Game: FAR: Changing Tides
Genre: Action, Adventure
System: Nintendo Switch (also on Steam (Windows), PlayStation, & Xbox)
Developers | Publishers: Okomotive | Frontier Foundry
Age Rating: US E | EU 3+
Price: US $19.99 | UK £14.99 | EU € 19,99
Release Date: March 1st, 2022
Review code used, with many thanks to Heaven Media.
FAR: Changing Tides is the sequel to FAR: Lone Sails; though it’s a standalone game, you don’t have to have played the first game. That’s just as well as I haven’t played the first game, but that’s about to change, read on to find out why.
FAR: Changing Tides
The game is set in a post-apocalyptic world; this side-scrolling adventure game features a protagonist named Toe. You take control of Toe, who is all alone in the world as he is dropped into a vast flooded landscape in a devastated world.
A world devastated by what, I might hear you ask. Well, that’s left up to interpretation; was it a natural disaster or the collapse of civilisation? You never really find out. Since the world is in complete and utter chaos, you’ll swim through flooded buildings, clamber through abandoned power stations, and sail across an ocean for answers.
No Text or Help
There isn’t any text or voice acting in the game. Introductions, explanations, or backstory are also non-existent. But that’s fine as you use the environment to progress. The only hints on what you must do are light blue indicators on some objects.
There are plenty of environmental puzzles to complete via the use of switches, hooks, pulley systems, and connecting items together. Some of the puzzles can be a little obtuse, and since there isn’t a hint system, it’s up to you to solve them. However, I never got stuck or found myself not knowing how to proceed; all the answers are there; you just have to spot them.
Is it a Ship or Submarine or Both
As Toe progresses through the game, he has an interesting mode of travel, a steampunk boat that you must put together before setting sail in an attempt to find out what is going on in the world.
The biggest part of the gameplay is controlling the ship, and it becomes a companion of sorts for Toe. Running the ship is a lot of fun, and it’s also the most unique thing about FAR: Changing Tides.
Adjust the Sails, Fuel the Bolier
I enjoyed learning how to pilot the ship and became quite attached to it; at one stage, it crashed into a wall and I was worried I’d damaged it; that’s how attached I became. It’s not too complicated to run. You raise the sails and adjust them to catch the wind, simple.
Later in the game, the ship upgrades, and you have to tend to the boiler, as you feed it fuel. After the ship gets upgraded again, you’ll be diving into the depths in a submarine. You’ll spend a lot of time running about the decks, up and down ladders, unfurling the sails and stoking the boiler.
As well as controlling Toe’s ship, you’ll be diving into the waters to gather treasures and fuel from the seabed. Or jumping off your ship and onto obstacles to clear a path to ensure you can move forward. Later, story developments also require you to remove underwater blockages once your ship has taken on new functions.
No Combat only Exploration
There isnt any combat in FAR: Changing Tides; instead, it’s a game of exploration. It won’t suit every gamer, but for those of us that like to explore peacefully and without urgency, it’s a very enjoyable experience.
A fantastic soundtrack helps set the mood as you help Toe move along. I played the game with my headphones on and was fully immersed in the gameplay due to the brilliant sound effects and music.
I do have a niggle with the game as it wasn’t all plain sailing (pun intended). A few minor bugs were annoyingly present. For example, while the controls felt fluid and intuitive, Toe would get stuck in objects on occasion. Or getting caught behind a ladder, he clearly wasn’t supposed to be behind. It is only a slight niggle as it certainly didn’t interrupt my enjoyment of the game.
Conclusion
FAR: Changing Tides is a relaxing, thought-provoking and satisfying trek through a dystopian and atmospheric world. If exploring every nook and cranny is your “thing”, then look no further as you will find it all in FAR: Changing Tides. Now if you’d excuse me, I’m off to buy the first game in the series from the eShop.
Final Verdict: Two Thumbs Up 