Far: Lone Sails is described on Steam as a "vehicle adventure," but that really doesn't do the experience justice. More accurately, it's a slow, solo, contemplative journey across a barren, not-quite-realistic landscape littered with the detritus of a crumbled civilization on the run.
The game is built around a strange, rickety vehicle that's half steam train and half land yacht, that carries players along dry seabeds and through abandoned settlements and derelict factories. It's appallingly fuel-inefficient and requires almost non-stop maintenance (there's also an element of management game involved), but when the wind is right its majestic sails enable easy, carefree propulsion.
There are plenty of places to stop and explore along the way, although the interactivity is relatively minimal. You're not going to be kicking down doors, reading notes, or shooting at glowing-eyed zombies as you would in, say, The Final Station, a game it superficially resembles. But that's the point—developer Okomotive said that Far: Lone Sails is "just you and your machine vs. the big nothing," and it absolutely nails a sense of isolation and scale. The world feels big, and you are very, very small.
In case it's not clear, I've played Far: Lone Sails, and I really enjoyed it. It's a perfectly linear experience and not very long—around four hours if you dawdle, and you really should—but I said when the release date was announced in March that my expectations were "elevated," and I'm happy to say that they've been met.
All of which is to also say that Far: Lone Sails was released today and is available for $15 on Steam, GOG, and the Humble Store. There's also a website up with more information at far-game.com.
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