In case you are something like me, then you definitely completely loved enjoying My Time At Portia. It had its similarities to different crafting and farming video games, however it additionally stood aside with power as a title that launched gamers to the life simulation style. There was a singular story to go along with it, permitting these of us who most popular a very good combine of making, farming, gathering, and having fun with an immersive world to have a very well-rounded expertise. It has been a couple of years since My Time At Portia was launched, and since then the builders have had extra in retailer for followers.
Initially meant to be launched as a DLC, My Time At Sandrock is the upcoming sequel to My Time At Portia and it manages to enhance upon its predecessor whereas retaining most of the qualities that made us followers within the first place. I used to be in a position to spend the week crafting away to my coronary heart’s content material in an early entry copy of the sport, and thus far, it hasn’t dissatisfied.
The very first thing I observed within the recreation was the vastly improved character creation. I felt like there was a very good vary of choices, each when it comes to customizable colour and elegance. I performed round with my character’s hair for a very good whereas, and naturally, gave myself some sparkly coronary heart eyes. In case you felt like customization was missing within the recreation’s predecessor, you may be pleasantly stunned right here.
Following the character creation, you may be launched to the brand new world. Gamers could now discover the attractive new Eufaula Desert the place the common-or-garden city of Sandrock resides. Sadly, the folks of Sandrock depend on a dwindling provide of water from Martle’s Oasis, a pure spring that had beforehand been bustling and able to offering greater than sufficient water to the city. Mainly, poor administration and air pollution have left it a shadow of its former self. Because of this Martle’s Oasis is in want of great restore, leaving the participant’s character to collect the assets obligatory for its fixing.
The map itself is larger than My Time At Portia’s by virtually 50%, and is not lined by the big sea that took up a lot of the earlier map’s house. As a substitute, gamers will discover the world populated by relics and ruins which are open for exploration. Whereas the terrain and environments will not be as lush, they do convey a brand new desert vibe and with it a wholly new setting to assist the story.
Your character arrives with nothing of their very own apart from the small, shabby workshop the place they may reside. Identical to the farmhouse in My Time At Portia, this workshop is upgradeable and open in your participant to brighten! I spent most of my time specializing in putting and upgrading my equipment outdoors, however I can’t wait to spruce up my residing space a bit of extra and make it really feel much less run down.
As water just isn’t very plentiful, you’ll have to sustain together with your provide and ensure it stays topped up. This was one of many mechanics that I discovered a bit annoying within the recreation, however it actually provides to the immersion because it traces up with the story. It additionally provides a bit of extra depth to the crafting since you’ll want to gasoline your equipment whereas additionally watching the water tank’s provide in order that it doesn’t deplete.
Fortunately, different assets in Sandrock are plentiful even when the land seems to be barren. You may spend a while kicking a tumbleweed round for fiber, or you may scavenge by a pile of junk for varied items. Crops are scattered all through the world that present completely different matierls, and when you want the rest you may dive into the mines. Farming is one other enjoyable, resource-rich side of My Time At Sandrock. It is possible for you to to make use of the land to domesticate and develop crops that you should use in recipes or promote.
Timing just isn’t too necessary with the principle aims as you may take them as slowly as you want to. This makes the sport really feel extra enjoyable, and it additionally provides you time to choose up different aspect quests to do for cash or assets. I actually appreciated the regular tempo and ended up making myself a schedule in-game that labored, leaping between the first and secondary missions. By doing commissions for characters, I used to be additionally in a position to befriend them way more shortly than merely chatting each day. This provides much more incentive to choose up requests from the board. Different quests will name so that you can restore issues for the federal government, like defective bridges or new elevators.
Whereas the timing is as much as you for greater issues like quests for the principle story, commissions you decide up for townsfolk can have limits so you will want to complete them inside a certain quantity of days. A few of them will name for extra assets and fewer time, however the rewards can be larger in flip.
A very helpful change in My Time At Sandrock has been the stock and equipment administration. You may swap between completely different storage chests shortly upon getting opened one quite than needing to go to the others manually. Machines and worktables additionally preserve monitor of your quests and allow you to know what you’ll want to construct for it and what number of of a sure factor you will want.
Sandrock doesn’t draw back from fight, and it is possible for you to to come across varied unusual enemies that can depart you questioning… did I simply defeat a lizard bandit? The reply can be sure. It is possible for you to to change between melee fight and ranged fight, a function I discovered to be an ideal enchancment. As common, you may craft your weapons and defensive gadgets (e.g. shields). Get able to really feel like a cowboy knight working across the desert with weapons and swords.
The brand new world boasts 40 distinctive characters that you may construct up a relationship with. They didn’t overlook to incorporate the fan-favorite animal NPCs. Prepare to fulfill and fall in love with Captain, the eternally grumpy kitty roaming Sandrock.
The townsfolk all have distinctive personalities and there are storylines to go along with them. Pen, Sandrock’s very personal “superhero,” is only one instance of a personality with many quirks. There may be additionally the excitable Elsie engaged on her father’s farm, hard-headed Cooper, protecting Justice, and extra. I felt like characters undoubtedly had a bit extra spark to them in Sandrock than in Portia.
There are different small options all through the gameplay that made me smile. In case your character is an excessive amount of of an evening owl and so they keep up previous midnight, they might get up with some darkish circles beneath their eyes! This was a cute shock for me, and made the sport extra immersive. It was little particulars like this one that basically caught my eye and demonstrated how the workforce has been striving to make the sequel extra of a enjoyable expertise for gamers.
Finally, this recreation appears like a stable sequel. Whereas it’s not an enormous change from My Time At Portia, I really feel like that’s a part of what makes the sport so enticing to me as a fan of the unique. Adjustments had been made in some good locations and issues had been improved upon to make an total higher expertise. I really feel that the world map’s change and the storyline themselves let this recreation stand alone as a follow-up to its predecessor.
If My Time At Sandrock sounds just like the sequel you’ve been ready for, be sure you test it out upon launch this Friday on Might 26. There can be extra to stay up for than simply their preliminary launch, as they’ve multiplayer and different new options deliberate for the long run. When you have not but performed the unique title, no worries. You can begin with Sandrock!
