One would think that a game without a defined story, and no clear goal, wouldn’t really be something noteworthy or interesting. But those thinkers weren’t present when Okomotive devised Far: Lone Sails. So, in comes their iteration. Unique would be an understatement when it comes down to brass tax. You start the game near what looks like a tombstone, undoubtingly paying your respects. When you gain control and start your treck you come across a locomotive. This is when your unknown journey starts. You’ll maneuver through puzzles, harsh weather, just to end at an unknown destination. Want to know how it all went? Then read on about this beautiful little masterpiece!
- Orchestral Pleasure: My. God. Okomotive, I applaud you in SO many ways! Your sound designers are something to behold! Not only did your musical genius shine through, but it also made me itch for more. I was kind of sad that there were silent moments, but I think those were there to have a transition between sections of the game (my best guess). But on the music part? I’m giving you a 10 out of 10!
- Smooth as butter: During my entire playthrough of this game, I noticed that the movement and graphical marvels played out without any frame drops or skipped frames. This entire thing is polished as hell and that’s not easy to achieve, even if it’s just as long as it is (more on this later). You’ll not only be having an eargasm but a visual masterpiece as well!
- Unique Storytelling: It has to be said though, the story is presented to you in a very unique way. By visuals. You start off in a peaceful place, far away from danger and calamity. But the further towards the end destination that you get, the more that it becomes obvious that you’re not just riding any sort of steam engine. You really got to pay close attention to the finer details that this game has to offer, in its surroundings as in the puzzle sections. Because these are the places where you’ll be getting most of the story elements.
- Silent periods: I’m unsure if it was a glitch, but I had sections of track that there was no music at all. Just the sound of my engine. And those did tend to get a bit boring after a while. So be prepared that some parts just have engine sounds and no other music at all. Which was a shame as the soundtrack that’s being used in here is MARVELOUS!
- Story: The story is told to you, not by text or voiced narration, but by visuals. You can quickly determine that some apocalyptic event happened and you are one of its survivors. But are you the child of the person that you were paying respects to? Are you family? What exactly happened? The further you progress, the smaller (and I really mean SMALL) details can be attained. If you use the zoom in functions at certain sections, you’ll notice what the true purpose was of your locomotive, for instance. I don’t mind piecing together a story, but for some, this might go over their observations and they’ll lose a bit of sense as to what Far: Lone Sails is trying to tell.
- Length: I wanted more. I wanted more puzzles, more beautiful landscapes… I just wanted more of everything that this game has to offer! It takes a while to understand what is going on around you and what the visuals try to portray, and when stuff finally starts to click? You’re at the end… I put this in the bad section because I felt like the end came so abruptly. I can only hope, that the next thought child of Okomotive will get the same kind of passion and dedication that Far: Lone Sails got, only a bit lengthier…
Developer: Okomotive Publisher: Mixtvision
Played on: Xbox One X Also available on: PS4 and PC
Alexis spent around 3 hours pushing buttons and having eargasms.
Achievement difficulty for 1000 Gamerscore: 4 hours
Perfect for: Gamers who want a break from violence, puzzle enthusiasts
Xbox Game Store link: Click here