Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles (A Dream, A Tale, A Review)

There are very few self-contained, gaming experiences that truly take you to another world. Sure, there are games that are fun, or challenging, or narratively pleasing, but outside of major franchises and AAA titles, there are very few games that one would consider transcending, especially in the indie market. Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles took all of my expectations of what indie games could be and completely dismantled them. Developed by Prideful Sloth, a small studio in Brisbane, Australia, Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles is part Harvest Moon, part Legend of Zelda and a momentous leap for what the Unity Engine is capable of on a small scale.

The moment I started the game, there was something calming about its simplicity. The environment and the NPCs are well crafted and full of color, but there's no urgency to move forward. You're free to explore, and to speak, and to take it all in. Even the boat you start out on is vibrant and full of interesting characters. By speaking with the crew, I learned that I'm on my way to a world that holds answers to some great mystery from my past. They tell me enough about this fabled world to intrigue me as player, but not so much that it removes the mystery. And with each word spoken, something ominous appears in the horizon. We sail forward into a great mist, and then everything goes dark. In a dream I speak with ancient beings, guardians of the magical island known as Gemea. They've been waiting for me. They tell me that the answers I seek are indeed here, but first, I must save the island from a dark fog called The Murk. When I awake, I'm in a cave and it's here that I have my first encounter with a sprite, one of many magical creatures that have the ability to dispel The Murk and open up new paths for me that will lead deeper into Gemea. As I emerge into the rolling grasslands of this magical continent, it's here that I get my first taste of the game's mechanics. I headed towards the first village, a small affair with a large windmill in the center. On my way there, I gathered sticks and herbs, gliding from rocks, and encountering strange animals. The village elder gives me a quest, and from here I discover exactly what this game is and what I'll be doing for the next six hours. Every minute after that was completely breath-taking.

It's not often that you find what could be considered a fantasy, role-playing game that doesn't come with more side-quests than you can keep track of, a bloated story, and a huge world with absolutely no reason to explore it. This is where Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles really stands out. It's a big game but there's no fat . . . nothing feels extra. Not only is the story very straight forward - protagonist searches for answers to his past - but you actually want to explore every inch of this continent, whether you're looking for sprites, quests, or maybe you're one of those obsessive completionists. This is a game that feels simple, but at the same time has so many things you can do and so many paths you can take to get to your end goal.

Let's talk about some of the things this game has to offer. Objectively speaking, one of the best qualities about this game is that there's no particular way you have to play it. By putting off a side-quest or a task you have to complete for the main story, there's no stress or anxiety involved. You simply play at your own pace, in your own time. You can mainline the game by completing narrative quests only, you can spend extra hours playing side-quests, you can build a farm and raise animals, you can join guilds and earn trade perks, or you can take a few hours and explore everything from the rolling grass lands to the bitter cold mountains of Gemea. It's entirely up to you. While I dabbled in farming, I've never been much of a farm simulator person, but if you're a fan of Harvest Moon or Stardew Valley, this might be a feature that appeals highly to you. If you're into the guild features of MMOs like Final Fantasy XI, XIV or Elder Scrolls Online, there are plenty of guilds to join and perks to be had from their memberships. If you're a fan a fan of the Legend of Zelda series and you want to simply play a game with a soothing soundtrack and plenty to explore, you can also spend hours doing just that. Point being, this one the most versatile games that exists on modern platforms.

In the category of positive things for this game, besides what was already mentioned above, Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles not only offers a variety of ways to play the game, but it also allows for a soothing game experience that you don't really get with other games. Maybe that doesn't speak great things about the narrative, but that's just it. While the narrative is strong enough to hold the game together, it doesn't make you feel like you have to rush through it by blocking off areas at certain points in the game or making anything feel level specific. The progression system isn't traditional in any sense, but nor is it lacking like it does in other open world games like Sea of Thieves. The in-game economy also feels very fresh. There is no currency. Everything you get from shopkeepers has to be traded for, and most of these items can either be farmed (literally) or picked up in the world over the course of your adventures. While the sprites can be nuisances to find at time (I'll get to that in a minute) there's something oddly satisfying about dispelling the murk and seeing that dark purple disappear from your map. Playing this game, I felt a sense of calm that I haven't experienced since Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. They've even taken a page from that game with their soundtrack and the noises the NPCs make instead of actually talking.

As for negative things, it's hard to put anything specific in this category. Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles is completely aware of what it wants to be. So things that I would have liked to see in the game are probably things that weren't part of their vision, but I'll do my best. For starters, I would have loved to see a little bit of combat in this game. Because it's mostly centered around farming and exploring, there's no combat to speak of, which means you don't level up. There is a progression system, but it's based in the games economy and not on defeating foes. Dispelling The Murk also is a method of progressing, but finding sprites can be very time-consuming even at their easiest. Another thing that I wasn't incredibly fond of is how some of the side-quests are time specific. In the words of the great Kimberly "Sweet Brown" Wilkins, "Aint nobody got time for that." Finally, the payoff in the end of the game is a bit weak, but again, the game is completely aware of what it wants to be, and I don't think story was as much of a focus as exploration.

Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles is a game that speaks to the kid in all of us. It's part nostalgia, part magic, and all the things a casual role playing game should be. Is it perfect? No, not by any stretch of the imagination. Is it fun? Absolutely. If you take the time to play it, I can guarantee you that you won't be disappointed. While it lacks the complexities of bigger titles, it's simplicity is one of its strongest attributes. You can play this game for as many hours as you'd like and in any way you'd like and still come out of it feeling satisfied and wanting more. Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles is now available on Xbox One, Playstation 4, Windows, and Nintendo Switch. The good people over at Prideful Sloth have made something that's well worth your time and money.

Reviewed by: Josh Pederson

Played On: Xbox One

Score: 9/10

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