Hate farming in video games and wish you could spice it up? Now you can! Join the proud, the many, the slime ranchers! With all the benefits (and consequences) that come with it!
IMPORTANT NOTE: This is an Early Access game. I am doing this review with the current version (which is ‘0.6.0d’). All opinions will be based from this version, and will not be changed as the game gets updated (except maybe to revisit this game through a future review(which would likely be a mini-review)).
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Title: Slime Rancher
ESRB Rating: T
Developer: Monomi Park
Publisher: Monomi Park
Price Tag: $20 on Steam (got it for 30% off during the Steam Summer Sale)
Release Date: *Unknown*
Game Engine: Unity
Available for these other systems: Mac, Linux, XBox One
Number of Players: Single
Genre: 1st person real life simulator
Game Features: Suck up slimes and other objects with the Luigi’s Mansion-like device called the ‘Vacpack’, and throw them in corrals. Every slime has its own diet (except for Pink Slimes which will eat anything) and must be fed correctly for them to produce ‘plort’. This is your goldmine to riches to get ‘Newbucks’. This money can be used to expand your ranch by unlocking sections. You can also use it to automate parts of the corrals (such as auto-feeding and auto-extracting plort, as long as you have room to do so).
However, the game uses an economy system that’s based on how many of that plort is sold, which fluctuates the prices daily. Keep an eye on the ‘need’ level of specific plorts, as you might find you’re no longer getting as much as you were the last day.
Slimes can be turned into ‘Largo Slimes’ by them eating the plort of another slime, but this slime will be too large to suck up. However, be careful these larger slimes don’t eat the plort of another, or they will transform into a Tarr and kill your entire business (including you).
Story: The ‘story’ is all messed up (from this point of the game’s development), but I’ll try to piece together what I can from the ‘Starmail'(messages in the game).
I’ll also try to be brief.
Some time ago, scientists discovered a strange, slimy (yet still Earth-Like) World a thousand light-years away from Earth. After sending in an expedition force, they discovered it’s inhabited by creatures called ‘slimes’; semi-sentient beings of goo. It was later discovered their droppings (called ‘plort’) can be used back on Earth to help humanity. And so, the term ‘slime rancher’ was born (by the corporate giant named ‘The 7Zee Corporation’) as people went to this planet that they dubbed ‘Far, Far Ranch’.
The player character, ‘Beatrix LeBeau’ is one of the newest people to be a slime rancher, and is placed in cryo “for a whole year” to arrive at the planet, and starts her new life as a rancher of slimes.
Main Character: The player plays as ‘Beatrix LeBeau’, who has joined the Far, Far Range to start a life as s slime rancher. Not much is known about this person as she has no backstory, other than a mention of a ‘Casey’ who cares for her.
Side Characters: A mention of a ‘Casey’ who apparently cares for the player character (and calls her ‘Bea’). It’s unknown at this time if the two are simply best friends, or even more than that.
Enemies: Most slimes are nice, yet others also attack the player character in a ‘playful’ mood(like Rock Slimes which roll into a ball and attempt to smash themselves into the player). Yet there are two which are hostile to the player, one being an angered version of a ‘Largo Slime’ called ‘Feral Slime’. Their locations are easily marked with a nice, friendly skull and crossbones(that totally doesn’t say “DEATH BEYOND THIS POINT!!”).
And then, there are The ‘Tarr’, which is the result of a horrific transformation of a Largo Slime that eats a 3rd plort from a different slime. This new breed of ‘slime’ sees other slimes as food, and also using them to reproduce into more Tarr (which can cause an outbreak). But their favorite food…is the player character.
Combat/Health System: There’s four ways to stop a Tarr outbreak from getting worse. 1. Burn them. 2. Hurl them into the slime sea. 3. Splash water on them. 4. ..Run away screaming like a pussy.
However, running away is sometimes the best option, especially at night. If running isn’t an option, attempting to suck up the offending slime and blast it away (that isn’t into a wall), will work.
The player starts with 100 Health and 100 Energy. Energy drains from sprinting, but does recharge with time (same as health). The player doesn’t die when their health hits 0, instead she gets knocked out. Everything in their inventory is lost, the player shows up at The Ranch, and time gets set to the next day.
Maps/Levels/Chapters: The game takes place at ‘Far, Far Ranch’. Exploration is key to finding new slimes to feed (and sell their plort). It also reveals special ‘Gordo Slimes’ which are rumored to accept a crapload of food until they blow up. The result, is a key which can be used to open a ‘slime door’. It is unknown where these doors lead.
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What I liked;
-The game is pretty cute, and it’s easy to understand it’s core features.
-Supports my resolution, however with no Windowed Fullscreen option.
-Every breed of slime has its own personality.
-The game has two game modes, with the original and a 5-day rush mode(no idea what it is).
-Plorts have a (claimed) purpose back on Earth, that benefits the human race one way or another.
What I didn’t like;
-There’s literally no refunds if you happen to mess up on an upgrade purchase. Though thankfully it’s not too hard to get your money back with enough plorts.
-Running back and forth begins to get repetitive.
-Lack of a backstory of the player character (and the relationship between her and this ‘Casey’ character), or even an end goal. Surely the end goal can’t possibly be “I’m gonna 100% completion this!”
-The economics mechanic (affecting plort wealth), IMO, fluctuates a bit too frequently and doesn’t feel balanced. Even plorts from slimes I don’t have, lose value.
Final Opinions/Thoughts;
As I said, the game feels really cute of needing to take care of slimes (and deal with their specific diets to get the most profit available), and you can’t ignore a Tabby Slime’s cute cat-like face. The interesting transformation of seeing a slime eat the plort of another. Of course it raises the risk of one of them becoming a Tarr and devouring everything (and creating more of itself).
Yet I also feel without a backstory or even a proper endgame, that’s all the game becomes. With time, the game will start to feel repetitive and a grind. I personally don’t want to see “make the most money” be the actual endgame. And what worries me greatly is I read this game is to be fully released next month, with only one more major update. If this major update isn’t what I said, I doubt I will personally keep playing this game.
However, this isn’t a bad game. If you’re into.. well, what would eventually be considered a mindless grind of trying to maximize your profits, then go on ahead and get this game. But please take this review to heart.