Finally Thunder Lotus Games has returned with their full release of Spiritfarer. A while back, the demo was reviewed here. Now that the full game is released, there is a bit more depth that can be seen as players dive in. The basis that people need a more realistic way to deal with death hasn’t changed, but Spiritfarer has found a way to make the topic more tolerable.
Stella, our main character takes after the Greek mythology of the River Styx where she uses her boat to transport people to the afterlife. During this time she builds strong bonds with the characters she meets and continues to provide comfortable conditions too. Spiritfarer is a resource management but sometimes the small things don’t make the game feel like there is a lot to manage.
Upon the boat, Stella builds relationships with the characters on board. Each character will share their story in detail but Stella must provide the little comforts such as a garden or a new home. Similar to tetris, Stella will travel from place to place and then stop to build more onto the boat. Eventually the boat becomes crammed with different needs from all of the different personalities while awaiting their final destination.
Luckily you don’t have to steer the boat to each destination, your goal is to tend to each character. Some are pickier than others, and managing gardens can be repetitive but the bigger message is learning within yourself how to realistically deal with death in a better way. The story really does bring comfort in some way. In a world situation where death seems to be everywhere, this slow journey makes players think about the good parts of life and how there can be a peaceful journey to crossing over.
One might think that a game about death would be dark, but the opposite is true. The player might not know what lies beyond (the game wisely steps around detailing what exactly happens after the spirits leave your boat). In the end, it does not really matter. The purpose is how we lived, not where we go after. You might deal with this feeling, as the game comes to a close, you don’t want it to end. Spiritfarrer is a game you don’t want to miss out on.
10/10
Available on PC, PS4,Xbox and Switch