One Lonely Outpost is the newest addition to the farming simulator world, and though it is in early access, it shows some promise. But please be aware this is very, very early access, so much so that the Freedom Games will be implementing new mechanics that we are already getting glimpses of during the game’s first act.
What I mean by that is that they have ideas that they have started at the beginning, like romancing characters. You cannot do anything other than flirt right now, but the team has laid breadcrumbs that will allow that sort of mechanic to open up in a later patch. One Lonely Outpost seems to be full of things like that.
Another would be that question marks pop up over the crops while farming, and once you click them, they disappear. This could mean more details in the future, like weeding, dusting or watering needed. Right now, it’s just a placeholder. Ideas are there in One Lonely Outpost, but they are just not fully fleshed out yet.
It feels like the early access was a little bit sooner than the game was ready for. I was prepared for bugs, but it feels like One Lonely Outpost is still figuring out what it is. The game aims to be more than your standard farming simulator, but not all the pieces are in place, leaving it feeling very barebones compared to competing games like Stardew Valley. However, Stardew Valley started somewhere once too, and that game is still being updated.
Plenty of issues sit on the surface still, like absolutely no character customization, not even gender or name. The list of things that I could say are missing is long, but because of promises Freedom Games makes about updates in the future, it is tough to be upset, especially since there have been several updates to the game already since its June 26th release.
Is that a new standard games should be setting, though? Should early access leave players to help developers finish their games? Something irks me about putting out half-thought-out games, hoping that the community will help close the gaps. On one hand, it’s great to see that sense of community and that developers are letting players have a say in the games they love. On the other hand, I want to enjoy what these developers create, not what we tell them to create.
“Ideas are there in One Lonely Outpost, but they are just not fully fleshed out yet.”
I had expected to go into One Lonely Outpost’s Early Access finding bugs and glitches, not diving into a choose-your-own-adventure that I need to wait for patches to explore. Perhaps this is something new, and we are just old-school in our way of thinking, but with things like being unable to split stacks, missing direction for a lot of tasks or a map that is utterly useless existing at launch, the game leaves a lot to be desired.
Does that mean you shouldn’t be excited about One Lonely Outpost? Absolutely not. The game looks like it will come together somewhere down the line and be a unique and interesting take on an overdone farming sim genre. There are unique takes on tools, a new storyline and movement abilities like moving while farming that you don’t see in other places.
I do, however, think you should wait before purchasing to give Freedom Games time to really make a dent in the development process. That is, of course, unless you enjoy being a part of that process, as I’m sure some do.
