Andy O’Flaherty reviews Plantera…
It’s all Cookie Clicker‘s fault. Since its release in 2013 we have seen a massive influx of the ‘incremental’ or ‘clicker’ – a fairly basic genre of video game that tasks (and I use that term loosely) the player to perform simple tasks to acquire some sort of in-game currency. The popularity of these games can largely be attributed to casual gamers fitting in short mindless entertainment into their daily routines, and indeed VaragtP Studios’ Plantera seems like an excellent fit for the mobile game market. Alas, it is in fact a Steam only game, which perhaps seems like a lost opportunity, but that aside how does it play? Does it have any depth, or is it a case of clicking until boredom (or carpel tunnel) sets in? Let’s find out…
Plantera, as the title may suggest, is fairly basic ‘planting’ simulation with a slight sprinkling of farming for good measure. The player starts with a small plot of land with which a small selection of vegetables, fruit or trees can be planted. Once the crops are ready they can be collected for cash, and then more trees and vegetable patches can then be purchased. Once enough money has been acquired the plot can be expanded, and more varieties of fruit and vegetable can be grown. Some crops are worth more money than others, so thinking about how to best use your limited space becomes key.
After a certain amount of game time, animals become available to buy – such as chickens, sheep and cows. The eggs, wool and milk that they produce can also be sold, and you can even buy dogs to protect you land. Protect? Indeed – all these fruit, vegetables and animals soon start attracting various predators, with rabbits sneaking in to steal your carrots, foxes going after your chickens and so on. You can even buy scarecrows to frighten off the birds that try to steal your fruit when you aren’t looking!
It terms of low budget indie games, straight out the gate Plantera has a fairly charming aesthetic – with bright and colourful cartoon-like visuals that are nicely animated and full of character. The music, despite being a single track that loops indefinitely is well written and fits the game well. The audio cues and sound effects are distinct and do a great job of hinting to the player what is going on outside of the field of view. The interface and menu screens are uncluttered and intuitive, and the game actually does a great job of making itself self-explanatory without the need for any tedious tutorials.
However, the game is a ‘clicker’ at heart, and as such the actual game-play is rather basic. You click where you want your crops and animals to be, you click on predators to scare them away, you click on the fruits and vegetables to collect them, and…. that’s about it. Each level you advance adds ‘helpers’, who collect the items for you, and once you have enough dogs and scarecrows the game is perfectly capable of pretty much playing itself – which is actually a staple problem with this genre as a whole. There is no logical conclusion, no over-arching goal and no end of game as such, so once you have played the game for an hour or so you have pretty much seen all there is to see. This is a shame, as the game does get quite a lot right, and the addition of little trials or challenges could have done wonders for some lasting appeal. As it is, Plantera is a fun little distraction for a couple of hours but nothing more.
Pros:
+ Charming visuals
+ Uncluttered interface
+ Fun for a while…
Cons:
– No lasting appeal
– Limited variety
Plantera is available now on Steam.
Rating: 6/10
Andy O’Flaherty