Spiritfarer Review (Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox, PC).
Traditionally, video games have always had it easy on tackling the topic of death. Playing a shooter, you die and you respawn. Maybe fall off a stage and you come back. What Spiritfarer does differently is revolve around the topic of death but in a wholesome and somber way.
It's quite literally a management simulator all-around finding peace before going to the afterlife and it's my latest favorite indie game. Spiritfarer is loosely based on the Greek mythology tale of Styx, a river said to lead to the afterlife. In the story, spirits are guided to the afterlife by Charon who in Spiritfarer is represented by a ferryman.
The most recent Charon is ready to travel to the afterlife themselves and we, protagonist Stella and her cat Daffodil are the new replacements. Together the two sail a large boat, gathering the spirit left on the Earth hoping to find peace and transcend to the afterlife.
It isn't Stella's job to solve the problems of these spirits, nor will all of these spirits like her. Some will immediately not like her, others might be friends or family and others might just transcend with some problems. Ultimately Stella isn't here to fix everyone's problems but to help these spirits with their acceptance of death and hopefully find peace in it.
Every one of these passengers need something from us, may it be a hug, one last trip or even just a home-cooked meal that reminds them of their cherished times. Regardless of the request, we're here to help and connect with these spirits. That's what made Spiritfarer special.
The connections with these passengers and being able to learn about them and their stories through helping them. These moments help established genuine connections with these well-written characters, It's one of the best examples of death portrayed in a video game.
Death is often a topic I'm not really sure how to go about. Sometimes I think about how one moment I'll be here and in another, I could be gone. Those dark thoughts often lead to questions of self-worth and what all of this is for and why am I even writing this review.
In retrospect, Spiritfarer helped reaffirm the quiet voice in my head that it's for the experiences, the connections I make with people, and the legacy I leave behind. If its story is about death and acceptance, the gameplay is where the management sim aspect comes into play.
Like a game of Tetris, Stella's mostly blank ship slowly builds up building after building. Kitchens to cook food, a farm to grow crops and guest homes for new spirits, these are just some of the staples you'll build on this cramped but ever-growing ship.
All of this is done to ultimately help care for the spirits around you. Some may want a specific recipe, perhaps travel somewhere they've always wanted to go to, regardless of the request it's up to help. That means a lot of sailing from island to island, gathering resources to build perhaps a kitchen, and then ingredients for a specific dish someone wants.
It's simple, straightforward, and at times repetitive sure. However, it never truly felt like chores because it all felt like it was for the better of someone else, someone who I wanted to find peace in their death. In the same way, the Death Stranding was repetitive but never really felt like work to me, Spiritfarer accomplishes the same but in a more heartwarming manner.
While managing my resources, I was able to tell my ship to set sail toward the next location, making the most out of my time and not having to worry about the ship itself while working. Anytime I needed to jump off the ship to perhaps grab an item from the sea, the ship would stop to make sure it doesn't sail without me.
A lot of these tweaks to the gameplay help the management feel soothing, not so much challenging but calming in a way. I often found myself just getting lost in the sunsets behind my ship as I sailed on to the next island. While my passengers were asleep, I'd fish with Daffodil at my side, getting ready to feed my hungry passengers in the morning.
Over the course of about 25 hours, I settled into my new position as a spirit mother in this world. And while yes, some things like the backtracking for resources, guests getting in front of doors and some other traditional monotonous things did get annoying at times, I was never frustrated.
I was happy to bring on new guests, help them find peace and ultimately just find another person to care for. But as quickly as these guests came and I grew attached to them, they soon had to leave and just like that, Spiritfarer communicated in its own way, the acceptance of death.
For as beautiful as Spiritfarer story is, it would be a disservice to not mention the lovely visuals on display here. Featuring hand-drawn characters, fluid animation, and amazing lighting design in a 2d field, Spiritfarer captivated me. I found myself just staring at the sunset after a long day of gathering resources and going on quests.
Spiritfarer's visuals simply feel cozy. The saturated color palette gives off this warmth that just feels like a hug. Quite literally would even feature animated hugs which the fact you can even do that as an action is adorable. Regardless of the platform you choose to play this on, you can count on the performance and experience to be stable and breathtaking.
Throughout my time as the spiritfarer, I was accompanied by the title's marvelous soundtrack that reinvigorated this sense of adventure and tranquility at the same time. In the moments I was sailing from island to island, the guitar string strumming in the background, truly made me feel like a sailor out on an adventure.
Likewise, the more tranquil and peaceful nights of just fishing along to some strings in the background as my spirit guests went to sleep, it was oddly calming. Like a good wrap up to a hard work-filled day. Spiritfarer is a work of art. Its ability to translate a topic that for many people, is so hard to grasp and talk about, especially during a pandemic like this, is outstanding.
I fell in love with many of these characters and as soon as I got to care for them, it was time to say goodbye but like them, I found peace in hearing their stories and having them realize their journies toward peace. As a management sim, it's not the most challenging or demanding in terms of gameplay, but as the developer described it themselves, it's a cozy management simulator and that's exactly what it needed to be.
