Game Review: Spiritfarer (Xbox Series X)

Spiritfarer is a management sim and sandbox adventure game developed and published by Canadian studio Thunder Lotus Games. It released in 2020 via multiple platforms before coming to Game Pass in 2021.

The player takes the role of Stella, accompanied by her adorable pet cat Daffodil. Stella takes over from the mythological Charon as the new Spiritfarer, a ferry master who must sail the sea to find spirits and grant their last wishes and finally take them to the Everdoor, a gateway to the afterlife. In order to assist with her journey, Charon gifts both Stella and Daffodil with the magical Everlight.

After Charon passes through the Everdoor, Stella procures a ship of her own and begins travelling the world. She picks up spirits and helps them fulfil their last wishes while befriending them along the way. As she picks up more spirits and collects resources, Stella expands the ship and its capabilities further. However, Stella must begin sending the spirits to the Everdoor, with each of them giving an emotional send off as they thank Stella for everything she has done for them. As Stella sends off more and more spirits, she soon begins occasionally encountering Hades, in the form of a giant owl.

In many of my recent game reviews I have found myself showering Game Pass with praise and this will be the exact same situation. Without Game Pass I never would have discovered this game and that makes me very sad. Spiritfarer is without a single doubt, one of the most beautiful video games that I have ever experienced.

Firstly, the artsyle is just stunning. It’s like an animated painting that has come to life before you. Then there’s the soundtrack. I cannot possibly express in to words just how amazing it is. The one that plays when you visit the Everdoor touched my very soul. Of course, this is a video game so it’s all about the gameplay. Well, Spiritfarer succeeds in that department as well. You spend the vast majority of your time gathering resources, growing crafting supplies etc. That’s really the meat and bones of the game. There are a bunch of fun mini games that you’ll need to play in order to obtain some of the more rare materials. Also, as you progress Stella gains new abilities which is cool.

The only negative that I can direct at the game is that the resource gathering does get tiresome quickly. The systems in the game are not overly complex. Once you have them mastered, it can feel like a bit of a slog. This is especially apparent if you go all the way in doing everything on offer.

The story and its characters is truly the biggest strength of this game. You’ll find yourself getting hopelessly bonded to each new spirit that you welcome aboard. You’ll fully get to know everything about who they were in life. You can do small tasks to make their stay more enjoyable like cooking their favourite meals for them. Each of them brings a different personality and story that are different enough to make them all stand out as individuals. Taking some of them to the Everdoor felt like I myself had experienced genuine loss.

At its core, Spiritfarer is about life and just how fragile it is. It’s about doing and saying what you want to while you can, before it’s too late. It’s in a way a metaphor for those that are there for people in their final moments. I played it to its absolute fullest and it had a huge impact on me. I highly and I mean highly recommend it.