Farming “slice-of-life” style sims are nothing new, with one of the earliest examples being Harvest Moon (also known in Japan as 牧場物語, or ‘Farm Story‘), but the genre is filled with gems – and one of the latest, Fields of Mistria from the small developer NPC Studio, has proven itself to be a diamond.
Note: All information regarding Fields of Mistria at time of writing only details material available in the game’s Early Access, which is currently available on Steam.
Boasting over 100,000 downloads on Steam, Fields of Mistria, at a glance, has an aesthetic that blends the pixel sprites found in Stardew Valley with an anime-inspired artstyle that immediately reminded us of the Rune Factory franchise, but the game is already so much more than that, and exists completely on its own. Its opening feels very standard for the genre, but once players embark on their farming journey, they’ll find that the quaint little town of Mistria is overflowing with secrets.
Fields of Mistria Is Filled With Passion, and a Love For the Genre
Before diving into Fields of Mistria‘s lore and story, it’s important to note how the game succeeds in creating a player experience that perfectly balances what fans of farming sims love about the genre with the mechanics in a way that’s approachable and the definition of user-friendly while still incorporating advanced mechanics to customize the player’s farm once they get the hang of how everything on the farm works.
Every tool has a clearly defined purpose, and the player’s backpack is easy to navigate. From the first in-game day, players can begin setting up their plots exactly the way they want them to be, and start planning how they eventually want their perfect farmstead to look.
Additionally, the quest system offers players a chance to not only boost Mistria’s ‘Renown’ score, but goes beyond the typical “fetch quest” to occasionally provide players with a special cutscene or “get-to-know-you” dialogue with NPCs, which makes the world feel vibrant and alive.
Additionally, the villages residing in Mistria are full of personality. The town feels very lived in, and the addition of “Friday Nights at the Inn”, give players a chance to see more of the NPCs when they’re enjoying each others company. Other events, like the Saturday markets, offer rotating dialogue showing how the NPCs feel about certain stalls, or other small tidbits about the types of people they are outside of their usual day-to-day activities.
Te extra effort put in to balance the social aspects of Fields of Mistria‘s gameplay just as much as the farming is commendable, and something that the genre has been in desperate need of – which is especially admirable when factoring in how fun and rewarding the dungeon crawls the player can later embark on are.
Fields of Mistria’s World Is Filled With Mysteries
From the game’s prologue, it’s clear that Fields of Mistria is filled with intricate lore, overflowing with magic and mysteries. Early on, the player gets introduced to Caldarus – a dragon guardian that enter a pact with the player to aid them on improving the town. Additionally, there are mentions throughout the game of an earthquake that set Mistria back and drove many of the townsfolk away.
As the player interacts with the NPCs, they can begin to piece together just how devastating this event was, as well as hear whispers about the Baron and Baroness that are currently away in the capital, allowing their two children to take charge of fixing the town in their absence. Once the player works with Eiland to repair the mines, they realize that the strange events going on in town delve much deeper than an earthquake, and begin taking on monsters in their adventures.
From the developer’s official website for the game, Fields of Mistria is described as follows:
Mistria, an idyllic village tucked between forest and sea, has offered the player an overgrown but full-of-potential homestead in exchange for their assistance. The player will help to restore the town to its former glory after an earthquake wreaks havoc and strange magic begins to flow through the land.
NPC Studio
In this spiritual successor to the Farm-Sim RPGs of the late 90s & onward (Harvest Moon SNES through Stardew Valley) build the farm of your dreams as you discover magic, romance, and adventure!
About NPC Studio:
NPC Studio is an indie developer based in Chicago, USA. Founded in 2019, NPC Studio is a comprised of a passionate team dedicated to creating the games that they want to see in the world.
As longtime fans of the Farm-Sim RPG genre (since its first inception with Harvest Moon SNES) the team brings 25 years of Farm-Sim knowledge to the table and aims to contribute meaningfully to the genre — embracing its history while continuing to push it forward.
Tales of Mistria is currently in Early Access, and is available to download on Steam.
Published: Sep 3, 2024 02:02 pm