Confession: I ended up purchasing Summer in Mara based on a short review I saw on Tik Tok. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. The game had all the elements I was looking for - a farming simulation, stunning graphics, and plenty of quests - but it just didn't resonate with me. It felt too simplistic and childish for my taste.
Summer in Mara is a single-player adventure game set in a calm, relaxing environment with a handmade aesthetic. Players take on the role of Koa, a young girl who is eager to explore the world around her. The game features a mix of farming, crafting, sailing, and exploration. The player is responsible for taking care of their own island by planting crops, harvesting resources, and building tools and buildings. In addition, players will have to take care of farm animals and fish in a pond or in the open sea.
Pros
Graphics: The graphics in Summer in Mara are breathtaking, featuring lovely sunrise and sunset visuals and a handmade aesthetic.
Design: The game features unique and interesting character designs which stand out from the usual, and each of them have their own stories and quests.
Gameplay: The game offers a well-crafted farming simulation experience where players can farm, craft, explore and fish, all while remaining in a calm and relaxing environment. There are also hundreds of quests to complete, providing plenty of content to keep players engaged.
Cons
Tutorial: The game lacks a tutorial, which can be frustrating for players as each game has its own controls and mechanics. Developers should take the time to explain them to players, even if they can choose to skip it.
Quests: The game features repetitive fetch and deliver quests, and some quests can become suddenly unavailable for no apparent reason.
Bugs: The game is riddled with bugs and soundtrack issues which is unacceptable for a game at this price point.
Markers: The game lacks waypoint markers to guide players, which can be frustrating when exploring the 360-view world.
Dialogue: The dialogue in the game is very simplistic and childish, which is surprising given the level of detail put into the visuals.
Honestly, this game got me mad for 3 reasons:
1- I should have done my research before wasting money
2- Tik Tok recommendations, especially in a 15-second clip, are not always quality
3- I had such high hopes due to the visuals and the farm-sim aspect, which is my favorite genre of game, but it was a huge letdown.
I’m going to archive it. It's rare for me not to finish a game, but this one fell short of my expectations.
Total Game Time: 5+ hours
Games similar to Summer in Mara: Story of Seasons, Harvest Moon, Stardew Valley
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