The world as you know it has ended. Gone are the salty oceans that filled you with deep nostalgia. Gone are the lush landscapes that reminded you to take them in with deep, fulfilling breaths. The world is cracked anew with cold and gray. Everyone you know is gone — what do you do?
From Swiss developer Okomotive, FAR: Lone Sails is game for those who would react to a post-apocalyptic world with a sense of adventure. With a great first hands-on impression, mxdwn Games initially reported on this gem back at E3 2016. Providing a bit of story and setting, here’s the game’s summary on Steam:
Traverse a dried-out seabed littered with the remains of a decaying civilization. Keep your unique vessel going, overcome numerous obstacles and withstand the hazardous weather conditions. How far can you make it? What will you find?
Going against the post-apocalyptic standard of violence, FAR: Lone Sails has players focus on exploration over combat. With an emotionally-immersive classical soundtrack, players must learn the ins and outs of their vessels to advance through the game world that houses clues of a lost people.
Developer Okomotive consists of creative lead/game designer Don Schmocker, tech lead/game designer Goran Saric, artist/animator Martina Hugentobler, artist/level designer Philipp Stern, programmer/sound designer Fabio Baumgartner, and composer/sound designer Joel Schoch. It’s nothing short of amazing what this small team has put together in terms of vivid atmospheres and environs while presenting a unique take on the post-apocalyptic genre.
As mentioned before, hazardous weather conditions play the role as the enemy. These obstacles change the game world and showcase the vast artistic ability of this creative team.
Though the game is mostly filled with melancholic beauty, a wider spectrum of emotions are captured through the minutiae of not only managing and upgrading your vessel, but also the wonder of traversing through the enveloping level design.
FAR: Lone Sails is available now for PC and Mac OS X on Steam, GOG and the Humble Bundle Store for $14.99. Though planned, the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions do not have release dates as of yet. Per fan request, the developers may also produce a Nintendo Switch port.