Roots of Pacha Review (grumpybandersnootch)
A feature-rich full game release with no EA purgatory that brings something fun and new to an overly saturated genre?? In this economy???
It's no secret that the farming sim market is saturated, and to my bank account's chagrin, I've bought and played them all.
Most feel derivative, either just remakes of old games that rely on nostalgia goggles or cash grabs by half-baked studios that push out unfinished glop after years in EA. There's still a mad dash as studios try to fumble their way into Stardew Valley-esque success by making minor visual adjustments while copy/pasting the same formula.
Thankfully, Roots of Pacha is NOT that. RoP sets itself apart with intention, and brings to light just how repetitive and monotonous the other farming sim titles truly are. It feels fresh and engaging, and is just *fun*. I have so much trouble tearing myself away - the world and mechanics are fascinating, I genuinely love my clan, and I FINALLY feel those early-days Stardew vibes of giddy curiosity again.
There's a real sense of progression as you watch your village develop. There's always a new idea or event right around the corner that break up what can be a one-note gameplay loop. The village feels alive, and the villagers take an active role in community building rather than just waiting for you to fix everything. The characters so far all have unique traits and engaging personalities, and the cutscenes I've seen so far were wonderful for adding even more context to their behavior.
My one bit of advice would be: people who don't love mini-games, you might struggle with this one, because they are frequent. I love them and the way they break up the rest of the gameplay, but it's worth pointing out.
To me, this is the only new farming sim worth playing. Buy it, you need it. It deserves WAY more attention than it's getting.