Screenshot by Destructoid
What can I say? I really like cute and comfy video games.
|
Life is aggravating. I don’t find out about you, however my days often encompass working, making ready for the following day, after which working to the health club for a few hours an evening. Generally, I simply have to unwind, flip off my mind, and immerse myself in one thing enjoyable and refreshing.
That’s the place Fantasy Life i: The Woman Who Steals Time is available in. Whereas I by no means acquired the possibility to play the unique Fantasy Life on the 3DS—by this time limit, I used to be shoulders deep right into a Minecraft obsession that lasted over seven years—I made a decision to check out this newest entry on a whim.
Fantasy Life i is an off-the-cuff sport the place you, the protagonist, stay in a fantasy world revolving round “Lives.” These Lives are day-to-day professions, from cooks and blacksmiths to highly effective sword and magic-wielding warriors. In contrast to most people who focus on one or two Lives, you will have the liberty to discover all 14 obtainable choices whereas tackling the sport’s foremost storyline and exploring a number of in-game worlds.
Don’t get me fallacious; I’ve performed dozens of informal, cozy video games that principally encompass questing, grinding for assets, and testing my design expertise by slapping random decorations in all places. These days, although, I’ve been burnt out of those video games and desperately wanted one thing completely different. No less than, that’s till I hopped into this and remembered simply what, precisely, makes me so joyful whereas taking part in these.
I wasn’t anticipating choosing this sport up in any respect. It appeared enjoyable, however I wasn’t desirous to deflate like a balloon after watching USD to CAD conversion charges flip a $60 sport into over $90. Nonetheless, I wanted one thing to get my spirits up after a sequence of aggravating life occasions, and boy, my temper is greater than it has ever been.
I went into Fantasy Life i pondering I’d spend about 5 hours finishing its story, 10 to fifteen hours to max out my stats, then return to it a yr later if I discovered time. As a substitute, I’m 25 hours in on the time of writing, and I’m nowhere close to achieved with my playthrough. I haven’t even gotten my first maxed-out ability, not to mention all 14 on high of a foremost questline and elective requests. There’s extra to this sport than it initially lets on, and it’s simple to sink dozens of hours in with out noticing.
I even have it open on my different monitor as I sort this. You already know I’m swapping proper again to it as soon as I’ve completed spilling my ideas on this web page.
There’s one thing about taking part in lovely video games that makes me joyful. Possibly it’s from spending most of my life taking part in a majority of these video games, or it might be the snowball impact of life’s stress that makes absolutely anything cute have an effect on my thoughts and temper greater than traditional. At this level, I’m not anxious about pondering very onerous about it. And but, I’ve managed to play this for 25 hours in three days.
Why? What makes Fantasy Life i so completely different from different informal farming and life sim video games I’ve performed beforehand? Admittedly, not as a lot as you’d assume. The place there’s an fascinating story, lovable characters, and humorous puns scattered about, there’s repetitiveness in practically each ability behaving the very same approach. At instances, it looks like I’m leveling the identical expertise repeatedly. Do I say that as a foul factor? In no way. There’s nothing I would like extra in the meanwhile than familiarity, simplicity, and an excuse to sit down again in my chair with a controller in hand as I spend a number of hours straight chopping down some timber. I even skilled an lovely scene with dancing leaves, which I fortunately confirmed my finest pal the second I found it.
I find it irresistible all. I’m the identical sort of one that’s invested over 1,000 hours into video games like Disney Dreamlight Valley, The Sims franchise, and even MMOs like Runescape, so it shouldn’t come as a shock that I’d get pleasure from acquainted, albeit considerably repetitive gameplay loops, inside a cute, cheerful sport. My solely remorse will not be taking part in the unique Fantasy Life to tug at some nostalgic heartstrings, however actually, that is perhaps for the higher.
This has been a contemporary expertise that I’ve loved way over I anticipated, and I’m joyful to lastly have some stress reduction. Now, don’t thoughts me; I’m simply going to return and construct up my Base Camp for the following couple of hours.
Do you will have a enjoyable, stress-free sport you’ve been taking part in not too long ago? I’d love to listen to a few of your favourite tales within the feedback beneath.
