Tales of Seikyu

If you ask me to rank my favorite Stardew Valley-alikes, I would be lying if I said that Tales of Seikyu got the top spot. It’s got a few too many flaws here and there. Not major ones, but lots of little things along the way. However… it’s in the top five, absolutely. All of its faults are little. The kind of thing you notice and might have feelings about, but also the kind of thing that never makes you feel like this isn’t worth bothering with any longer. It’s minor gripes here and there that never derail the experience. And those little faults? They’re not worth dwelling on, because the overall vibe is a charming and engaging game where you are going to be having a good time. So it might not be a perfect ten, but my goodness, I am not done with this game. I have crops to ship and then I’m going to glide around for a while. Flying foxes indeed.

I had an excellent time with Seikyu. The aesthetic is delightful, the cast is charming, and the island’s many little activities are a blast. Yes, there are some rough edges yet to be sanded off. I ran into a glitch or two. I also wish the quest system were more intuitive and required less wandering. But if you approach the game at the pace it prefers, you’ll have a great time. Anyone looking for that next Stardew-style life sim experience would be wise to pick up Tales of Seikyu.

Tales of Seikyu is a lovely addition to the farming sim genre that you’ll quickly yet quietly become a part of before you’re even aware you were dragged down into its coziness in the first place. It features everything fans of the genre love about farming sims while adding in fun features like shapeshifting, among others. But where Tales of Seikyu really shines is in its ability to make players truly feel they are an integral part of Seikyu’s village, that their actions matter to its inhabitants, and that they’re doing something worthwhile.

With a colorful world and interesting characters Tales of Seikyu will please anyone looking for their next cozy adventure.

We certainly did not dislike our time with Tales of Seikyu, but neither can we say that it truly impressed us. Fans of cozy life simulators who have already spent countless hours with titles such as Stardew Valley and its many contemporaries may find something to pique their interest here. However, with new games in the genre being released at a relentless pace, we believe it takes more than a single transformation mechanic to convince players that this title deserves greater attention than its many competitors.

All in all, while having some very noticeable drawbacks, Tales of Seikyu is still incredibly engaging and can be very satisfying and fun at its best. While many of its negative aspects need to be addressed in future updates, it still offers an enjoyable experience in its current state, especially for fans of the genre.

Tales of Seikyu has all the right pieces but feels unrefined and early, despite the 1.0 launch.