FAR: Lone Sails

Developer: Okomotive | Publisher: Assemble Entertainment | Release Date: 2018 | Genre: Action / Adventure / Indie | Website: Official Website | Purchase: Steam

Post-apocalyptic games are nothing new, and there have been countless variations of this theme. However, FAR: Lone Sails offers a new take on this well-worn trope by making it a vehicle adventure game. According to the press materials, your character, “Lone,” appears to be the last person left in a broken world. Lone starts the game in front of a grave, which makes it very clear that there is nothing more left for her in the place she used to call home. Players then guide Lone through a small house, which serves as a tutorial to show that getting around in this world involves lots of jumping and pressing big, red buttons. The only way to go is to the right, and soon enough, players will find the means with which Lone will travel: a vehicle that looks like the hybrid of a small ship and a train.

Once Lone sets foot inside the unique vehicle, the game really begins. Players are tasked with driving it across a dried-out ocean to follow in the tracks of a once-thriving civilization. Initially, the only way to propel the vehicle forward is by putting things into its incinerator, which converts it into energy. Players must then press against the big, red ignition button to start the engines. As the vehicle lumbers forward, it builds up steam pressure, which must be vented by jumping into the large, red button below the steam valve. A turquoise energy meter shows how much juice is left in the tank until Lone has to toss something else into the boiler. It’s not just a case of sitting back and enjoying the ride either, as the ignition button slowly resets, so players must maintain a balance between pushing the button, venting the steam, and throwing objects into the boiler. There’s also a button to hit the brakes, which is necessary when Lone encounters objects that are in the way of her journey.

FAR: Lone Sails offers a unique perspective, with a side-scrolling view and a cross-section of the vehicle’s interior. All the essential controls- the steam valve, ignition, and brakes—are in one section, but you must run to the vehicle’s rear to fuel the engine. There’s also a lift to the top section, where a firehose is located. This is crucial for extinguishing fires caused by not venting the steam or colliding with obstacles. At first, these are the only elements players must worry about, but the vehicle will also receive some upgrades as the journey progresses. These include some shredded canvas sails that can propel the vehicle forward without the need to burn fuel, provided the wind is blowing. In addition to catching fire, the various stations in the vehicle can also become damaged, which makes finding the repair module very useful. Last up is the item gatherer, which can suck up the crates, barrels, and other objects used as fuel. Without the item gatherer, players must stop the vehicle and jump off to manually collect these items, which is more time-consuming.    

Keeping the vehicle moving and maintained is a bit of a juggling act, but that’s not all that there is to FAR: Lone Sails. Every once in a while, players will encounter obstacles that necessitate getting out of the vehicle and doing some light platforming as well as puzzle-solving. These sections aren’t too tricky, and the puzzles are straightforward but satisfying to solve. Interestingly, players spend so much time safely inside the vehicle that getting out and being separated from it is a bit anxiety-inducing. The game is set in a zombie-free apocalypse, so players never have to worry about encountering enemies. Even dying from fall damage is impossible as Lone will simply use her dress to float down from heights safely. However, it is possible to die by doing something silly, like walking into a fire or ignoring the damage to the vehicle. If this happens, players are reset back to the last checkpoint, which is usually not too far back.  

Visually, FAR looks stunning with a color palette that is mostly shades of grey, red, and blue. The environment is primarily grey, which makes Lone and her vehicle stand out more. The game doesn’t feature a user interface to clutter up the visuals, either. All the essential buttons and gauges are visible inside the vehicle, and instead of an inventory, Lone can stack the barrels and crates anywhere. There are some convenient hooks inside the vehicle to hang these, as everything that is not secured can be jostled around while in motion. The same goes for wind speed and direction, indicated by a small red flag on top of the vehicle. To help players enjoy the painterly landscapes and hammer home the feeling of desolation, zooming out the view by holding a button is also possible. Doing so removes the cross-section view of the vehicle, though, so it is best done while being propelled by the wind and not the engine.   

FAR has some impressive audio, too, with a moving soundtrack that fades in or out when appropriate. When the music fades away, players are left with the sounds of the vehicle, which almost feels alive thanks to all the bangs, creaks, and steam venting. Players can acquire a small, portable radio along the way, which will pick up some music when passing towers, but ours became a sacrifice to the boiler when we began running low on fuel. Lone never utters a word during the entire game, and there’s never any narration or explanation to break up the feeling of loneliness. FAR can be played with a keyboard, but as always, a controller feels more intuitive for these types of games. Interaction with the gameworld is limited to bumping into buttons to activate things or picking up objects and placing them where needed. We never had any issues with the controls apart from the central lift inside the vehicle, which is a bit annoying to use. A few puzzles use the towing lines found at the front and the back of the vehicle, and it’s even possible to slowly drag the vehicle behind you using these. This is useful should you run out of fuel and things to burn to generate more energy, but there’s typically more than enough of these to complete the journey. We used the sails far less than we should have and still made it to the end with plenty of things left to burn. 

Overall, FAR: Lone Sails is a great game offering something different from typical puzzle platformers. Unfortunately, it is a very short adventure, and most players should be able to complete their journey in about three hours. The inclusion of Steam Achievements adds some replay value, but repeating the journey doesn’t change anything. Despite being a short journey, the game feels epic, and players who pay attention to the backgrounds will notice some cool details. Having to micromanage the vehicle to keep it moving might feel tedious for some players, and the lack of challenge may deter others, but it’s hard not to be charmed by FAR. Despite the lonely and desolate world in which it is set, there is something cozy and comforting about driving your vehicle toward its unknown destination.