Roots of Pacha [review]

There have been lots of farming games released this year for Nintendo Switch, and it's hard to figure out which one to buy. They vary in concept and quality, and it’s downright intimidating to pick one. I’d heard good things about Roots of Pacha when it launched last April on PC. Does it hold up compared to the saturated market? In my mind, it does, and in fact, if you want to play a farming sim on Nintendo Switch, it is one of the best options to date.

Roots of Pacha starts off differently. Instead of being the typical modern farming sim, it takes place in prehistoric times. The opening screen notes that this is a fantastical setting that does not exist to allude to any culture or time. I think they achieve that effectively. The world of Roots of Pacha reminds me of the King of Dragon Pass (Does anyone remember that game?) rather than any real-life group of people.

This setting presented new challenges in execution as the game takes place from a different technological period than, say, Stardew Valley. The devs used this to give the game a very distinct feel that sets it apart from other farming sims. There is a tremendous sense of community and collaboration with the setting and characters that I enjoyed immensely.

I would like to reiterate that this game is not a prehistoric reskin of Stardew Valley, but a game that feels loosely inspired by. While there is some overlap, overall, the game does things differently. I feel like if you are looking for a farming sim that is more narrative-based, contains a little more substance, or just overall a little more mature (but without dark elements) this is probably the game for you.

I did not play this game on PC, so I can’t attest to how it compares to that. With that in mind, I found the game ran very well on Switch. There was a grand total of one crash and one bug the entire time I played it.

The controls took me a little while to get used to, which I blame on my general inexperience rather than a flaw. Once I got the hang of them, though, they felt comfortable. The only questionable moments I had were with the tool wheel, which I ended up circumventing, and the fishing game, which I felt didn’t translate well to the Switch.

I have shied away from talking about the gameplay elements and features in this review, and that is for a reason! Roots of Pacha let me know about the core mechanics of how to play via tutorial. Other than that, it’s a game that focuses a lot on exploration. I went into this blind, and that’s how I encourage others to play. Rest assured, all the things you love from farming sims including animals, farming, building relationships, fishing, and crafting are all here.

Overall, I had a fantastic time with the game. It is in my mind, a perfect farming game, and gets a 5/5 from me. In fact, it may be one of the top games I’ve played this year from an indie dev. I highly recommend it. If you check out one farming sim on the Nintendo Switch, make it this one.

SCORE: 5/5