Summer in Mara Reviews
Check out Summer in Mara Review Scores from trusted Critics below. With 16 reviews on CriticDB, Summer in Mara has a score of:
Summer In Mara has come to us at almost the perfect time. With everyone still stuck inside and looking for any way to escape to the great outdoors, this seafaring farming sim was at the top of my games to play list. The game started its life as a successful Kickstarter project before its arrival on Steam and the Nintendo Switch in June of 2020. I myself have been following the game for a while, as a fan of any farming sim on the market, it piqued my interest right away with its promise of far...
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Farming sim meets narrative-driven RPG meets long-distance boat rides.
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The release of Summer in Mara couldn’t have been better timed. Given the uncertainty and social strife currently gripping the world, many are turning to gaming for a bit of escapism. Summer in Mara looks to provide exactly that, combining the gentle drama of life sims like Harvest Moon and Stardew Valley with the sunny exploration of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. Heck, Mara even takes place on a series of islands like recent megahit Animal Crossing: New Horizons. No wonder Summer in Mara amassed nearly $300,000 from Kickstarter backers – this sounds like the ultimate chillout game.
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It’s a real shame that Summer in Mara subjects you to such monotony, because it’s a beautiful game. Its characters are delightful and its world is a joy to explore. The music, too, is wonderful, if slightly repetitive; some of those tuns will get well and truly stuck in your head. But there’s no looking past the fact that its core gameplay makes Summer in Mara a chore to play. It’s enjoyable in short bursts, at least to begin with, but being little more than everyone’s lackey doesn’t stay fun for long.
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Summer In Mara is a beautiful yet frustrating effort that fails to live up to its massive potential. Despite its masterful storytelling, Chibig fills the game’s remaining hours with repetitive fetch quests and an empty world not worth exploring. It makes me sad but for the wrong reasons.
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We won’t mince words here, Summer in Mara has absolutely nothing to offer that hasn’t been done much better in other games that are easily available right now. If you want a cozy farm sim with a pleasant atmosphere, get Stardew Valley or Rune Factory 4. If you want a thrilling adventure you can take at your own pace, get Minecraft or The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Even if you’ve played those and are looking for something new, please don’t waste your time or money here. This is not a 'hidden gem'; the alluring presentation of Summer...
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Summer in Mara may have its flaws but it can be overlooked by how beautiful the game looks and how peaceful the game’s soundtrack is. Each character is unique and well crafted, you can tell each one was created with the utmost care. It’s also a bonus that each character has their own personality. You’ll fall in love with characters and enjoy the interactions between them and Koa.
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Summer in Mara looks lovely right away, but the shine wears off quickly amid a long list of issues, both fixable and sadly, not fixable.
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Summer in Mara is a lovely experience with an abundance of charm and a welcome engagement with environmental and emotional subjects. It makes for a perfect introduction to the genre for younger gamers, and a great relaxing escape from the real world for more mature sorts. It doesn’t have the depth of last year’s My Time at Portia but is both more accessible and has more developed characters. While there may be little prospect of a summer trip to sunny islands in reality, you could do a lot worse than take a holiday with Koa and explore the wonders of...
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Summer in Mara is a relaxing adventure sim which focuses on quests and characters over farming or true exploration; if you’re looking for a challenging farming or adventure game, you may want to avoid these waters. At its worst, Mara’s quests can be poorly communicated, bottleneck and cause frustration, but at its best, it’s easy to get lost in this bright, breezy world filled with aliens, pirates, and wholesome adventures.
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A testament to mediocrity, but not awful. It can be acceptable if you just want to zone out for a while, but the constant stream of tedium and pointless running back and forth will try the patience of most.
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When I first came across the Kickstarter project for Summer in Mara, I was pretty hyped. I was already on an ocean-high, having recently watched Moana. This inspired me to watch nature documentaries and play The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker for perhaps the third or fouth time. The Kickstarter trailer for the game was beautiful and it felt like the perfect virtual world to whisk away to and spend my summer in. Did Summer in Mara live up to all of its summery and ocean-y hype? Almost, but ...
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Summer in Mara takes elements from Stardew Valley and The Legend of Zelda and blends them into one charming and fun formula.
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There are a few small ways the developers could make great strides – full fast-travel, please! – and many more improvements that aren’t quick fixes. I hope it gets there, though. As a farming simulation, Summer in Mara falls short, but dang if its sunny world and characters aren’t pleasant to be around.
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Summer in Mara is not for everyone; it's charming, full of character, and clearly made with a loving passion, but its focus on the journey may leave some players feeling left behind. With a dash of patience and a hint of dedication, Summer in Mara blossoms into a wonderful experience.
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