(Review) FAR: Lone Sails

Narukoopa
Oct 14, 2021
4 min read

The Short Version:

A compelling adventure that will take you on an unforgettable journey; FAR: Lone Sails is an outstanding side-scroller that’s further boosted by its fantastic visuals and a superbly engaging gameplay loop.

Every aspect of it has been executed to an extremely high standard. Its artistic direction is sublime. The atmosphere and the soundtrack immediately grab your attention. The mechanics, while simple, add a lot to an already incredible experience. All in all, a masterpiece in every sense.

Pros:

-Consistently beautiful art style -Fantastic presentation -Incredible atmosphere that’s both haunting and peaceful -Outstanding soundtrack -Challenging yet refreshing gameplay

Cons:

-Too expensive

My Rating: 9.5/10 - Masterpiece

Magnificently composed and beautifully executed, FAR: Lone Sails is a masterpiece in every sense of the word. A fantastic art style alongside highly entertaining mechanics make this game a triumph.

Seeking Salvation in a Decrepit World...

FAR: Lone Sails is a cinematic, 2.5D side-scroller taking place in a bleak and barren post-apocalyptic world, with no traces of prevalent civilisation. Only ramshackle buildings remain, scattered across vast landscapes, showcasing a bygone age.

Every now and then you'll sail past various small homes and settlements, forgotten and abandoned to time. They're simultaneously interesting and depressing to look at.

You play as an unnamed inhabitant of this wasteland, piloting a giant, sturdy vehicle, as you traverse harsh and unwelcoming environments. In terms of an objective, you aren’t given one. All that is provided to you is a path to follow. It’s only when you travel a great distance, seeing the state of the land, that you begin to realise the purpose of your quest, and what a voyage that proved to be...

The game immediately makes a great first impression thanks to its magnificently picturesque art style. It paints the world in such a way that, despite its downtrodden appearance, makes it stunning to look at. The term “Every frame is a painting” is a perfect fit here; I took countless screenshots during my playthrough and was continuously impressed by its visual quality.

To say that the art direction in this game is breathtaking is a perfectly fair and accurate statement to make.

Its presentation is nothing short of marvellous, both from a graphical and gameplay perspective. People who’ve played and enjoyed games such as Journey and Gris will feel right at home with Lone Sails, as it takes the same approach. There isn’t a complex story. No dialogue, narration or text of any kind. Just you, and your mechanical vessel pushing through any roadblocks and challenges put in your way.

Your perseverance is frequently rewarded with moments of exhilaration and amazement, which not only provide a break from all the gloom and doom, but also serve as some of the most iconic and memorable sequences of the experience as a whole. Throw the absolutely phenomenal soundtrack into the mix and you have a game that proves that it doesn’t need a narrative and a wide cast of characters to tell a remarkable story, but instead has the journey tell one of its own. It’s beautifully structured and takes just as long as it needs to, finishing on a satisfactory note.

Set Sail for the Open Plain!

To say that the gameplay in Lone Sails is simplistic is more of a half-truth than anything else. Yes, you only travel in one direction and are restricted in how far you can wander, but there are things you have to keep in mind while progressing.

Can you see me? It may look like you can go a great distance, but an invisible wall will stop you in your tracks. At least it gives you the opportunity to take some stunning pictures.

One of these areas that requires close attention is vehicular maintenance. Reckless driving will only award you with raging fires and equipment malfunctions, so it’s best to be mindful and caring for your only means of transportation.

Alas, running into difficulties is inevitable, and if you’re not careful, you risk disaster. You’ll find yourself running around your vehicle as it moves, making sure everything is well looked-after. This creates a level of challenge that prevents the game from feeling like an incredibly long “point A to B” slog. If anything, it helps you form a bond with your vehicle. You care for it, and in return, it cares for you.

The weather can be brutal in its assault, and it's in these instances where the game is at its most challenging.

Another facet of the gameplay that’s worth highlighting is the exploration that takes you into the great outdoors. You’ll often encounter roadblocks that require you to think outside of the box. These detours are usually brief, but there’s enough in them to provide an impression. It’s through exploring that you can find sources of fuel and other tools to improve the state of your vehicle.

Sequences such as these are enough to eliminate repetitivity, while also putting the eerie atmosphere on full display. Due to the massive, open backdrops, as well as the ruined surroundings, you are constantly given an unsettling feeling of vulnerability, as if you are being watched. Lone Sails is not a horror game, but it sure feels like it at times.

Whatever happened to the world is a mystery with very little clues, but the environments provide some insight into its distant history.

All in all, I struggle to come up with any major faults that are worth mentioning. If I had to push it, I’d say the price tag is a bit too much for my liking. I completed my playthrough in two and a half hours, and while I’m perfectly happy with the length, the cost doesn’t seem completely fair to me.

But that is a minor complaint against a title that, for all intents and purposes, I consider to be a masterpiece. Its sublime art direction makes it stand out from the crowd. Couple that with its compelling atmosphere and awe-inspiring composition, and you have one of the best side-scrollers I have ever played.

Technical Details:

My PC Specs: Operating System: Windows 10 Processor (CPU): AMD Ryzen 7 3700X Graphics Card (GPU): Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 Memory (RAM): 16GB Performance: Consistent 60FPS from start to finish with no noticeable stutters.