I think that for starters I need to come clean about the real reason I bought Spiritfarer. Not because it's an indie game and they have brought me more joy than any other game, not because of the themes of death and moving on, not even because of the art.
The real reason was... Daffodil.
Now, this is why I started playing. Why did I stay?
***SPOILERS*** ahead, read at your own risk.
So, in case you don't know, in Spiritfarer you are Stella, a girl who became the new - you guessed it - Spiritfarer, taking Charon's place. Your job is to ferry the spirits around in your huge ass boat, making sure they take care of any unfinished business they might have, while also feeding them and caring for them.
The game is a mix of platformer and a farming sim and you can cook, harvest and forage all with the help of your adorable cat: Daffodil (best character in the game).
Moving on from my otherwordly attachment to this cat named after my favorite flower, what are other reasons that made me enjoy Spiritfarer?
The story (stories?) is certainly one of them. Getting to know the characters, following all the breadcrumbs that lead us to their past, the joys and regrets they left behind and the things they share the most. Some of them are heavily aware that they're gone and wonder if they still have time to change before they move on, others... others just keep making the same mistakes they did when they were alive.
In the end (almost) every spirit leaves, their final introspection resonating with you far more than you were expecting.
Nothing made me cry more than Stella. As we get to know the spirits and their pasts we realize that most of them, if not all, are connected to Stella. Either through her personal - as she moved around and travelled when she was in her 20s - and professional life - we find out she was a palliative care nurse.
However, it was not this that made me cry. It was not finding out that she herself was ill in the end.
What got me was how she went gentle into that good night. How, with no words, no introspection, she rows to the Everdoor, hugs Daffodil, and they go.
And then, just as the game ends, and I'm already crying, the credits start with the words:
Unfortunately, not everything is great about Spiritfarer. It certainly is a beautiful game, but sometimes... sometimes the controls drove me crazy. Maybe it was more the camera. Sometimes I was gliding, skipping, and it didn't follow Stella as it had just moments before. Especially when it came to the Dragons minigame that could be extremelly frustrating.
I also believe it would have been nice to have a menu where we could add a wishlist of items we had to craft for improvements. Maybe it was somewhere hidden in the game, but if there were, it should have been easier to find.
Poor Daffodil also got lost sometimes depending on where and how I jumped and could not join me, which made cutting down a tree impossible, for example.
I got to see her cute animations though.
All in all, I enjoyed the game. I liked the story and, even if I wish the game sometimes was clearer about where I had to head, the game was quite balanced.
For the completionists out there, if you want to complete the Steam achievements, you'll need two playthroughs. So, this'll go on my "to replay" list for sure.
