Kitaria Fables Preview – Wondrous Whimsy

The farming simulation genre has no shortage of notable series. However, the appeal of the genre may be limited to established fans. Well, the upcoming Kitaria Fables aims to put forth a well-executed balancing act of farming alongside action RPG combat, creating an addictive and fresh gameplay cycle.

While the introduction of Kitaria Fables is nothing to write home about, players find themselves protecting a village from monstrous threats. An overarching story carries the events with unexpectedly tense drama fueled by world livelihood and secretive embraces of forbidden acts. The plot contrasts nicely with the cutesy designs of the numerous animal characters and pleasant world, also giving the title a distinct identity that sets it apart.

Gameplay is divided amongst several different tasks, with a primary one being combat. Players can battle monsters using weapons and spells they discover through gameplay. For instance, some weapons have unique skills that come with recharge times.

Enemies also telegraph their attacks with brief exuding orange bars, making battles a mix of proper timing and positioning. Weapon swinging and dodge rolling are relatively smooth, so it is mainly a matter of reaction. However, dodging can’t be performed in the middle of a skill, so those actions require forethought.

Dungeons litter the world map. Each dungeon is relatively straightforward but thrilling to explore. There are brief side paths with treasure chests and many enemies to kill for precious materials. Speaking of, materials are found everywhere. These are used to sell, heal, or upgrade structures. There is an apparent boasting of player agency with the sheer degree of options one can invest in to tailor their own gameplay experience.

Specified tools are needed to gather natural resources such as axes for trees and hoes for farming. Some items are required to progress. However, the lack of inventory space from the beginning is undeniably frustrating.

It goes beyond having to strategize what to carry and instead teeters on the edge of depositing a ludicrous amount of randomly picked up items into storage simply for the sake of space. I’m not asking for an unlimited inventory, but some more space to hold items on your character would have been greatly appreciated to avoid needless time-wasting.

Farming is extremely simple and does not require much explanation. Appropriate farmland must be tiled with a hoe; seeds must be planted and cared for with vigilant watering. It is a calming mechanic and fits the casually relaxing essence of the farming simulation genre at its core. There are various seeds one can plant, which eventually grow into beneficial tools, so it pays to be mindful of this task.

Kitaria Fables contains a delightful array of mechanics that fuse to create a gratifying gameplay experience. It does an incredible job of portraying a vibrant world unafraid to dabble in some mature story elements while retaining an endearing art style and entertaining gameloop.

Even if you aren’t huge on farming simulations, the combat and exploration segments are more than inviting, and vice versa for those not too compelled by action combat. Additionally, this title manages to smartly diversify its applications with modestly involved mechanics to make it never come across as overwhelming for any particular crowd.

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Kitaria Fables is releasing for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, and PC-via Steam on September 3, 2021.