FAR: Lone Sails

FAR: Lone Sails is a great example that gamers don't need 20-50 hours to enjoy the game, and developers don't need years of development and huge budgets to tell interesting stories. A game that requires only 3 hours of your time can still provide a feeling of a fully finished emotional experience.

FAR: Lone Sails is an atmospheric side-scroller where you play the role of an orphan piloting a locomotive running on two giant wheels built by his late father, Jan Hendriksson. Your job is to keep moving forward (to the right) and to do so you need to figure out how to operate the locomotive. There is no tutorial whatsoever, as figuring things out is part of the gameplay which requires some initial thinking. You are only taught the most basic of commands, like which button lets you move and with which button you can grab an object, and the jump button shouldn’t be hard to figure out, but that’s it, after that there is no hand holding and you are on your own. Reading further will spoil the game, so do so at your own peril (if you want a complete picture): Obviously you will need some kind of fuel to power the locomotive, and it shouldn’t take too long to figure out where the start button is, the fuel tank, and what you need to chuck where to keep the tank full. Once you figure out these basic concepts, including periodically venting the steam pressure to further propel your locomotive forward, your journey can begin. And it’s fun, because the scenery changes as you progress, and you frequently stop to pick up more fuel pallets conveniently placed in your way. There are also hard stops which require you getting out of your locomotive to clear an obstruction, usually some kind of gate that requires a manual activation of some mechanism to lift the barrier. You will come across and equip add-ons such as sails, or a repair tool that helps you fix things that break, usually from the result of a fire, which however needs to be put out first (thankfully you have a fire hose with infinite water to do so). There is limited space aboard the locomotive; there are hooks on the ceiling that allow you to hang spare crates of fuel so they wont get in your way as you move around, and each crate fills up your fuel tank by half. A barrel of fuel however fills it up completely, and an explosive barrel does the same, but sets something on fire you will need to put out. The locomotive is also equipped with front and rear winches that allow you to reverse, or pull it forward, should you ever run out of fuel. The game has a day and night cycle, although this is determined by your progress and isn’t on a timer. There are simple puzzles to solve, some challenges, but no enemies and no story or dialogue – the world itself tells the story. Unfortunately, the game isn’t very long and can be completed in a single evening. I was done after 3 hours, and that includes having to alt-tab out of the game twice to consult a walkthrough for being stuck on a puzzle. My only critique, aside from the fact that the game could have been an hour or so longer, is that the zoom in button isn't a toggle, but has to be kept pressed or you will zoom out again. Because only when you are zoomed in can you appreciate some of the finer details the game world has to offer, especially during your short excursions into the various checkpoint toll gates. If you can pick this up on a sale, the one-time “ride” is well worth it, but I wouldn’t pay full price as the game has little replay value. I was thinking about giving a thumbs down because of this, but at the end of the day, it is a work of art, and worth experiencing once, especially because the calming music adds to the overall experience. I have been harsher on other short games like Little Nightmares or White Shadows, but unlike them, FAR: Lone Sails isn’t a tryhard or misleading, and delivers exactly what it promises in the screenshots. Plus, it is a unique one-of-a-kind type of game, hence, worth getting.

Absolutely enjoyed this game. Zero words are spoken but you feel a melancholy effect very well. You're all alone, and everything is in a state of disrepair. You're on a quest to find a new home, but the journey is long and frankly a little treacherous. Ran through the whole game four times, the first one was more of a data run and learning the mechanics and what to expect and looking at all the little quirks. Went into all the puzzles blind and they're not overly difficult to figure out. Some took me longer than they should've but I wasn't going for the speed run achievement at that time. To get all the achievements you'll need to play through the whole game at least three times. Some people said I should've gotten the mileage achievement at the end of my third run-through but I ended up having to play a fourth time. I didn't mind. You get into a rhythm: throwing fuel in, releasing steam, pushing the button to keep the okomotive running, manning the sail. It all feels quite theraputic when weather and obsticles aren't trying to kill you.