Every adventure is a journey of some kind, but often we are so engrossed in the destination that we sometimes forget to enjoy the journey. Far: Changing tides push you to immerse yourself in the little moments that might otherwise be overlooked in our rush to climax. The newest Okomotive side-scrolling platformer is a challenging and victorious meditative adventure. But this pilgrimage is so powerful that I am often content to forget about my ultimate goal.
Okomotive’s freshman release, Far: Lone Sails, follows in the footsteps of atmospheric puzzle players like Inside and Little Nightmares. While Lone Sails isn’t nearly as dark or brooding as the other titles, it sets an impressive tone as the player navigates a massive land on a sleigh across a desolate landscape. apocalypse, while looking for a new home. Far: Changing Tides is – in many ways – more similar, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Instead of driving a vehicle on land, Change Tides puts you in command of an oversized boat. The mechanics of this ship are complex enough to be engaged without feeling overbearing. I enjoyed raising the sails and moving the mast to catch the wind or inject fuel into my engine to give my car a splash on the water. Along the way you find ship upgrades, such as a chain to lift sunken treasure or an overloader that gives a brief but amazing speed boost. I can’t wait to explore my next upgrade and see how it has changed the way I navigate these frozen waters.
You encounter various obstacles on this journey and are often forced to abandon your ship to solve environmental puzzles. These moments are rarely worthwhile, but I enjoyed stretching my legs to start a rusty windmill, study the inner workings of a rotting locomotive, or dive for secrets on the ocean floor. Like Lone Sails, changing Tides doesn’t bother you with tooltips or gameplay explanations; instead, you learn about the world and how things work through trial and error. Occasionally, I scratch my head at what looks like a dead end, but after tinkering with the environment for a few minutes, I can always find what feels like a big-money solution.
Between puzzles, you go through long passages where you take in the scenery. These scenes remind me of the best moments of a long car ride where you are immersed in the beauty of nature. It keeps Far: Change Tides brimming with dramatic scenes and backed up by a moody, often sad, score.
Far: Changing Tides isn’t an action-packed roller coaster ride – it’s a contemplative journey that isn’t afraid to slow down and requires you to reflect on your expedition. Of course, this adventure is full of challenges that need to be overcome. But whether I’m watching the clouds roll over the flooded city with the wind behind me or burying myself in a storm as 10-foot waves hit my ship, I’m always completely in love with it. rash. It’s a journey that I hope to take again someday.
