Launching the game, you’re immediately met with upbeat country music and a bunch of customisation options to create your very own ranch. You create your own little pixel character, choose what well-designed western-style outfit you want to wear and then you’re off! Or, well, first you need to come up with a bunch of names – one for yourself, your ranch and even the town you settle near! – Quite a time-consuming task, if one is as picky about these things as I am.
A beautifully narrated letter gives you some backstory as to why you’ve set out on this journey of starting anew, before you get woken up Skyrim-style in the back of a stagecoach by the driver – a resident of the frontier town you’re heading to. In the guise of friendly conversation, he gives you hints about what you can do in the town once you get there. You meet the Mayor, and after showing you to a plot of land that is to be completely yours, he gives you a bunch of essential tools and items to get you started. Now you just have to pitch your tent and make a living!
Below are from our first impressions of the game. Will be updated as we play the game more.
Don’t forget to read the dialogue!
Just like your character, you’re thrown into the deep end with very little hand-holding. As you explore the land around you, you come across your friendly neighbours that are happy to hand you some tools and items, as well as instruct you on how to do certain things – but it’s up to you to pay attention to what they’re saying. They will only tell you once exactly how, for example, the fishing works (a mix between Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley), and if you didn’t pay attention, you will most likely waste a lot of time casting your line into empty water with no fish in sight.
It is a very dialogue heavy game where most of the things said are very important for both the story and your way forward. And of course everyone speaks with a lovely western accent.
Is anybody home?
While you get a handful of quests immediately to get you started, you will have to find most of them yourself by exploring the world around you or talking to the townsfolk – just make sure the townsfolk are in the correct place if you’re trying to pick up or hand in quests; they most likely won’t want to talk to you about work if they’re having some time off in the saloon and you’re going to have to wait until they’re back at work the following day.
While there is a map of the entire area that tells you exactly where you are at any given moment, it doesn’t tell you where to find anyone else or even what the different buildings are called. Until you learn to recognise what the buildings on the map are and who spends their time where, you’re in for a lot of wandering around until you find who and what you’re looking for.
It’s an ambush!
Watch out, there are bandits about! Better carry that trusty pistol with you and make sure you have some ammunition because those scoundrels can jump out of any bush and ambush you, stealing your money if you haven’t got a sharp aim! There are also wild animals in the forest and in the mines that won’t hesitate to attack you. Out in the world, it’s as easy as selecting the pistol on your bar and aiming it at whatever is out to get you, whereas during a bandit ambush you need to be quick on the draw and pull the trigger at the right time. Luckily, there is a town doctor to patch you up should you need it. You can also turn off enemies in the mines and in the overworld in the settings.
In Summary
There is a lot going on in this game – not only is the world alive with animals, plants and townsfolk moving about, but there is also a lot to do. You learn crafting, cooking and farming straight away, but soon you also encounter shooting, fishing, hunting… the list of things to do is nearly endless. On top of that, you also get to know the townsfolk – listening to their stories, giving them gifts and perhaps even attempting to romance some of them. Luckily your handy journal gives you a shoe in on what each and everyone likes and dislikes, so you don’t have to experiment and risk offending someone.
Some of the controls on PC are a bit yanky (looking at you “right click to jump”), but the Cattle Country’s charming personality definitely makes up for a lot of its shortcomings. If you like Stardew Valley and also like the wild west, Cattle Country is probably the game for you. It’s a healthy mix of different professions, combat and when you step into the mines it changes your perspective – literally. It goes from being top-down to being a sidescroller Terraria-style mine where you dig in whatever direction you fancy, looking for both ore and treasures.
