GARDEN STORY GAME REVIEW HOW TO
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Yes, the adorable art and character design help with this, but truth be told, the air of optimism and perseverance comes from the story’s narrative. While the dungeons and bosses aren’t extremely challenging, they all offer vital looks into the world of Garden Story that make the game dynamic and whole. Concord’s simplicity makes the player feel like a small character rising to meet a devastating challenge and that warmth and hope is what I needed right now. Playing as a simple, small character in a larger and more magical story allows you to feel the moments where you begin to come into your title as a Guardian. While the “save the world” narrative is a standard one, there is something about playing as a simple grape in Garden Story that instills a sense of hope.

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As you help your neighbors, you collect memories that are used to help you upgrade Concord’s stamina, speed, health, and other abilities.īy doing this, the developers also deepen your connection to the story and The Grove itself as you take on more and more responsibility. While a lot of quests feel small, especially the gathering ones, the larger ones build connective tissue between Concord, The Grove, and its people. They range from gathering resources to help local shopkeepers, repairing bridges to ensure safe passage to battling the Rot, and, most importantly, connecting you to the characters around you and The Grove itself. Those quests are dictated by both characters and checking your daily request board for tasks. In addition to puzzles, the ways that you interact with the world are surprising. The puzzles and actions have a surprising diversity that keeps you engaged. But in addition to combat elements, you also have to solve in-world puzzles to complete quests throughout the world as well.

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This doesn’t allow you to just hack and slash your way through and learn how to move through the world and how to strategically tackle the Rot. At first, two hits feel too little, but your mobility as the little-grape-that-could make up for it extremely well. And that’s important given how the game’s combat system works.Īs you face the Rot throughout the areas, you have a hit meter that depletes as you perform the combat action. The game is played all through the keyboard and while it’s a little weird at first, each prompt comes with a corresponding key so you’re never fumbling through what to press. Garden Story is very straightforward when it comes to visuals, but the controls may be a little off for those used to a mouse. But the villages have fallen into despair as entities known as the Rot have begun to corrupt The Grove, and Concord is among the last Guardians to protect their world. Now, that mantle falls to you, Concord, the Guardian of Spring Hamlet. You see, The Grove is inhabited by Greenlings (sentient fruit, fungi, and vegetables), Seafolks, and Frogs, and one citizen in each region acts as a Guardian. This diversity in visual look also translates to the dungeons and the characters.

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Once, The Grove was home to a massive tree full of mana and sectioned into four settlements: Spring Hamlet, Autumn Town, Winter Glade, and Summer Bar.Įach of these sections of The Grove is stunningly designed through pixel art and made distinct from each other, keeping each area feeling like a whole new world. The game’s introduction lays out your quest and the background of the main narrative. If you’re unfamiliar with Garden Story, the game is an action RPG where you play a young grape named Concord as they try to protect and rebuild their whimsical community called The Grove. Sure, it was also one of the last demos I played at a convention before the pandemic began but its adorable art and grape protagonist warmed my heart. Developed by Picogram and published by Rose City Games, Garden Story is a game I’ve has my eye on for a long time. Sometimes you need to disappear into a game with a hopeful story and a stunningly calming and emotive score.

Garden story game review