Get Back to Nature
For all the talk of graphics and gameplay, people forget that a big part of why we love video games is the escapism, which is something that Stardew Valley banked heavily on. Combining Animal Crossing style farming with RPG and dating sim elements, the game was massively popular, and only partly because it imagined a world where the average millennial gets to own a home.
The game sees you inheriting your grandfather’s farm and moving to the titular valley, where you can explore, farm, socialize, even marry and have kids. The new update – 1.5 – is the biggest yet, including:
- New people to meet
- New goals
- Many new items
- A new type of quest
- A new farm layout
- New character events
- A new Community Upgrade
- Home renovations (after you’ve fully upgraded your house)
- Ducks can now swim
- You can sit in chairs
- You can move your bed
- Fish Tanks
- A bunch of new furniture items as well as new furniture types like wall sconces
- New secrets
- 9 new music tracks
- And so much more… you’ll just have to see, I can’t bear to spoil it
While a lot of the new additions, like the new quest type and new characters – expand the game in more noticeable ways, some of the additions are smaller and simpler – like the ability for ducks, famously at home in the water, to swim.
Also coming is a new farm type, the beach farm, which is bound to pose an extra challenge – but be warned, sprinklers won’t work on the sandy soil.
Finally, the new update lets you adjust the individual game settings for a more unique experience, such as mining rewards. It’s a combination of big and small additions that’ll please people whether they just want some new stuff to build or want to explore more of the game.
What do you think of the news? Let us know in the comments, on Twitter, or on Facebook.
