The breeze hitting your face, the noise of the sea waves, the smell of wet sand, the blinding sun … It’s summer, also in video games thanks to contributions such as Summer in Mara, an indie made entirely in Spain that proposes us relax and enjoy. Gets it? We tell you about it in our analysis.
You are the patient type of gamer, who doesn’t mind spending time in the game to see how it progresses, even if it doesn’t quite convince you at first. You don’t particularly mind that the action takes a back seat, and you actually appreciate a little peace, just sowing in your garden, getting seeds, and building inside your own island . You are also not frustrated by a sometimes confusing design, which peppers you with tasks that are not always stimulating, with some bugs in between and a highly improvable finish in almost all its plots.
If I have just described a profile similar to the one you may have, I think Summer in Mara is an alternative for your particular summer 2020 catalog. Unfortunately, it was not my case. I got bored going from one place to another running errands in a game with very interesting ideas, but an irregular execution. However, respects to the fullest. The Spanish developers of Chibig managed to launch a Kickstarter with the support of almost 10,000 people totally dedicated and eager to receive the title. That’s always commendable, and for me it’s an achievement that has generated some buzz.
It was not a simple development, with a delay in between and a small group: less than ten workers . Of course, with experience. The Valencian Chibig had already worked on Deiland , a video game similar in concept, consisting of putting sandbox, crafting, construction and agricultural simulation in the same bag. Something similar to what happens in Summer in Mara, only here in a world spread over several islands, a lot of boat trips and some characters that seem to have been taken from an anime. It does not seem like a bad game to me, it can be enjoyed, although there are many frustrations that you could find in a retreat that promised to be more pleasant.
A laid back adventure
Trailer focused on the story of Summer in Mara, a beautiful adventure
Perhaps what I liked the most about Summer in Mara is precisely what you can do on your island. Time passes, you watch the hours go by and both your hunger and your stamina diminish until you go to sleep or eat something. The trees you plant and the crops you care for require patience, in a slow but continuous process. You notice the flow of life , how the orange trees replenish their fruits and even how the minerals reappear after a time to be exploited again.
The tasks to be carried out on the island are surely the best of the game.
Taking a tour of the island to collect shells, fish, cut down trees or discover the odd secret is what I wanted the most. You put some pine trees and they stay there forever, creating a personalized home . The problem comes when you have to go out in search of more materials, because your land is limited. Then you fill up your ship’s fuel tank and set sail for new territories: you go back and forth again and again, completing a series of errands that most of the time consist of going from one character to another. Funny? I did not think so.
The game boasts over 100 quests and about twenty characters to chat with. Okay, but I think numbers were not so important here as creating an addictive and rewarding experience. Despite the feeling of global appeasement, a game is also challenging, but I have not experienced it. Neither evolution. Although you can upgrade your ship, there are a lot of items to trade and you can customize your protagonist, I have had a certain feeling of emptiness .
It was not because of history, which is not bad. Koa is a 12-year-old girl who lives on a remote island until one fine day – due to vicissitudes of fate that we will not specify – she is forced to go out in search of adventure. There is a secret related to a mysterious door , in addition to an evil corporation that tries to exploit the resources of the Mara Ocean. The game has a certain environmentalist tone, defending nature: one of the tasks is to recycle (and they give you points). It is praiseworthy, although not so much the fact that in the end the argument is not as present as one might expect.
You notice the flow of life, how the orange trees replenish their fruits or the minerals reappearI liked the 2D cutscenes that sometimes appear, as well as the general layouts used to illustrate conversations. In the 3D plane the game does not shine so much. Conceptually it is a very beautiful game , but I have the feeling that some of the magic has been lost when applied on a three-dimensional canvas. It could be because the models are not detailed enough, but also because the animations – without being mediocre – have not convinced me. Again, it seemed like too much work for so few people, but the only thing I can do from here is tell you what I thought, and this is that I was disappointed to see that the visual representation is somewhat far from what they promised the original screenshots. Tested on PC, I also have to say thatoptimization is not the best , and it will be desirable that you have the recommended equipment (Intel Core i5 and GTX 660) to choose the highest quality without hitting it. There are three options in total, and the variation is notable between them, mainly due to the use of smoothing and lighting effects.
What secrets does that door hide? It is one of the great mysteries of Summer in Mara.
Music is perhaps the section that I can least complain about. Soft melodies, perfect to accompany us on our adventure, always having the ambient sound of nature in the background. Together with the day-night cycle and the presence of weather events such as rain, the game manages to transport you to a pleasant environment . Summer in Mara has some very good things, although largely buried by a handful of significant playable and technical frustrations.
It has been difficult for me to fulfill the tasks that were asked of me, because I did not see the fun, and technically I have not finished enjoying it because the feeling was that there was a lack of polishing work. However, you always have to stay with the good, and it would be a shame to put aside the important message that this video game sends us : that of merging with the environment, being one with the beauty that surrounds us and enjoying the moment, even if it is cultivating some lettuces. That the game achieves it … and it has its merit.
“Discreet”
Summer in mara
Summer in Mara fulfills its objective of assuming a calm adventure, in which the focus is on taking care of your island, while you talk to different characters and fulfill a number of tasks. The problem is that it is difficult for fun to arrive, making it a monotonous game, with a feeling of insufficient progression and production values that really stand out for the artistic side, which unfortunately is not done justice technically. I have the personal conviction that the game aimed high, but that it fell halfway to its intentions for various reasons. Even so, if you consider all this and want to try it, you will discover a fantastic message in favor of life and nature.
- Inspired and vibrant artsy section, reflecting the joy of adventure
- Tone and message in favor of life and nature
- The management of the island and its customization
- Boring mechanics in the medium and long term, little sense of progression
- Many tasks to accomplish, but most of them uninteresting
- Technically irregular, with modeling and animations that required more work
