Today, publisher Frontier Foundry has announced the release date for developer Okomotive’s next entry in the FAR universe. FAR: Changing Tides is launching on March 1, 2022, for PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. Pre-orders are now available. The game will also be available on Xbox Game Pass day one.
Over on the PlayStation Blog, Creative Lead, Artist, & Founder, Okomotive Don Schmoker talked about what players can expect in this new game. “Following the release of our debut game, FAR: Lone Sails, we had a lot of feedback from fans that spoke to how the meditative, reflective nature of the game resonated with them. For FAR: Changing Tides, we wanted to ensure that we captured that same familiar, meditative atmosphere whilst offering players a fresh, thought-provoking experience. We’ve expanded on the setting seen in Lone Sails but instead of sun-scorched, dusty plains, players will face stormy waters and submerged cities. We hope this new environment combined with new puzzles and ship mechanics will bring an exciting experience to fans of the series and new players alike.
Schmoker also talked about what’s new and different in Changing Tides. “One of the key differences in FAR: Changing Tides is the verticality added by the flooded landscape and how that adds a whole level of exploration for players. The earth has been covered with water and so it makes sense that there’s a whole other world to traverse below the surface. This new landscape required a change to one of the key game mechanics – the vehicle,” Schmoker said. “The vehicle is one of the most important elements in a FAR game, we almost think of it as a second protagonist! In Lone Sails, although the vehicle had a sail, it was entirely land-based, which suited the dusty, desolate plains. In FAR: Changing Tides, the player’s journey takes place almost entirely on the water, both above and below the waves, and we wanted to create a vehicle that could stay with them for all of that. The sails and oars are perfect for navigating the world above the surface, and these can be retracted and the engine engaged for exploration beneath the waves. As the player progresses through the game, they will see a relationship develop between the protagonist, Toe, and the ship. The relationship is a symbiotic one, the ship won’t sail without Toe to control the sails or oars, and Toe can’t overcome certain obstacles without the ship.”
In celebration of the game’s release date, two new lo-fi soundtrack videos, titled Soundwaves, have been made using in-game assets. These meditative videos invite listeners to lose themselves in the world created by Okomotive, from the gentle lapping of the waves to the rhythmic thump of the mighty engine that powers the ramshackle vehicle across a flooded world. Soundwaves #1 is available to view and listen to now.