Playing as a young girl called Lone Henriksson, you traverse the dried-up oceans beds and desolate wastelands following the tracks of a once thriving civilization.
Controlling your Okomotive, you continue your journey, being responsible for fuelling and maintaining the monstrous beast, along with solving basic puzzles to unlock gates hindering progression.
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????Overall Impressions????
Far: Lone Sails is a wonderfully presented vehicular adventure gifting us a real sense of how colossal this unusual vehicle actually is. I’m not sure if it is a train or a truck but it feels weighty, meaty, and satisfying to drive. Momentum plays a key role in giving you that sense of force and the noises coming from that powerful engine are just delightful. I so wish it had a horn but alas it does not. What it does possess though is a massive sail which can be used to turn your mighty steel bullet into a dainty sailing ship, and now you are a sailor. Does the fun never stop!? Your heavy, noisy and fuel guzzling destroyer of worlds suddenly turns into a silent gliding swan with the wind rustling through the worn out and ruptured sails. It is a wonderful contrast.
Whilst cruising along the flatlands you will notice all sorts of interesting relics, and remnants of a civilization once present. There is no detailed story as to what happened, but from the remains it looks like an established culture has fallen. You do discover some clues to its demise but it was a shame there wasn’t a treasure trove of secrets to find and unlock, detailing the past.
The artwork is gorgeous and as I was travelling along admiring the view, I thought to myself how isolated and tranquil it all felt. Nobody around and no signs of life. Just you and your trusty steed. It is a very relaxing experience.
Of course, keeping that beast rolling takes management and fuel. You have various ways of controlling your vehicle. There is a rudimentary throttle and brake, and your sails can intervene when fuel is low and the wind allows, or double up with your engine blazing to reach dizzy speeds.
https://youtu.be/IIGXLHlEZJk
Occasionally, disaster will strike and you will damage your vehicle, setting off fires or damaging components. Luckily, you have a fire hose to douse the flames and a welder to repair any equipment. It’s just a case of dragging it around the ship to the areas in peril. My ride did get damaged a couple of times over confusing environmental hazards. Some gates, barriers and obstructions you can motor through like a runaway juggernaut, sending debris flying everywhere in a crescendo of noise and destruction. It is a bit too exciting and I wanted to lay waste to everything in my path. It was that satisfying. Unfortunately, some things seem to be tougher than your travelling bath tub which results in a sudden painful stop setting off lots of sirens, fires, and electrical damage. It’s all good though as there is no real way of destroying your vehicle. Just frantically run around repairing it and you can carry on your adventure.
Like a barge on the canal, and the locks that stop you progressing, you will come to areas that need you to fix machinery to advance. This might be a repair to a bridge that allows crossing, or a platform that raises your transportation to another level. They are cleverly designed as puzzles which can require a bit of brain power to solve. They generally get more complex as your expedition develops. They’re not terribly difficult but some of them stumped me for a while and I had to think about the solutions. Some involve using the equipment on your ship, some require the vehicle itself and other times you might have to leave the vehicle completely to activate a switch somewhere else. They are quite varied but not too over bearing that they ruined the chilled vibe.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2716588919
The soundtrack and sound effects are sublime. This is the closest I have come to playing a game so beautiful as Journey. It felt like Journey but on wheels,. The orchestral music is wonderfully relaxing and feels soothing as you coast along the flatlands admiring the scenery. The arrangement has a Soviet sort of sound with mandolins and flugelhorns. It complements the scenery perfectly. I absolutely loved the night scenes with the elegant starry skies and peacefulness. Drama is never far away though and your contemplation is occasionally disturbed by environmental hazards, extreme weather conditions or danger.
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Far: Lone Sails is a wonderful game that is so relaxing and tranquil to play. I loved the feeling of travelling in my Okomotive, across the desolate landscapes. It was pure escapism. Definitely tailored towards a gentler experience, there are no hardcore elements here. Puzzles are tough enough to challenge but not difficult enough to stunt your progression. Highly recommended.
????️Gameplay????️
Game play consists of controlling your vehicle, maintaining your vehicle and solving light puzzles.
????Driving????
Your Okomotive has a furnace which powers your engine. Fill it with objects collected from the landscape to keep your energy level high. As soon as your energy runs out, you lose momentum and your vehicle stops. Collecting items is a case of either picking them up and carrying them back to your ship, or installing an item collector which sucks up objects as you drive over them.
Speed is derived by pressing the power button. Once fully depressed, it will start to detract and if left will stop the vehicle. If you want to maintain full speed you’ll need to be near the button and make sure it is pressed down. Right next to the power button is the stop button which stops the metal beast surprisingly fast. Once the engine is chugging and speed starts to build, so does the pressure, and if not released the vehicle will feel sluggish. A quick press of the steam button will release the pressure and send a burst of power to the engines, much like a turbo. You also have a set of battered sails which can be used when environmental conditions are right. If there is enough wind you can erect your sails and either travel purely on the strength of the wind or in conjunction with the engine to really build up speed.
????Maintenance????
Apart from fuelling the ship, you’ll need to put out fires and repair broken equipment caused by damage. There is a fire hose and a welder which you can drag to almost any part of the interior, and even the exterior, to repair the sails. Damage is displayed on your instruments so you can tell what state each piece of equipment is in and when it has been repaired. There is also a lift which takes you up and down the levels of your ship.
????Puzzles????
https://youtu.be/eyvCesWGmI8
Huge doors need to be opened before you can progress. These usually manifest in buildings you encounter and you’ll need to stop your vehicle and fix them by any means necessary.
Your vehicle can play a part in rectifying issues, especially with its winches at the front and rear. These can attach to objects and drag them to different places either by the motor on the winch or by moving the vehicle.
You can exit the vehicle by the loading bays or through the roof of the vehicle, where the sails are situated. Often, you’ll need to exit to go exploring the environments to find levers, switches and buttons.
????Conclusion????
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FAR: Lone Sails is captivating if you are looking for a sensual and peaceful experience. Fans of walking sims will appreciate the vibe but be pleasantly surprised by the interaction needed to progress. A beautiful game full of surprises and contemplation.
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