Summer in Mara Reviews
Summer in Mara is a simulation adventure of the kind that the Switch still needs more entries of in its library. When you debate whether or not Summer in Mara is for you, you have to keep this in mind: you don’t play the game to go from A to B. You don’t play it to just to do all the quests and live the adventure. No, you do the quests to make the Home Island of Koa more beautiful, more bountiful and a real home. And meanwhile, you discover new islands, learns the story of new people and live through new adventures. We have all been a little spoiled in simulation gaming by Animal Crossing: New Horizons but you must remember this game is made by a small studio. It is clearly a project of love, so well made into the little details. Yes, there are some bugs to repair and there are some parts I’d like to see added, like a fully functioning inside of Koa’s home. But that doesn’t detract from the fact that I love playing it:
Summer in Mara is a fun blend of farming and adventure while also housing a surprisingly lovable cast of characters. The game suffers from being too large in scale, but that didn't stop me from having an enjoyable time with the game.
Perhaps the beautiful art and music will be enough for Summer in Mara to be a great game for you. The gameplay may become a tad bit monotonous, but it is satisfying to travel the tropical ocean from island to island on an adventure.
It may feel a little lacking on the farming sim side of things but it more than makes up for that with the story, characters and the sense of place and adventure. Summer in Mara tried to be a different kind of farming inspired video game and I believe the developers managed to achieve what they were going for.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Koa and the charming world of Mara is enough to keep an eye on this one, but it’s too big with not enough depth and that makes Summer in Mara far from essential.