'Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles' Review: A Tamed Version of 'Zelda'
Prideful Sloth's "Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles" is a game perfect for families with its childlike simplicity and logic.
Video Gamer rated the open-world adventure game a seven out of ten. After its July 18th release on the PlayStation 4 and Steam, "Yonder" has been steadily getting attention from gamers worldwide. Set on a massive island called Gemea, players will explore the tropical beaches and lush mountains in the eight distinct environments featured in the game.
The game's description on Steam said Gemea is a virtual paradise, "yet an evil murk has enshrouded the land and its people in despair."
"Yonder" is violence free. Players will eliminate the evil surrounding them with the help of sprites, little floating Pokemon-like creatures. Other activities on the island include farming, doing crafts, fishing and bartering with the locals. For instance, helping a woman who is looking for her pet Groffles (a Gemean cow) means getting a thank-you hairpin in the end. Getting tools like axe and sickles to cut down trees and grass and hammers to pulverize rocks is done by trade.
Video Gamer said "Yonder" is a combination of "Stardew Valley" and "My First Skyrim" with a touch of "Breath of the Wild" and "Up Playmobil." PC Gamer begs to disagree, though. According to its review, the game is too tame and simple compared to other open-world adventure titles. More than anything, it is reportedly a good way to pass the time.
"Don't be fooled into thinking this is like Zelda crossed with Stardew Valley'though. It's not. Building a farm and luring Gemea's amusingly squishy-looking creatures into it (with food and love) is not a complex enterprise, nor are the little bits of micromanagement you'll pull off to maintain it. As soon as Yonder looks like it might start to get too high-maintenance, it reigns everything in. Farms can only be built in predetermined areas and they can't expand out of these areas, so they're really just a pleasant pastime more than a means to achieve anything," PC Gamer's review read.
"Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles" is currently playable on PS4 and PC.
