Dystopian farming takes a unique spin in universe as My Time at Portia, but follows a new Builder as they settle in a town based on the "wild west". While the game has only just entered early access, there are already a number of promising features that build on popular mechanics from the previous title, including satisfying character creation.
Farming simulation games are a popular and increasingly sought-after genre that offer players a relaxed and low-impact gameplay experience. While many older farming sim games have been set in worlds with few problems, recent narratives have become more complex. For example, Stardew Valley's battle against JojaMart depicts the effects of commercial industry on small, farming towns, while My Time at Portia explores a world being rebuilt after societal collapse. While these stories can be more emotionally complex than other easy-going titles, they provide players with exciting new ways to engage in relatively simple and repetitive primary mechanics.
However, with more complex storylines, the importance of unique playable characters and customization options increases. Many titles like My Time at Sandrock learn more heavily into the RPG genre of gaming, with the main protagonist solving problems in the town and building relationships with NPCs through questlines and overarching plot points. Because of this, the ability to create unique characters that are relatable to the player help increase immersion and satisfaction both during menial farming tasks and when creating connections with a cast of interesting characters. While My Time at Portia offered basic character customization, My Time at Sandrock has greatly improved the creation process, giving players a surprising amount of control over playable character appearances.
My Time At Sandrock Takes Notes From The Sime 4 Character Creator
One of the first big changes players will notice in My Time at Sandrock's character customization are the many different tabs that can be accessed in a sidebar on the righthand side of the creator's screen. Players have the ability to select unique face shapes, hairstyles, mouth types, nose sizes, and even facial tattoos. However, when a tab has been selected, the creator opens a sub-tab that contains numerous customization sliders for each area of focus. Similar to the character creator in The Sims 4, players can shift and change features with these sliders to create detailed and unique protagonists.
The level of detail in My Time at Sandrock isn't even seen in Pokémon Legends: Arceus' limited character creator, and acts as an example of why the ability to create truly unique characters is important. Every character made in this type of creator is going to vary from the last, allowing players to have a different adventure in each playthrough. This not only boosts replayability but ensures that farming simulation mechanic staples like dating and marriage don't all blend together due to visually similar characters.
Additionally, each character made in My Time at Sandrock can display quirky character traits through a wide variety of extra options like tattoos, blush, makeup, and lipstick. Players can give their character an interesting facial marking that falls in line with an imagined backstory, or simply add a splash of color to the character's eyes with different styles of eye shadow. These options aren't limited by the gender selection of the main character, allowing players to fully enjoy cosmetic additions without penalty when inventing their prospective My Time at Sandrock Builder.
My Time At Sandrock Encourages Creative Freedom With Color Wheels
Another refreshing option included in My Time at Sandrock's character creation process is color wheels. While many games with basic character creation offer a small palette of skin tones for players to select between, it isn't uncommon for these options to be limited to just a few basic colors. Unfortunately, this creates situations where large numbers of players aren't able to find inclusion in the creation process, preventing the ability to build relatable playable characters. To avoid this, and provide inclusion and diversity, My Time At Sandrock provides a full color wheel selection option for skin, hair, eyes, and other colored details. Players can create characters that match their own identities or even build characters with wild and unique color schemes, including blue skin or magenta hair.
Unfortunately, there are a few areas that are limited when creating a character in My Time at Sandrock, including a lack of body type diversity and height options. While facial details are plentiful, players have no control over their character's body type, causing all protagonists to have the same physical shape. While it is possible additional customization options for muscle tone, weight, and shape could become available in future updates, currently, it feels limiting and off-balance compared to the amount of control given over facial features and color choices.
Additionally, there are no clothing customization options when starting out in My Time at Sandrock. Because of this, character builds can clash garishly with outfits, and unfortunately, options don't improve dramatically after getting established in the game. Because My Time at Sandrock is an early access farming simulation game, it is possible additional clothing options and customization abilities will be introduced at a later time, with the developers currently focusing on core mechanics over cosmetic extras. However, the lack of options can feel frustratingly limiting and can create a feeling of dissonance for those who spend a great deal of time creating unique playable characters.
Despite this, the number of customization options in My Time at Sandrock's early access character creator is currently on the right track. This could also include additional hairstyles, more ways to toggle and structure faces, or even new ways to make characters unique. While the roap for the game's development is still unfolding, it is likely future updates will greatly expand available content, and make it a great option for farming simulation fans who want to try something different from the repetitive themes in Harvest Moon or Animal Crossing. While there are still many needed features in My Time At Sandrock, the current early access options make gameplay immersive and interesting for those jumping in before the official release.
