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Stardew Valley has been around for over ten years now but the Switch 2 version released just a little less than three months ago. I eagerly jumped in to continue my file from where I was with the Switch version, and I finally played enough to write a review. So, let’s get into this Stardew Valley review!
Story
The game starts off like most farming sims do. You’re left your farm by your grandfather and leave your city life for the outdoors. It’s all pretty standard at a first glance but what Stardew does best is with its characters. Everyone has their own stories and unique lines if you decide to tend to your friendships with them. You get to know most people on a personal level and learn their own tales. So while the story may seem basic at first, the residents of Pelican Town make the stay worth the time.
Gameplay
Stardew Valley consists of traditional farming gameplay such as growing crops, tending to animals and meeting people in the town. It’s essentially what you find in a Harvest Moon title but it’s much more than that beyond that top layer. If you go deeper, you also have a wizard, mythical beings, a community town to make yourself a part of and experience. This is done by interacting with the members, giving them gifts and seeing what unfolds.
There is, as expected, mining and fishing alongside the farm work. I always enjoy the mines in most farming games, as it’s a good money maker early on. You can use ores to upgrade yours tools to help with cutting wood, breaking the rocks and more. Stardew Valley offers a bit of everything for everyone.
Graphics
Stardew Valley isn’t about having stylish graphics but these reminiscent of the SNES era just feel right. The Switch 2 version offers a sharper image of that to the Switch without changing the core feel and look of the game. The retro inspired graphics are on point.
Soundtrack
Stardew has the best soundtrack. It’s calming, fun, catchy and overall just fits the tune of the game to a T. I can’t think of a single time I didn’t enjoy the music or felt like I wanted to actually mute my system as I played. You can listen to the songs here or you can even buy a (paid link) physical CD if that’s of interest.
Controls
The controls are on point. They aren’t complex but they do as they should. You can walk around, interact with the world, and select your items as needed from the quick menu at the bottom. Overall, nothing could be improved in my opinion.
Replayability
There are so many different ways you can replay Stardew Valley. You could start with a different type of farm, as a different gender, design the farm totally different, choose to get married to different people or even date everyone at once! The point is, this game has perfect replayability, thus so that it keeps players coming back for years.
Scores:
Story: 10/10
Gameplay: 10/10
Graphics: 10/10
Soundtrack: 10/10
Controls: 10/10
Replayability: 10/10
Overall:
Conclusion
Stardew Valley is a title that you’ll come back to year and years to come. The Switch 2 version especially feels like an upgrade and worhy of more time put in, even if you’ve already created 10 different files on every system you own. It’s just that good. Make sure to check my beginner tips for the game as well as where I go over how to get coal during your first year. Stardew Valley is available on Steam, (paid link) PS4, (paid link) Switch, Switch 2, and (paid link) Xbox One.
Until next time, happy gaming.
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