Zelda, Palworld, and Valheim clash in this Ghibli-inspired world where survival games and colony sims combine.
I don’t follow them through that portal, though, because I don’t want to take the simple path. Rather, I extend my brilliant blue tetherhook, launch myself skyward via a conveniently located grappling point, and then unfurl a pair of wings to enable me to glide back to our community without incident.
Once there, I build my villagers a series of yurts to sleep beneath out of the wood my villagers hauled back through the portal, and I give them portions of berries to keep them content.
Fera is a survival game twist that’s intriguing in that you have to develop a colony not just to survive, but also to maintain the happiness of the entire town. In actuality, it appears that my requirements are far less critical than those of my neighbors, as I am reduced to a bedroll by the fire while they all get to sleep in tents.
I don’t intend to stay in my village for very long, so that doesn’t really matter. Rather, I’m jumping off this island and flying around on a hybrid of glider wings and tetherhook, savoring the Zelda-esque motion and this Ghibli-inspired environment.
The fact that Princess Mononoke is mentioned by developer Massive Damage as a special inspiration is evident when we come upon a boss battle in the environment. Although Fera has an aerial focus, you won’t be completely safe in the sky even though you’ll face off against plenty of enemies on solid ground.
During my Summer Game Fest demo, I was given a quick but fascinating taste of Fera. Though its beautiful world (which makes me think of another Zelda and Ghibli-inspired game I’m looking forward to) and its interpretation of classic survival game themes mean that even if you’ve had your fill of the genre’s typical fare, you might still find something fresh to adore here.