NPCs to accessibility, Phoenix Labs’ Fae Farm does some good while building a great farming/life simulator at the same time.
FAE FARM DOES INCLUSIVITY RIGHT
Right off the bat, the character creation went above and beyond other farming sims and many other genres. There are options for two different eye colors for those with Heterochromia
So many different backgrounds are represented here, and I think many will really appreciate it. What got me, though, was the random generator. It doesn’t stick between standard ideas for “male” or “female” characters.
Fae Farm continues this trend with its NPCs. There are characters of every race and gender, and some people represented who are often forgotten. You’ll find Aspen, the carpenter, in a wheelchair.
GAMEPLAY WITH SOME TWISTS
Once you jump into the game, you are told the story of your arrival in Azoria. You are not on Grandpa’s farm! You found a letter in a bottle and sailed your way over but crashed along the way.
Fishing is still my nemesis, as it is with every one of these kinds of games. It goes the route of Animal Crossing New Horizons, but I find the fish aren’t very intuitive and switch locations abruptly, making them hard to catch.
One thing Fae Farm does right that I hope every other simulator takes note of from now on is that you do not need to select the correct tool. If you walk up to a rock, it pulls out your pickaxe.