Recent reviews by Emperor Pupienus of Rome

What an extraordinary, shining, gem of a game. Stardew Valley's art is magnificent, all of its characters are very well developed, and the game is just downright fun. Many developers these days have gotten caught up in pumping out title after high budget title, and have forgotten what video games (or at least in my opinion) are.

Stardew Valley is a very simple game; you build a farm to grow crops and raise animals, sell them for money, and gather resources to make your farm more efficient. Its simplicity, however, is not a bad thing by any means. I think its simplicity is one of its greatest assets. In an age of hyper-flashy, hyper-violent, hyper-realistic games with little substance, a simple game with a lot of meat is a genuine breath of fresh air. Stardew Valley is that game.

In my opinion, most video games these days are more about winning than they are about playing. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of fun to be had in playing competitve games, but for me they get a little dry sometimes. In most competitive games, your sole focus is the objective. Defusing a bomb, standing on a glowing square on the ground, or standing next to a cart until you reach a glowing square on the ground. In Stardew Valley, your objectives aren't so rigid. Really, you just do whatever appeals to you most on any given day. It's hard to get bored because there's so much to do. Stardew Valley hasn't fallen into the "winning" trap like many modern games do. There's no way to win in Stardew Valley, and I think that's awesome.

If we're being honest, the game is a little grindy. However there are so many different ways to do the same thing, it's hardly noticeable.

Stardew Valley is an outstanding game, and a breath of fresh air in the stagnant atmosphere of modern gaming. I cannot possibly recommend this game too much; $15 is a steal for this beautiful, beautiful game.

10/10, a masterpiece and a testament to what gaming can be.

"WHY CAN I NEVER GET A F**KING GUN?!?!"