Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles

Yesterday Yonder: The Cloud Chronicles released, currently it is 20% off, which isn't bad at all. I had to pick it up. When I first heard about this game I knew it was one I just had to try. While not an MMO it is a great game for explorers and adventurers. There is no combat but plenty to do. Set in a beautiful world with stylized graphics, there is so much to see. It is too cute, already it has an overwhelmingly positive score on Steam. It released on PC and PS4.


Yonder is one of those games where you just can relax in and do what you want. You can quest, fish, craft, find animals to add to your farm, explore and roam around. Lots of fun things to do. It doesn't seem to tie you down with too much as some farming/sim games do. You can hire farmhands to help take care of the farm and there really isn't much farming, at least not right now, at the farm. I have only been able to plant seeds where I chopped down trees, out in the world. It is lighthearted and laid back, not feeling like you need to be doing this or that.

I've only scratched the surface with three hours of play so far. I love it! I had to turn some of the visuals like bloom off because the day time hurt my eyes, otherwise the game looks and runs fantastic. No issues, no crashing. Things like day and night cycles are very short, seasons and days come and go quickly too.

Upon starting the game you can create a male or female character, change hair, skin color and body shape. Not a huge amount of customization;  However, once you get out in the world you can find many different hair style/colors, hats, glasses and so on, to really give your character a more unique look. It also takes some getting used to the camera, it floats around and moves in a way that is supposed give the game a whimsical feel (my guess at least), which bothered me at first but after playing for a short time it seemed to fit. My biggest gripe is that you have to change out tools to do most things, finishing, smashing rocks, gathering ore and grass, everything. You cycle through the items listed and I kept hitting Q, which drove me nuts. Then I figured out you can also use the scroll wheel on the mouse and it made a huge difference. Not in love with this system but it works better once I figured that out.

Those cute animals all over the world, can they be your pal and follow you around?! From the videos I thought so. Then I read on a website, no they won't follow you. But they do! Once you have an animal on your farm, where you need to have a space/pen for it, the option to take them on an adventure is there when you approach the animal. You can also send them home when they are out with you. Is there any reason to take them out? Eh, none I have found so far besides having a cute buddy following you around. Upon starting the game I saw Groffles. I ran to one and he wouldn't have anything to do with me. He just kept turning his backside to me, shoving his fat hiney towards me. It was hilarious. To befriend an animal and to make it follow you home, you have to have what they like to eat.

The main story of the game requires exploring and finding sprites to clean away the murk. You stumble on these little guys all over. It seems to flow pretty well the exploring, finding these guys and questing so far. I have gotten just far enough to make a farm through the main quest, now I am buttering up a guy with food so he will be my farmhand. Oh and the cats! You find cute little cats all over and collect them. I do wish they could follow you around but they just seem something to collect.

Exploring is fun! But as you run away from home, you have to remember how to get back. There are a few teleports in the world you interact with, but there are no quick travel abilities back home. I can't imagine trying to bring home some animals from a reallllly long way. But I don't think you are meant to tame everything. Another thing, there is no dying. When you jump off a cliff the character pops out an umbrella and you float to the bottom, which is adorable. No swimming either, which I found rather odd. You don't really die, but the game fades to back, if you try to swim and you end up back where you entered the water or close to it. Kind of odd, I thought swimming and looking for shells or other things would be something fun. Apparently not a thing in this game. Fishing is though. Fishing took a minute to get used to. It is a lot of push this and that back and forth. It works, not my favorite activity though. But it adds some excitement!

That is about all I can say about the game for now, with my short amount of time playing. I absolutely love exploring, the world is gorgeous, I love how laid back and relaxing it is. This game is something different and it is a lovely break from the same ol' same ol'. One of my new favorite games!