"Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles"

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"Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles"
Reviewed By: Carless Yen
Publisher: Merge games
Developer: Prideful Sloth

Giving away the review by my first comment, but I have to say I LOVE Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles. It really gave me that surprised feeling I had when I played "The Slime Rancher" couple years back. One of those games so unique , and so far away from anything I've played before. I just couldn't step away from it. I just had to get the 100% not even for the Achievements, I just really felt determined to do everything in the game. All the side missions were so cute and fun, and not your typical open world type missions. Same is to be said for the collectibles. I had a blast trying to find all the Cats, animals, fish, etc. I put hours and hours into it, and was sad when it was over. I really hope to see a sequel from this one, or even something else like it from Merge. They publish some really amazing games. You can be a girl or a boy, and there is so much customization. You can craft and loot so many different hairstyles and colors, clothing options, etc. It really feels limitless. I have a chest full of them, and I didn't craft half of the ones available to me. My favorite had to be the cat suit. Your objective is to get rid of the Murk a purple foggish like substance that has spread through out your land. You find these little Critters who help you remove it. I don't want to give away a lot, but the story is great. You also have to plant trees, farm, and raise animals You also run fetch quests for the people of the area while and even dress up for Halloween and go Trick or Treating. There is just so much to do in Yonder it never gets repetitive or dull at all. Which is hard to believe considering you can't even die on it, and there is no enemies. It is just a relaxing environment that just made me feel good the whole time I played it. 

The areas are beautiful and so is the music. It just relaxes so much. The open world is massive, and each area has it's own look and feel . Snow top mountains, Deserts, Grasslands full of life, etc. You'll have a blast just discovering every inch of the areas. They are so full collectibles, treasure chests, and animals. Each areas has a farm you can customize how you want. From the crops you grow, the trees you plant, the animals you raise, even have cosmetic items to craft to make it look how you want. The areas even change with the seasons. You play through year after year, and you see rain, the sun, snow it is just a beautiful atmosphere done perfectly. I played several years, and plan to go back even though I've done everything, just to customize and see things I missed. Seems like every time you play you find something new. The look, sounds, and feel of Yonder was something I haven't experienced. i plan to grab a physical copy on the Switch to collect and play it all over again on there.

So who will like Yonder, and what does it feel like? I think all ages will love Yonder, especially people who like to just chill and play stress free at times. I myself know some games will test you and your stress levels, but Yonder just feels good from start to finish. If I had to compare it to some other titles one would be Slime Rancher like I said earlier, but also had some Zelda series vibes, as well as Moonlighter but without the combat. It also feels a little like Farm Together a recent Switch title I enjoyed a lot as well. So it really holds up against some great titles, and at times out shines all of the. I really hope some people read this review that never played this game, and give it some of their time. I really feel they will enjoy it as much as I did.,

Pros: Beautiful Open World Atmosphere
Delightful Music and Sounds
Loaded with Collectibles and Loot
Adorable Characters and Animals

Overall: 9.6 Yonder is a can't miss stress free experience all gamers should experience that feels like nothing out there really. A budget indie title that surpasses most AAA titles this generation of gaming.