Fae Farm, a new farming simulation game from a surprising developer, has been announced as part of Tuesday’s Nintendo Direct. The Nintendo Switch-exclusive farming sim RPG came as one of the biggest third-party surprises ofNintendo’s presentation. The Nintendo Direct also delivered announcements forHarvestella,Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life, andRune Factory 3 Special, butFae Farmmanaged to stand out among the competition in a unique manner.
Phoenix Labs is listed asFae Farm’s developer, which is certain to raise an eyebrow. Phoenix Labs is the developer of thefree-to-play action RPGDauntless, which is a sort of online multiplayer-focusedMonster Hunter. To say thatFae Farmis a deviation fromDauntlesswould be an understatement. Since the release ofDauntless, however, Phoenix Labs has expanded to have three total offices and has been acquired by Singapore publisher Garena. Phoenix Labs certainly has the resources to experiment.
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Given Phoenix Labs’Dauntlessexperience, it’s perhaps no surprise that a major facet of its new gameFae Farmwill be multiplayer.Fae Farmisn’t just a farming sim RPG, but aco-op farming simsupporting between one and four players. Alone or with friends, players will be able to build their home, gather resources, and delve into dungeons searching for rare rewards.Fae Farmsupports full drop-in/drop-out multiplayer, so co-op is seamless no matter the activity.
Farming sim fans won’t have to wait much longer to see whetherFae Farmdelivers a special experience. Phoenix Labs says thatFae Farmis tentatively planned to launch in spring 2023. It will also be aNintendo Switch exclusive, so Phoenix Labs can build the experience around the capabilities of the platform and the likely expectations of the platform’s audience.
As noted,Fae Farm’s biggest challenge is standing out in a saturated market of farming/life sims. The modern success of titles likeStardew ValleyandAnimal Crossing: New Horizons, particularly on Switch, has led to many developers choosing to try and capitalize on the genre. There’s certainly room to grow, given the lack of innovation in the genre, but that also means there’s a lot for new games to prove.
The pitch forFae Farmis strong. It mixes familiar farming sim gameplay with a fantasy world where players use magic to explore a mysterious world, and layers on cooperative multiplayer to make the experience more accessible and group-friendly. That’s a solid base forFae Farmto be announced with, and now comes the hard work of introducing more depth and an overall compelling experience. Otherwise,Harvestella,Story of Seasons, or any of the other farming sims coming up may claim the opportunity.
