Being a Native American writer, I was very intrigued to learn about this game. A game from the perspective a tribe member, trying to stave off settlers with the intent of taking their land. Or so I thought.
This Land is My Land released on Steam as an Early Access game back in fall 2019. I had heard many things about this game and was very interested to learn about it and when it was coming out.
The game follows a chief from an unnamed tribe, with the task of ensuring their tribes survival and uniting others against the settlers. The interesting part of the game is that with every time you log in, the world has already changed. It can be frustrating if the player has put the game down for a bit and isn’t sure what to expect when they end up in a camp somewhere else on the map.
Players can send out patrols, build up their defenses and live off of the land much like the Indigenous people of the old west. It is a game made of up of many choices, which can lead to positive or negative outcomes also known as KARMA in the game. I do enjoy a game where the play style changes with each choice made.
While I appreciate the type of gameplay is in this game, I have to question whether actual Native Americans were even consulted when making this game. Based on the fact that it was developed by a Ukrainian studio and with some stereotypical themes about Native Americans within the game, I honestly don’t think so. An open world game where my choices matter is my favorite type of game to play, having one be true and authentic is also one that I crave.
5/10
This Land is My Land is on Steam now!
