FAR: Lone Sails
Release Date: May 17, 2018
Adventure, science fiction, post-apocalypse, machines and equipment, indie games, 2.5D, side-scroll, experimental/artistic, singleplayer
OpenCritic
Steam
The debut game by indie studio Mr. Whale's Game Service, designed with the single player mode in mind. The production is set in a ruined world, which you traverse in an unusual vehicle resembling a combination of a boat and a train. The gameplay in Far: Lone Sails focuses on exploring locations in search of items, which allow you to survive. However, instead of seeking food or building shelters, you have to take care of your vessel.
Far: Lone Sails for PC, PS4 and XONE is the first game by Swiss studio Mr. Whale's Game Service. The small studio with only a few members was founded in 2015. The game was published by Mixtvision Mediengesellschaft GmBH.
Plot
The game is set in a ruined world, where you are trying to survive. To achieve that, you need an unusual vehicle resembling a train, which you use to traverse the dried-out seabed full of shipwrecks, derelict submarines and the like.
Mechanics
The gameplay focuses on perusing locations in search of items that allow you to survive. The production, however, is not a typical survival game, in which you have to seek for food, build shelters, etc. Instead, you have to take care of your vehicle. You need fuel to drive it, spare parts to fix the broken elements, and upgrades that allow you to reach previously unavailable locations.
Far: Lone Sails for PC, PS4 and XONE is a singleplayer game. The mechanics are quite simple to learn thanks to an intuitive controls system. The game features no expansive tutorials or instructions.
Technical aspects
Far: Lone Sails features minimalist artistic visuals and a fitting soundtrack, which create an appropriate atmosphere.
Last updated on May 17, 2017
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Videos and Screens
[1:17] FAR: Lone Sails launch trailer
[1:20] FAR: Lone Sails gamescom 2017 trailer
KeenGamer: 7 / 10
FAR: Lone Sail could have been great. The game nails the emotional attachment to your vessel, creating a neat gameplay loop, combined with lovely art design and a beautiful soundtrack. However, the constant need to stop, combined with simple puzzles and conveying a dying world we can’t interact with created a dissonance which meant that attachment doesn’t extend to the world itself. It was enjoyable but not overly memorable.
Push Square: 7 / 10 by Graham Banas
FAR: Lone Sails is a lovely title. Remarkable environments and a strong art direction anchor a brief but compelling title. While the puzzles and amount of resources never really hit a point to make anything truly challenging, the resource management loop is more satisfying here than it usually is in more survival-focused titles.
TechRaptor: 8 / 10 by Richard Costa
FAR: Lone Sails is a miniature masterpiece, no less great for its compact simplicity. A must-play for anyone interested in post-apocalyptic scenarios, atmosphere-heavy games, and low-key environmental narrative.
FAR: Lone Sails Summary
Game Series: FAR
Platforms:
PC / Windows May 17, 2018
Switch August 18, 2019
PlayStation 4 April 2, 2019
Xbox One April 2, 2019
Android OS October 22, 2020
Apple iOS October 22, 2020
Developer: Okomotive
Publisher: Mixtvision Mediengesellschaft GmbH
FAR: Lone Sails System Requirements
PC / Windows
Minimum: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.4 GHz / AMD FX-8120 3.1 GHz, 4 GB RAM, graphic card 1 GB GeForce GTX 460 / Radeon HD 6570 or better, 3 GB HDD, Windows 7 64-bit
Recommended: Intel Core i7-920 2.7 GHz / AMD Phenom II 945 3.0 GHz, 8 GB RAM, graphic card 2 GB GeForce GTX 680 / 3 GB Radeon R9 280X or better, 3 GB HDD, Windows 7/8/10 64-bit