Developed and published by indie developer Subconscious GamesThis is our preview of Cornucopia, the game that is proof that the "farm games" genre is not dead and probably won't die.
When you think the genre has become saturated and there's no room for innovation or renewal, Cornucopia comes with improved systems in a 2.5D game to show that the genre is more alive than ever.
In today's preview, we'll talk a bit about Cornucopia, a game that is currently in early access on Steam and it certainly deserves your attention.
Cornucopia's story embraces originality
No more inheriting your grandfather's farm. In Cornucopia you are rescued at the beginning of the game by a farmer called Rufus and the town doctor called Andre.
Bypassing the impossible, you end up surviving a freeze in the best Captain America style. However, you end up remembering nothing and need some time to recover.
Curiously, and surprising everyone, there is an abandoned farm in Cornucopia where there have been no residents until now.
Once you receive the farm, you can shape your life as you see fit. You can explore the town, tend to your crops, make friends with the more than 50 NPCs available in the game and even continue the game's intriguing narrative.
A magical city
Everything indicates that Cornucopia is a magical city, and Naomi, a girl who is following you, points it out - although it sounds scary, it's no big deal.
Naomi is looking for help. According to her, the town has a magical tale, and since you've been frozen for 100 years, it's possible that the magic was with you.
In the best style Stardew ValleyIn the community center, where you need to take some items to the community center, you'll need to recover some precious stones, which you can get by making friends with the townspeople.
It's something that follows the pattern of other games, although it's different, but with a very unique and different story.
The gameplay mechanics are also a highlight in Cornucopia
As I said at the beginning, if you thought there was nowhere to run in a farm game, you could be wrong.
Something we haven't seen before in other farm games, and there is in Cornucopiais composting. In Stardew ValleyEach crop is planted seasonally, meaning that certain harvests are only possible in specific seasons.
In Cornucopia This doesn't happen, and good levels of soil are needed for plants to grow properly. Soil levels vary between Nitrogen, Potassium, Phosphorus and Bioactivity.
Skills progression
As in most games, using your tools will earn you experience. But you'll get some rewards after you level up.
A special is also available for each of them. While in Stardew Valley by getting a better watering can, you could water more squares, in Cornucopia this is done by using the special on your watering can.
It's a fun mechanic that makes progression a little more organic, even though it's nothing new.
The mechanics of fishing
Fishing is always something I keep an eye on in this type of game. Each game adheres to a different format, making fishing special in a different way.
While in Stardew Valley you have a bar system, in My Time at Sandrock you have a trap system, and in Palia you have to pull the fish, in Cornucopia you are thrown into a minigame called Dropzone, which is basically a Plinko.
In case you don't know what a Plinko is, it's a type of betting game found in Japanese Pachinkos. It consists of dropping a ball on a pyramid of pins and watching it go through the multipliers.
Letters
Cornucopia also innovates by introducing a card system. Every time you discover a new area, level up or complete a mission, you'll receive a pack of cards.
There are many different styles of packets: scratch cards, missions or just ordinary cards. Scratch cards, for example, work in the best style Scrape it off of Tele Sena.
You have to scrape and get three of the same item to win it. The items can be as varied as possible, including new food recipes.
It's a very robust and well thought-out system. Certainly a great differentiator and an extremely positive point for Cornucopia.
Cornucopia is original and will keep the genre alive for a long time to come
Cornucopia there's still a lot to get, since it's in early access. There are many events that can be added, a Brazilian Portuguese subtitle that has certainly been missed, and visual and gameplay improvements.
I thought the game was beautiful, its visuals are unique and the 2.5D brought a charm that I wouldn't have expected. But if you're not used to the horizontal view, don't worry, there are ways to make it more "isometric" in style. Stardew Valley.
However, something that bothered me was that it's a bit difficult to differentiate between the items in the inventory. I usually hover to see the names, otherwise I wouldn't know what they are.
As I said, the subtitles in Brazilian Portuguese are sorely missed, especially as there are many other mechanics that we are not used to, so if you have a more limited vocabulary, it will be difficult to play.
No more, Cornucopia is a very original game, with good gameplay, an excellent soundtrack and excellent features such as fishing, composting, a companion system with animals and much more.
I don't want to go on too long with the text, and I won't even give it a rating, since the game is still in early access. As soon as it's officially released, I'll get back to you with a verdict.
In a nutshell, what can I tell you with our preview of Cornucopia is: If you're a fan of farm games, especially those like My Time At, Stardew Valley, Story of Seasons and others... Cornucopia is an excellent game and without a doubt deserves your attention.
What did you think of our preview of Cornucopia? Comment below!
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