ConcernedApe's epic homegrown farming sim Stardew Valley is finally getting its massive promised update, as Version 1.5 has officially been released on PC. Console and mobile updates are set to follow in the coming weeks. This newest update features new quests, events, characters, a whole new island, and much more.
Stardew Valley started off as the pet project for Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone, the game's sole developer, and had its roots in similar farming sims like Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing. Barone developed the game as a personal challenge, and to rectify what he felt were shortcomings in the two mainstream farming sims. Stardew Valley was released in 2016 via gaming publisher Chucklefish for PC. The game was praised for its depth and diversity, and Barone was particularly commended for creating the entire game by himself, down to the art, dialogue and coding. Even Yasuhiro Wada, the creator of the Harvest Moon series, complimented Stardew Valley for keeping the original spirit of Harvest Moon, which he felt had been lost over time. Stardew Valley was later released on mobile and consoles, and eventually sold over 10 million copies.
The latest 1.5 update was promised to be the biggest update to the game yet since its launch, but details about what it entailed were limited. Its release today, as announced on the official 1.5 would come before the end of this year. Just in time for the holidays, the developer has made good on his word. The 1.5 changelog contains a laundry list of new features, including - but not limited to - beach farming, a whole new island, new character customization options, new characters to meet, and new events to take part in.
It's an exciting time for fans of the series who were looking forward to new ways to play the popular game. Barone kept details about the update fairly under wraps, but he did promise a new split-screen co-op feature would be part of the package, which he finally delivered with today's release. Otherwise, all players could do was speculate about what was coming and accept that it would take some time to find out. After all, Barone is a one-man army and has no outside help in developing content and updates, which is a commendable effort and inherently slow effort.
Patient players have now been rewarded, and there's plenty to do in the latest update for new players and returning players alike, from meeting new characters to taking part in new community events, or checking out the new island map. Considering the world at large is still trapped indoors thanks to both the COVID-19 pandemic and the winter months, a chance to lounge on an island beach might be just what Harvey ordered.
Stardew Valley is available on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, Android, and iOS.
Source: ConcernedApe
