The tasks end up repeating themselves and become monotonous very quickly, whether it’s killing six or seven of the basic ooze enemies scattered about the world, raising the same bridge multiple times, or throwing four pieces of glass in the town collection box. Increasing the level of the Conflict stat might make resources in the environment more plentiful, allowing Concord to gather more of the sticks, stones, and other resources needed to advance the main story or complete other daily tasks such as repairing fences. Completion of each task works to raise one of three parameters for each of the game’s four towns. Given that, it stands to reason that across Garden Story’s 15-20 hours, repetition would eventually set in this just happens to come to fruition sooner rather than later.ĭuring a loose day-night cycle, you’re assigned two or three daily tasks in the morning upon waking up. The fairly contained world displayed on your map grows as you explore, but each area isn’t much more than six or seven screens in size. The narrative plays out in a familiar way, with Concord assisting with the development of the Spring Hamlet, eliminating the major Rot threat there, and then moving on to Summer’s End. Eventually appointed as a Guardian to protect the inhabitants of their home, Concord sets out to cleanse four separate seasonal-themed lands of the destructive Rot that has seeped into The Grove. The 2D, top-down perspective, basic action-adventure style, charming villages set amongst trees and flowers, and light pastel colors are no doubt enticing, but unfortunately the minute-to-minute gameplay quickly wilts on the vine.Īs anthropomorphic grape Concord, you emerge from your humble home in The Grove at the behest of your friend Plum. One of the benefits in terms of sales is that many players might pick up the game based on its brief launch trailer and a smattering of screenshots, both of which work in the favor of this game. Like a flower sprouting out of the ground in the dead of night, Garden Story was one of a handful of eShop titles shadowdropped during a recent Indie World presentation.

Garden story review switch