Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles review
Simple beauty
When an independent title begins drawing comparisons to some of the finest role-playing games that the industry has ever known, one can’t help but set some particularly high standards for it. Enter Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles, an open-world exploration title that sets a young child on a large island to discover much of his forgotten past, much akin to more than a few Zelda storylines, though leaving behind the sword in favour of the seed. Developed by Australian indie Prideful Sloth, Yonder offers few boundaries and provides players with the opportunity to explore a brand new world to their heart’s content.
The game’s opening scene places the protagonist on a boat that sails towards their homeland of Gemea, surrounded only by a few sailors and a beautiful ocean landscape. After a few brief interactions with the crew, the weather conditions take a drastic turn, shadowing the sky with storm clouds and creating violent waves that rock the ship harder than before, all before the scene cuts away as the ship crashes upon the rocky shore. It’s in the same moment that the protagonist is met by a strange, tall creature on a seemingly different plane of existence, who advises them to locate a number of Sprites (not to be confused with the delicious lemonade) in order to help uncover the character’s origins.
Despite any sense that the stormy opening scene may foreshadow a greater sense of danger within the game, Yonder leaves behind any reason for the player to fear from the moment they set foot on Gemea. With no single enemy standing in your way and no “Game Over” screen implemented at any stage, players are set free to explore the island without the need to stay cautious. Even a careless plummet into the sea smoothly transitions the player back onto dry land, doing very little to impede the journey ahead. While this can certainly leave much excitement to be desired, it’s a somewhat unique take on adventuring that is born from such a charming innocence. Yonder doesn’t want you to fear it, but instead find your own way to love it.
For all that it’s worth, Gemea has such a simple beauty to it. Players can freely wander the island and take in its many charming sights and sounds; such exploration isn’t always rewarded with material goods, but it certainly provides its share of aesthetics to appreciate across eight unique regions. Furthermore, this passive adventure is constantly backed by a soundtrack that only adds to the serenity of the environment. Truly, much of the game felt like the perfect unwinding experience.
In spite of all the peace at hand, there is a darkness that the player can choose to overcome. The Murk, as it’s known, is a mysterious substance that has shrouded much of Gemea, most commonly confined to small locations that are easily avoided. Murk isn’t destructive or sentient, which perfectly suits the game’s pacifist nature, though it can be removed should the player collect the necessary number of Sprites to do so. Uncovering what lies hidden beneath a layer of Murk is about as close as Yonder gets to providing a relatively exciting experience, though, and that may not be enough to sustain the interests of a number of adventurers.
In place of battle and glory, Yonder opens the door for players to interact with various townsfolk, tradesmen and other miscellaneous non-playable characters to either push through the game’s somewhat lacklustre storyline or to gather crafting tools and equipment. In place of spending a form of currency, players can directly acquire goods through the trade of other items; a system which further invokes a sense of harmony among Gemea’s numerous communities.
It’s through socialisation that Yonder arguably becomes the most rewarding experience it can be. Hidden among a plethora of fetch quests are personalities that come across as warm and, even at times, a little humorous. Sprites, in particular, have a habit of dropping the kind of puns that’ll get as many players cringing as they will get chuckling.
An alternative to interaction involves the creation and maintenance of farmland. Players can build their own barns, pens, and troughs among other things, and even lure a number of wild animals with food to the farm as a peculiar form of adoption. Akin to many of the quests given by townsfolk, maintaining a farm can quickly fall into the category of “dull busywork”, even if you happen to be a full-blown completionist. Nevertheless, these features stand as positive time-passers that should keep keep most players busy for at least an hour or two at a time.
For all that it would seem to lack, Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles invokes a warm invitation to players of all ages and interests to explore a beautiful new world. The game drives a thirst for adventure through the sheer desire to see all of Gemea for its natural wonder, not instinctively to be rewarded with material goods; an ambition that won’t necessarily resonate with a majority of players.
Our verdict:
Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles boldly abandons a sense of danger and excitement in favour of beauty and wonder; a move that has both benefits and flaws. It’s not the most exciting game to play through, but it opens the door to a carefree world where any player can pass the time with ease.
Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles was reviewed on PlayStation 4 using a pre-release code provided by Prideful Sloth.
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