official [ Oc Review ] - Reap and Sow

[Ocedic 249]

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Title: Reap and Sow

Author: SnowOwl

Version: Demo 3

 

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Reap and Sow is a game that promises to combine the soothing farm-tending gameplay of Harvest Moon with elements of horror. It caught my eye with its interesting premise and unique presentation. For such a captivating idea, Reap and Sow has received little attention. Thus, I decided to stow my inhibitions and plunge into the Cthuluesque abyss. What I found was a soft undercurrent of melancholy and a glimpsing sense of serenity. It's certainly a different experience, but is it a worthwhile one?

 

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The game's graphical style is at times surreal and always grim. The creatures that you encounter in the dreamworld are captivating and grotesque. The environments were a bit bland at times, especially during the farm sequences. There are times when things are confusing or unclear due to mapping and art. For example, in the dreamworld it's not immediately discernible which tiles are interactive or harmful and which ones are decorative. There are also times when the lighting is a bit too dark, making navigation somewhat obtuse. The mapping really fails to jump out and grab you in terms of aesthetics, though it does do its job from a utilitarian standpoint. Ultimately, the monsters are very impressive but the environments are boring and forgettable.

 

 

Audio-wise, the game does an adequate job of creating mood. Some of the music is beautiful, and the sound effects are always fitting and at times disturbing. There's room for more ambiance though, as the creatures are silent except when you touch them. It could add a lot of fear if you could hear the squishing noises of their movements and faint growls. Overall, the audio is fairly reserved for a horror themed game.

 

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In the beginning, I was a bit underwhelmed in this department. For one thing, you're not given nearly enough instruction on how to manage your farm. You're thrust into the role and given only a few lines of instruction, rather than eased into the process in an elegant manner. You basically learn the farming system through trial and error. For example, on the first day I took the hoe and dug a bunch of holes. With no warning, I ran out of stamina and was forced to end the farming day without having planted any crops. There is no UI that indicates your stamina nor is there any mention of it at all. Things like this frustrate and annoy the player. Tangentially, the lack of a UI in general is a large burden on the player. There's too much menu navigating to perform even simple actions, like checking how much gold you have. The entire farming system lacks user-friendliness and simplicity.

 

 

This almost made me stopped playing completely, but the dreamworld was where the game picked up. The gameplay here is very simple: You avoid enemies and navigate room by room trying, sometimes encountering puzzles and eventually bosses. Since enemies (typically) don't chase you and move in pre-determined routes, it actually complimented the farming sections somewhat nicely and were surprisingly calming. You do lose the level in one mistake, which makes you take these sections at a slow and careful pace. It creates an interesting dynamic as failing in the dreamworld will send you back to the farm world. Since you don't get to immediately retry your mistakes like in Super Meat Boy, it's actually not that frustrating when you 'die' and you switch focus to tending your crops before you try again.

 

 

I didn't get far enough to see it, but eventually the farming and dreamworld sections intersect. Objects you gain in the farming world help you in the dreamworld, and gold you find in the dreamworld helps you expand your farm. It creates a very interesting synergy and the end result is that I wanted to explore more and more of the dreamworld. The game design here is at times brilliant, such as when you're shown a mechanic in a non-intrusive way that is later the key to defeating a boss. There are subtleties to the level layouts such as placing gold in more difficult-to-reach areas, creating optional challenges for those who wish to find more rewards. The ambition is impressive on a macro level and the execution is fantastic on a micro level.

 

I really hope the farming section is improved with a better interface and more interesting mechanics in general. Right now, it only serves as a vehicle to support the dreamworld sequences. When I play Harvest Moon, I'm farming because it's enjoyable and relaxing. The game would be far better if the farming sequences were as engaging as the dreamworld sequences and playable standalone. As it stands, I would put this game down in 10 minutes if it only had farming.

 

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This is something of a weak point for the title. The story feels esoteric and unrelatable. I feel like you're intended to want to find out what happened to the village, but the game fails to establish a meaningful connection between you and the main character. I found myself exploring the dreamworld because it was fun in terms of gameplay, not because I was dying to watch the story unfold. Having said that, I don't think it's terribly important that the story is a bit shallow. The minimalistic narrative is enough to keep the game grounded in the gloomy atmosphere and general creepiness.

 

 

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Reap and Sow is one of the few games that combines interesting ideas with some delivery on its ambitious ideas. The dreamworlds will have you coming back for more, but its mediocre farming sections are disappointing to say the least.

 

Grade: B-

[SnowOwl 23]

I'm glad you liked the dreamparts of the game most since those are the mechanics that I have completed 100%.

The farming part is a bit of a work in progress (far from completed), and as you noted it's a bit dull at the moment.

I definitely plan to make it easier and faster.

I'll probably make some kind of indicator when stamina is running out, too.

 

Story could probably use some work too. I'll be adding more story segments inbetween dreamworlds

and since I haven't completed anything in the real world outside of the farm that's probably why the

story feels a bit weak, too (you don't really get any story in the demo, really

outside of one cutscene and the intro).

Oh, and I'll work on the maps too.

I'm the kind of person that usually finishes one thing first and then goes to the next thing,

which is why the farming is so far behind the dreaming.

But y'know, the game is far from completed so it's no sweat, right?

Great review, I'll definitely work on the parts you mentioned.