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Fields of Mistria
Steam header of Fields of Mistria, showcasing its logo, Celine, two animals, a house, a farm, a windmill, and a forest with mountains in the background
Developer(s)NPC Studio
Publisher(s)NPC Studio
Composer(s)Hidehito Ikumo
EngineGameMaker
Platform(s)Windows
Release
Genre(s)Farm life sim, role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player

Fields of Mistria is an upcoming farm life simulation role-playing video game developed and published by NPC Studio. It was released in early access on Windows on August 5, 2024. In the indie game, the player resides in the fictional town of Mistria, which is recovering from an earthquake and socializes with its villagers of diverse backgrounds. The game features conventional aspects of farm life games as well as combat and magic.

The development of the game began in 2019. It was highly influenced by the games Harvest Moon, Rune Factory, and Stardew Valley, as well as the anime Sailor Moon. Upon its early access release, the game received praise for its writing, characters, mechanics, art style, and music.

Gameplay

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The player standing in front of a house, with a farm, animals, trees, and well around them
Fields of Mistria includes traditional mechanics of a farm life game.

Fields of Mistria is a single-player farm life simulation and cozy video game with pixel art-styled graphics and anime-inspired character designs.[1][2][3][4] The indie game incorporates elements of the role-playing, fantasy, and simulation genres.[5][6][7] At the beginning of the game, the player creates a character who spawns in the fictional town of Mistria, which is attempting to recover after a devastating earthquake.[2][8][9] The town leaders ask the player to live on a plot of land in exchange for their assistance.[1][10] The goal of the game is to rebuild the town and connect with its villagers.[6][10] The player is first exposed to the town's tale and game mechanics.[3] The game also includes traditional farm life game mechanics such as farming, animal breeding, crafting, gifting, fishing, mining, and forging relationships with the non-player characters (NPCs) who live there, as well as combat.[1][3][8][9] The player can upgrade the town's rank and thus gain benefits.[11][12]

The player receives information about birthdays and special events at the start of each day.[1] Fields of Mistria allows the player from the beginning to customize their character, including their name, birthday, and pronouns,[11] as well as the farm and house.[9][13][14] The game has a progression system that allows the player to do daily tasks to advance the tale; Mistria's request board also has quests that the player can complete at any time during the game for a prize.[1][11][15] Fields of Mistria also provides quests after interacting with the villagers, as well as festival-themed quests.[15]

The player can donate items to the town's museum, including various types of flora, insects, archaeological artifacts, and fish.[16][17] The game features elements of magic.[1][7][18] The town is protected by a dragon statue, named Caldarus;[19] the player can acquire "essence" while farming, which grants the player access to a skill tree and useful abilities.[1][17][20] Mana, unlocked later in the game, allows the player to cast healing and energy spells, as well as instantly grow crops or summon rain.[1][21][22]

Mistria's villagers are of diverse backgrounds, and the game also features pets.[13][20][23] The player can interact with the town's villagers while also listening in on their conversations.[8][24] A real-time map displays the positions of the town's inhabitants.[11][24] There are no restrictions between the player's and villager's romance, therefore allowing them to be in a same-sex relationship.[22] Fields of Mistria offers modding support, allowing modders to change the looks of the villagers.[25]

Development and release

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Fields of Mistria was developed and published by NPC Studio, a Chicago-based independent video game developer.[9][26] The team, which consists fans of farm life simulation games, was founded in 2019 and began working on the game the same year.[1][22][27] Claire Belton and Andrew Duff, the game's co-directors and designers, had previously worked on the Pusheen cat character for their web comic Everyday Cute.[28] Harvest Moon, Rune Factory, Story of Seasons, Animal Crossing, and Stardew Valley all served as inspiration for their video game.[3][24][13] The visual style of the game was also influenced by the anime Sailor Moon.[2][22] The game's developer characterized it as the "spiritual successor" to Harvest Moon and similar titles.[7] Fields of Mistria was developed in the GameMaker game engine.[29]

The developer unveiled the game's trailer in June 2023 at the Wholesome Direct, with Toby Fox being its guest composer.[30][31] The demo version of the game was available on Steam from June 5 to June 17, 2024.[7] The hour-long demo covered the first three days of gameplay.[7] Fields of Mistria was released in early access on Steam on August 5, 2024, for Windows.[32][33] The game is also available via Steam Deck.[1][17][34] Hidehito Ikumo composed the game's music, which consists of 52 tracks.[35]

Fields of Mistria will be fully released in 2025.[9][36] NPC Studio indicated that the game would be continuously updated during development, and that a console edition would be released too.[10][13][37] The first major update is scheduled for November 18, 2024.[38]

Reception

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Fields of Mistria received positive reception upon its early access release.[9] Brittany Alva of TechRaptor said that the game "stands out like a light at the end of a tunnel" in the farm life simulation genre.[8] The game received an overwhelmingly positive reception on Steam.[2][40]

The game's characters and writing were praised.[a] The feature that has all inhabitants socialize inside an inn every Friday, encouraging the player to join them, was commended by reviewers.[b] Due to the game's diversity in activities, Alva said that "it's something that no other farming simulator, cozy or not, has really pushed".[8] Reviewers praised the dialogue system between the player and villagers.[3][17][24] Lauren Morton of PC Gamer said that the villagers strike the proper combination of sincerity and humor without going overboard.[36] Kazuma Hashimoto of Siliconera said that the dialogue choices are either keen or impudent, and wished that more choices beyond the two existed.[17] Nicole Carpenter of Polygon, who recommended the game, noted that, in comparison with the game's inspirations, Fields of Mistria is mainly centered on building a community; she also praised the game's variety of character activities and its writing.[20]

The game's progression system and mechanics were commended by Liam Nolan of The Escapist, who highly recommended the game.[3] Alva said that the needs of the progression and quests are "well-balanced".[8] Carpenter, however, noted that the in-game days are short, which she saw as irritating.[20] Emily Price of PC Gamer said that the game included aspects ripped from Stardew Valley and hoped that the game will stop importing elements from Stardew Valley and instead begin "doing its own thing".[24] Nolan felt that the game's farming, mining, combat, and fishing aspects were superior to those in Stardew Valley.[3] DeVante Chisolm of GameSpot praised the addition of jumping and swimming.[11] Moises Taveras of Kotaku said that the game resembles mechanics of The Legend of Zelda games.[42]

Reviewers praised the game's art style.[c] Emily Spindler of Kotaku said that the game's art style makes the game stick out in the farm life sim genre.[10] Alva praised the looks of walking and swimming.[8] Audra Bowling of RPGFan also compared the game's graphics to the Littlewood video game, while Hashimoto compared it to the manga Imadoki!.[17][18] Writing for The Daily Californian, Maida Suta said that the game brings back nostalgia.[39] Bruno Magalhães Barbosa of Voxel praised the looks of the villagers as energetic and meaningful, noting that they have different looks during each season.[22] The game's soundtrack received positive reception.[1][8] Alva characterized the soundtrack as "walking through an idyllic village in an RPG constantly".[8] Morton praised Fox's trailer music.[43]

Despite its similarity to Stardew Valley, Anna Koselke of GamesRadar+ rejected describing the game as its clone.[44] Additionally, the developer of Critter Cove, an Animal Crossing-like simulation game, saw the similarities positively, saying that "you probably wouldn't have Pokémon Red, Blue, and Yellow without Dragon Quest V".[44][45]

Price, Nolan, and Alva complained about the game crashing while reviewing the game; Alva, however, noted that the game crash issue was addressed soon after by the developers.[3][8][24]

Sales

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During the first week of its early access launch, the game was downloaded more than 100,000 times,[37][45] while during the first month it was downloaded over 250,000 times in total.[46]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ [1][8][24][22][36][41]
  2. ^ [3][11][17][20]
  3. ^ [8][17][18][24][41]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Hermanson, Nate (August 11, 2024). "Early Access Check-in: The '90s are back in Fields of Mistria's community-driven farming sim". Video Games Are Good. Archived from the original on August 15, 2024. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d Barboza, Samara (August 8, 2024). "Abre o olho, Stardew Valley! Este simulador de fazenda precisou de 2 dias para alcançar 98% de críticas positivas no Steam" [Watch out, Stardew Valley! It took this farming simulator 2 days to reach 98% positive reviews on Steam]. IGN (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on August 14, 2024. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Nolan, Liam (August 5, 2024). "Fields of Mistria Is My Favorite Farming Sim Since Stardew Valley [Review]". The Escapist. Archived from the original on August 14, 2024. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  4. ^ Namba, Jun (August 6, 2024). "ノスタルジック牧場シム『Fields of Mistria』Steamにてさっそく大人気。冒険からロマンスまで楽しめる不思議世界のんびり生活" [The nostalgic farm sim "Fields of Mistria" is already a big hit on Steam. Enjoy a leisurely life in a mysterious world where you can enjoy everything from adventure to romance.]. Automaton Magazine (in Japanese). Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  5. ^ "Fields of Mistria". IGN. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Rothery, Jen; Koepp, Meg; Cotten, Shailyn (August 8, 2024). "Fields of Mistria Guide". IGN. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d e Koselke, Anna (June 4, 2024). "I've had my eye on this pixel-perfect blend of Stardew Valley and Sailor Moon for over a year, and it's getting a Steam Next Fest demo to keep the cozy vibes coming". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on August 5, 2024. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Alva, Brittany (August 2, 2024). "Fields of Mistria Review – The Next Best Cozy Farming Sim". TechRaptor. Archived from the original on August 8, 2024. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  9. ^ a b c d e f Gomez, Estrella (August 10, 2024). "Este nuevo juego de granjas es casi calcado a Stardew Valley, y ha debutado con fuerza en Steam" [This new farming game is almost identical to Stardew Valley, and it has made a strong debut on Steam]. IGN (in Spanish). Archived from the original on August 10, 2024. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  10. ^ a b c d Spindler, Emily (May 21, 2024). "Stardew Valley Meets Sailor Moon: Make This 90s Anime-Inspired Farming Sim Your Next Cozy Game". Kotaku. Archived from the original on May 21, 2024. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  11. ^ a b c d e f Chisolm, DeVante; James, Lucy (August 16, 2024). "Fields of Mistria Isn't Just a Stardew Valley Clone | 16 Early Tips". GameSpot. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  12. ^ Rizwan, Rabiya (August 12, 2024). "Fields Of Mistria: How To Increase Town Rank". TheGamer. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  13. ^ a b c d Smith, Ed (August 7, 2024). "New Stardew style RPG Fields of Mistria has near-perfect reviews". PCGamesN. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  14. ^ Bowling, Audra; Castillo, Gio; Cantelon, Kyle (August 4, 2024). "RPGs Coming This Week, 8/4/24". RPGFan. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  15. ^ a b Rothery, Jen; Koepp, Meg; Cotten, Shailyn (August 12, 2024). "Fields of Mistria: Quests". IGN. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  16. ^ Rothery, Jen; Koepp, Meg; Cotten, Shailyn (August 12, 2024). "Fields of Mistria Museum Checklist". IGN. Archived from the original on August 15, 2024. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  17. ^ a b c d e f g h Hashimoto, Kazum (August 3, 2024). "Preview: Fields of Mistria Leans Into It's 90s Inspirations". Siliconera. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  18. ^ a b c Bowling, Audra (June 11, 2023). "Explore A Nostalgic Farm Sim With Fields of Mistria". RPGFan. Archived from the original on February 21, 2024. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  19. ^ Diaz, Ana (August 25, 2024). "Fields of Mistria players want to 'fuck the dragon'". Polygon. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  20. ^ a b c d e Carpenter, Nicole (August 27, 2024). "Review: Fields of Mistria is pure magic". Polygon. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  21. ^ Nolan, Liam (August 8, 2024). "10 Tips & Tricks for Fields of Mistria Beginners". The Escapist. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  22. ^ a b c d e f g Magalhães Barbosa, Bruno (August 19, 2024). "No estilo Stardew Valley, Fields of Mistria é o seu próximo RPG de fazendinha favorito - Review" [In the style of Stardew Valley, Fields of Mistria is your next favorite farming RPG - Review]. Voxel (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on August 19, 2024. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  23. ^ Rothery, Jen; Koepp, Meg; Cotten, Shailyn (August 9, 2024). "Fields of Mistria Characters". IGN. Archived from the original on August 12, 2024. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  24. ^ a b c d e f g h Price, Emily (August 7, 2024). "Fields of Mistria's town full of well-written characters and charming Game Boy Advance aesthetic immediately make it stand out from other cozy farm sims". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on August 12, 2024. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  25. ^ King, Jade (August 19, 2024). "Fields Of Mistria Almost Had The Perfect Butch Lesbian Romance". TheGamer. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  26. ^ Romano, Sal (June 10, 2023). "Pixel art farming simulation RPG Fields of Mistria announced for consoles, PC". Gematsu. Archived from the original on June 10, 2023. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  27. ^ Bailey, Dustin (August 3, 2019). "Fields of Mistria is the next farming RPG in our post-Stardew Valley world". PCGamesN. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  28. ^ Vaynshteyn, Paula (August 16, 2024). "The creators of Fields of Mistria are also responsible for a very familiar chunky cat". Destructoid. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  29. ^ "Fields of Mistria". TheGamer. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  30. ^ "Fields of Mistria – Official Trailer". IGN. June 10, 2023. Archived from the original on June 11, 2023. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  31. ^ Bellingham, Hope (June 13, 2023). "This year's Wholesome Direct gave me so many more games to add to my wishlist". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on August 5, 2024. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  32. ^ "Fields of Mistria". OpenCritic. Archived from the original on August 13, 2024. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  33. ^ Vaynshteyn, Paula (August 6, 2024). "Fields of Mistria shares roadmap of future plans as it debuts in Early Access". Destructoid. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  34. ^ Lada, Jenni (August 23, 2024). "Fields of Mistria Steam Deck Verified Now". Siliconera. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  35. ^ Lada, Jenni (August 5, 2024). "Fields of Mistria Early Access Launch Trailer and Soundtrack Appear". Siliconera. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  36. ^ a b c Morton, Lauren (August 7, 2024). "Oh no, I can't possibly decide who to date in anime-inspired farm sim Fields of Mistria when I'm already in love with all of them". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on August 12, 2024. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  37. ^ a b Benson, Madison (August 12, 2024). "Fields of Mistria reaches 100,000 downloads a week into its Early Access launch". Destructoid. Archived from the original on August 13, 2024. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  38. ^ Carpenter, Nicole (October 18, 2024). "Fields of Mistria's first big update — with romance! — coming in November". Polygon. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
  39. ^ a b Suta, Maida (September 4, 2024). "Fields of Mistria is whimsical breath of farm-fresh air". The Daily Californian. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  40. ^ Collins, Emma (August 8, 2024). "Fields of Mistria Achieved Overwhelming Success Over Three Days". 80.lv. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  41. ^ a b King, Jade (August 13, 2024). "Fields Of Mistria Is More Than Just Another Stardew Valley Clone". TheGamer. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  42. ^ Taveras, Moises (August 16, 2024). "Kotaku's Weekend Guide: 5 New And Old Games We Can't Wait To Play". Kotaku. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  43. ^ Morton, Lauren (January 4, 2024). "The 10 cozy games I'm most excited for in 2024". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on May 15, 2024. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  44. ^ a b Koselke, Anna (August 20, 2024). "Animal Crossing-like dev pushes back on "Stardew Valley clone" chatter around farming RPG Fields of Mistria: "You probably wouldn't have Pokemon without Dragon Quest 5"". GamesRadar+. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  45. ^ a b Fujiwara, Hideaki (August 21, 2024). "人気農場ゲーム『Fields of Mistria』、「Stardew Valleyに似すぎ」と批判受けるも、"別のゲームの開発元"が反論。「『ドラクエ5』がなければ『ポケモン』もなかった」との自説で助太刀" [Popular farm game "Fields of Mistria" criticized for being "too similar to Stardew Valley", but "the developer of another game" counters. "Without Dragon Quest 5, there would have been no Pokemon"]. Automaton Magazine (in Japanese). Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  46. ^ Koselke, Anna (September 6, 2024). "This cozy Stardew Valley-like farming sim with Sailor Moon vibes only released a month ago, but fans have already racked up over 4 million hours in-game". GamesRadar+. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
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