![]() The end result (or at least, the early access version of the end result) is a game that feels warmly familiar, sharing enough DNA with its predecessor that I felt comfortable diving right in, while still feeling better in almost every way. Sandrock began existence as an expansion to Portia, but before long Chinese development studio Pathea Games realized that in order to fully realize its full vision, it was going to have to start from scratch. So yes, I loved My Time at Portia, which is why I jumped at the chance to take a look at My Time at Sandrock - the upcoming sequel to the original game. But most of my admittedly fuzzy memories just center on the warm, happy feeling that I got playing the game, endlessly pursuing the ability to make bronze plates, or enough sheep hides to create a new jacket. I definitely did some combat - I remember clearing a cave of bad guys and stealing all their stuff. I did my best to attend town functions when they occurred (the town has its own schedule of activities, parties, and festivals, which you can attend or miss as you see fit). I seem to remember futzing around with farming a little bit, but spending most of my time obsessively mining for lost relics. It's been a few years since I went down the Portia rabbit hole, but I do have very fond memories of the game. Most of these missions involve building stuff, which - by nature of needing new materials and building techniques - pushes the player further and further out into the open world. Over the course of the game, they become more and more involved with life in the town, meeting the various denizens of Portia and doing favors and missions for them. Players arrive in town as a new "builder", and after a few early missions to learn the ropes, they are set free to follow whatever pursuits tickle their fancy. The setup is simple, but the hooks are strong. Over the past few years, Partia has become a cult hit, arriving on just about every platform to quiet success the game currently has a Very Positive rating on Steam with 29,000 reviews. But unlike a lot of the wannabes and hangers-on, Portia is a stellar game, capable of standing on its own without riding any coattails. My Time at Portia, for those that haven't played it, is one of those town simulators that cropped up following the success of Stardew Valley - feeling kind of like a cross between that game and Animal Crossing. I was gonna put some serious hours into Portia, and I knew it pretty early. For a game this fun and addictive, I wanted to sprawl on the sofa. So hooked, in fact, that I scurried over to my TV and bought a second copy of the game on PlayStation 4. I took the plunge on PC, and was immediately hooked. ![]() I guess it just looked friendly and relaxing, which can be nice sometimes when you are in between AAA shoot-em-up bangers. I'm not certain what got me to try Portia, but one day I did. I'm fairly certain I got the game in a Humble Bundle, or through one of the other various means that cause games to pile up in my library with me being only half aware of it. I stumbled upon My Time at Portia, the first game in the "My Time at" franchise, almost by accident. ![]()
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