Before The Green Moon

I am.. unsure how to rate this game. The crusty rundown vibe is on point. Some of the (very brief) dialogue also - perhaps unexpectedly - connected with me. And the whole farming loop is satisfying, if on the simpler side. But I'm not sure I agree with the game. Even after moving out of my own crusty rundown hometown to my own green moon. Consider this a spoiler warning, but: the name of the game is there for a reason. It is [i]before[/i] the green moon. The green moon will [i]have to[/i] come after. Nothing of what you're doing is there to stay. You are meant to move on. [spoiler]There is only one ending.[/spoiler] Well, I disagreed. I did not go to the moon. Even if that meant leaving the game drift off back into the depths of backlog, never to be touched again, never fully finished. NPCs will continue running around with uncleared dialogue lines and incomplete quests. And I will not know how much more (or little) they had left to say. I don't [i]have to[/i] see all the [b]content...

Turnfollow continues to prove that they are master character writers. This is a farming sim with N64 aesthetics, but the focus is the character development. You get to have these micro-conversations with each character as you choose to visit them, and at the start they feel a bit shallow, but over the course of the game they add up to something quite compelling. I have much to say about the genius of the game design here, from the intimately crafted character arcs to the titrated and modular way you uncover them. Still processing the experience, but something really captivated me here and I am struggling to put my finger on it

I'd describe Before The Green Moon as a character-driven, narrative-first experience about personal connections—because that's how it felt the most impactful to me. It's a very special game. In the best of ways. The worldbuilding is excellent, and it's masterfully exposed through small interactions and by exploring the feelings of the people living in it, instead of being dumped on you via diary entries or out-of-place monologues. The setting isn't by any means ordinary, yet they made it feel living and familiar. The pacing is mostly left up to the player, but despite having a rather tight day clock mechanic, I felt like the game strongly signaled me to take it slowly. In no small part because of how immersive and atmospheric it felt to me. The rather slow and straightforward farming loop, the weather effects, the design of the town and its odd corners, the small things happening all around—It all came together and created this immersiveness that convinced me to take things in....

This game is delightful! I purchased this on discount initially on the switch, which is where I played the game to completion. I liked it so much, I bought it again on PC! I love the look of this game-it reminds me so strongly of the pre-rendered sort of visuals you would see in Harvest Moon 64 or FFVII, but realized in real-time. The strain of melancholy that goes through the experience really makes the game stand apart. I also love how quirky the environment is, from the snails that litter the landscape during the rainy season to the descriptions of how the plants you grow will be used once shipped. Favorite had to be the bananas! An excellent experience that gently encouraged me to complete it without overstaying its welcome.

It starts with an evocative monologue that sets the tone for what is expected of you: go up, to the moon. This will become your ultimate goal but it is instead a great set-up: by the time you are familiar with the people of the village, you won't want to leave. And you probably won't: if paying the ticket to hop on the lift is the "win condition", I will never do that on purpose. I want to stay. The game plays with the conventions of the genre and twists them, grounds them: the day is so short that if you are trying to maximize your output, by the time you finish working the day will be over - so, no socializing. Dry season is tougher. Also, in this environment where everybody is sharing, why shouldn't you be doing the same? Do not expect any reward for sharing; sharing is the reward itself, as it should be. And it feels good. Obviously politically charged, it's also not complacent or idealistic about what it depicts: it is tough to live in the village, and luxuries are scarce. But i...

good game but I just realized I need to get silksong sorrrry

good

Not every farming game needs to be a 30 hour grind with a bunch of content, and as a deeper cut I can appreciate Green Moon's more focused gameplay and atmosphere. I love the weird aesthetic and characters. The art-style reminds me of the pre-rendered backgrounds from Final Fantasy 7/8/9 if it was played on a PS2.