As much as I enjoy hardcore games like Resident Evil 4, I tend to prefer more relaxing experiences in the virtual world. Puzzling Places is my favorite game in the series, and I like to paint in Vermillion or listen to the visual symphony of the game. The current state of the world is something that is important to me and that is why I use virtual reality. Sometimes I need games that make me feel better.
Garden of the Sea is going to be on my list of relaxing virtual reality games for a long time. When I was a kid, I played the original Story of Seasons on the Super Nintendo. Everything about the core loop makes me fall in love with it in a way no other genre can. Our game of the week is Garden of the Sea, which offers a virtual reality take on farming sims.
The art style of Garden of the Sea is quite striking. It is clean and smooth, with a lot of bright colors. The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker is a gorgeous and stylish game that reminds me of this one. Sometimes I'll stop what I'm doing to go for a walk and look at the scenery. The game is one of the best looking games I have played.
Garden of the Sea will be familiar to anyone who has ever played a farming sim. You cultivate a wide variety of crops to sell, gather materials to upgrade your farm and build ranches, raise animals and fish, and personalize your house. There is a dose of exploration added to the formula.
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The comparison to The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker doesn't end with just the art style, but also with some aspects of the game. Each island has its own source of materials to collect and puzzles to solve and you have to sail around it in order to progress. The core focus is still on farming, but it is nice that you don't have to stay in one place for the whole game.
Garden of the Sea takes a different approach to farming sims. Garden of the Sea is a place where you can care for playful creatures instead of traditional animals. There are more imaginative penguins, like floating triceratops-like manatees and seal/mole rat hybrid, but I prefer the fluffy penguins.
Raising your friendship with these animals like in other farming games will require you to show affection and give them gifts that they want. Virtual reality makes it feel more personable than just pressing a button. Whenever I reach out to pet them or feed them, they smile and dance for me.
Farming is novel even though it isn't deep. You will need to till, plant, and water your crops in a virtual reality game. I like to drop seeds into the ground and watch my crops grow. I have to grab my purchase from the merchant by shaking money out of my wallet. To get lumber, I need to chop down a tree and get the wood. I have to place each ingredient into a crafting machine by hand. The small interactions that make you feel like a resident in Garden of the Sea are a hallmark of the best games in the series.
A grid system is one thing I don't like from other genres. It's difficult to plan a visually pleasing layout as strikes from your gardening hoe aren't uniform, but I'm the type of person who needs to have everything just so. I just wish there was a way to make my garden more presentable.
The Garden of the Sea is still getting free updates. New merchants, a new island, and a puzzle have been added. I'll be curious to see where these updates go. I would love to see more animals added to the game.
I don't think Garden of the Sea will change your mind about farming sims, but it's a great way to experience the genre in virtual reality. It's a great pick if you're prone to motion sickness.
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