The sky darkened and the lightning started. My character’s little ship went from sailing through the clear blue ocean to rocking on the angry ocean waves. When my character woke up, he was on a strange island destined for the adventure of a lifetime.
Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles brought me back to my roots as a gamer. When I was younger, video games weren’t serious and really felt like an adventure that I could have in my living room. Prideful Sloth managed to capture that childlike sense of adventure and pack it into a beautiful game that you can easily spend hours playing.
Since the game was designed for the Nintendo Switch, there is a unique look and feel to the gameplay that I just haven’t found in other games offered on the Xbox. The animation is simply beautiful, and just compounds the pleasant and playful tone of the game that really hooked me. The enormous scale of the game compared to your character also built on the theme of youthful adventure with colors that popped off the screen in every corner. However, Yonder also managed to maintain detail throughout the entire map and made the environment extremely interactive with animals, characters, and plants sprinkled throughout the game.
The only part of this game that was a little uneven was the story. By no means is the story bad, but it fell victim to its own genre. Adventure games, especially those made in a Nintendo style, often have a lot of the same storylines. There is a weary traveler who washes up on the shores of an unknown island in desperate need of some help. Then, through a series of similar tasks, this character rescues the island from some perilous evil that has plagued them for years without an end in sight. Unfortunately, Yonder followed this formula and there were some points where it felt like the story was repeating itself and a number of other adventure games that game before it. Also, there were times in the game where the structure of gathering materials to build something that solves a problem got a little tired for me. However, I still really enjoyed playing the game which is a testament to just how strong the other aspects the game really were.
One of the most impressive things about this game was how well it translated to a very different console then it was designed for. The team at Prideful Sloth did a fantastic job adapting the game from the Switch to the Xbox One despite there being a huge difference in the controls. The game also runs very smoothly on the Xbox and the bright colors in the environment really pop off the screen and add to that childlike tone present throughout the game. However, my favorite part is how extremely unique this game is for the Xbox. Typically, whimsical games like this are reserved for Nintendo consoles but it was a really nice change of pace adapting this game to the Xbox which, as a console, has made its name by carrying very adult oriented titles.
Apart from all of the technical aspects of the game, Yonder really shined in how it felt to pick up the controller and play the game. There is very unique value in a game that is just fun to play, and Yonder truly excels in that area.
Overall, playing Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles was a fantastic experience. Yonder’s animation, scale, sense of adventure, and whimsical nature really set this game apart from other titles on the Xbox and make it a worthy addition to any gamer’s library.
9.7/10
Take a Look at the Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles Xbox One Trailer:
Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles is available for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam.
Xbox One Review
My first console was the original Playstation and I would play Twisted Metal every now and then but games didn't hook me until I played the original Halo at my friend's house. As soon as I picked up that controller, I knew I needed an Xbox and I had to have that game. Since those early Halo days, I've branched out and played any game I could find with a great story and memorable characters but Master Chief is still my favorite. @thenotoriousTGT on Twitter
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