Video Game Review: Summer in Mara

Summer in Mara

Studio: CHIBIG

Genre: Simulation, Exploration

Platform: Nintendo Switch

Summer in Mara which was a game that I came to with admittedly high expectation – it was a game that had been on my radar for a while since it’s initial Kickstarter campaign. The concept was super cute with you playing a young child exploring islands on a boat, engaging with an unusual cast of characters, and farming. The art style was fresh and extremely nostalgic with its emphasis on hand-drawn and gorgeous concepts.

Unfortunately, when the game released on Switch recently, however, I found the final package to be… somewhat unfinished. This can often be the case with community-funded creations but this one had shown such high potential that I was really hoping the finished product would be stunning and a perfect little sim game to sit alongside other popular ones out there such as Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing. However, the first few hours of gameplay were mostly just… frustrating. The game starts strong with an animated cutscene which showcases the talent of the creators beautifully and leaves some great plot hooks for Koa’s arrival to the island of Mara and the world they live in. After that, however, it grinds to something of a halt.

The player is guided through a tutorial which helps them get the hang of the basics – mostly consisting of fetch quests. This is all fairly standard and despite some dodgy controls and some confusing wording, didn’t have anything too difficult to accomplish. Once Koa is left alone however, the game feels mostly stranded. You’re told that you can build a boat in the hopes of exploring and finding your lost mentor (a mystery which is actually compelling but isn’t elaborated on much). From there though, the game becomes mostly a set of fetch quests with Koa having to grow, make, or find things for various characters to progress. Which honestly, I would have been fine with if the actual process wasn’t so time-consuming and ultimately frustrating.  Growing things takes so long and whilst you’re waiting for it to happen… there isn’t really a lot to do but wander and hope your trees have grown some more oranges. Perhaps the key is that you’re supposed to be exploring more islands but as beautiful as Mara is, as a home base, there’s very little to do there. Add to that, Koa’s energy levels dip super fast which can be annoying early on when you’re at an island with no money for a hotel and just pass out. I rage quit quite a few times with this, which is never a good sign with what is supposed to be a relaxing game.

There are some moments of hope throughout though where you can see how good this game really wants to be – Koa is a charming protagonist and feels like a very real child. The diversity shown in their design is welcome, as with all the weird and wonderful cast who inhabit the islands. Koa’s mentor offers some philosophical questions which really make the player think, and there’s a good amount of mystery which shows there’s more depth in this game than would first appear. It fits more with the game taking on more of an rpg aspect than a farming simulation and therefore suffers for it – we’re tantalised with the story and such but then get stalled by the actual gameplay.

The art is definitely a strong point, with bright visuals and such but the controls and motion in-game is often pretty wonky. The music, when it’s there is gorgeous but has a tendency to just disappear for minutes on end before popping back in with no warning. It’s a shame the music didn’t just loop and hopefully something which might be fixed in the future with an update. Perhaps this game on Switch has just suffered from the bugs, and in the future, it will be much more enjoyable once these issues are fixed – I believe a patch has already been released on the PC version but has been delayed on the Switch. Ultimately, this game has so much to offer but it didn’t quite live up to the expectations. It promises a cute, wholesome experience but is hampered by the gameplay and bugs so it doesn’t quite manage to deliver.