Cattle Country Review

Developer: Castle Pixel

Platforms: PC (Reviewed), PS5, Switch, Xbox Series X|S

Genre: RPG

Publisher: Playtonic Friends

Cattle Country is a cosy cowboy adventure life sim. The game was developed by Castle Pixel, LLC. and published by Playtonic Friends. Cattle Country takes inspiration from games such as Harvest Moon and Stardew Valley. This review was done for the PC version, but the game is also available for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S|X.

Cattle Country is a single-player game where you begin your journey to the West to start a new life. After arriving, you are greeted by the town’s mayor, who supplies you with basic tools and a tent to call home. Cattle Country lets players plant crops, raise cattle, interact with townsfolk, and face all kinds of robberies. Cattle Country does a wonderful job at creating an 1800s American frontier that lets you live out your cowboy/girl lifestyle.

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Cattle Country starts off with a nice tutorial that familiarises the player with how to use tools and easily explains different mechanics. Like most life sim games, you are easily taken through various ‘steps’ of the game as you progress and unlock new items. A great guide for starting the game is the initial quests that allow you to go out and interact with townsfolk or catch a number of fish. I felt as though it was relatively easy to get a hand of what you needed to do, and anything new was always explained. I used a keyboard/mouse throughout my playthrough, which showed no noticeable delays, but for a better and more comfortable experience, the controller is highly recommended. Cattle Country also features a lovely UI that matches the pixel country aesthetic.

Cattle Country employs a vibrant pixel art style, which blends Western American elements to create a country life aesthetic. The game has a sense of realism with the level of detail added in the way buildings look to the clothes and items you use throughout the game. Especially the visuals for the characters in Cattle Country. They are designed to appear chibi-like, having adorable attributes and very detailed still portraits. Each character you encounter is expressive, and their personalities really shine through with their design. I thoroughly enjoy the variety of cute outfits you can pick from and the endless amount of customization options that add charm to the game. The visuals are on par with the soundtrack of the game, creating the thrill and sereness of the Wild West. The soundtrack incorporates traditional Western instruments such as harmonicas and acoustic guitars to create a beautiful ambience in the game.

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Cattle Country implements the normal farming game simulator mechanics such as farming crops, fishing, mining for materials, crafting items and creating relationships. The variety of things for you to focus on in this game is endless, and it always feels like no two days are the same. Sometimes, you’ll find yourself fishing in the lake, foraging and interacting with townsfolk. For most of the game, I felt as though the cosy aspect prevailed. I never found myself thoroughly grinding for items or materials as there was an abundant amount and loads of areas for players to explore.

Farming mechanics are nice, with no complaints whatsoever. I love how, as you upgrade your tools, you have better shortcuts to hoe three tiles at once compared to just doing them one at a time. Of course, farming works on a seasonal basis where you can buy seeds or gather seeds, farm them and use them to make food or sell the crops for money. What’s really important in Cattle Country is carrying out these daily tasks to upgrade your skill levels, which allow you to unlock new recipes that will allow you to decorate your ranch as well as make daily tasks more efficient.

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Cattle Country invites players to build relationships with the townsfolk, and building these relationships lets you interact and talk with each character. What players will enjoy the most is the narrative and the stories each character brings to the game. Rather than skipping through the dialogue, I would highly recommend players interact with the townsfolk as you can appreciate the narrative that unfolds throughout the game. Additionally, players have the option to build relationships, and I like how you already have a list of characters like/dislike gifts, so it makes building those relationships much easier. Hearts do take some time to build up, but I enjoy the cutscenes after reaching certain levels. I do wish to see more cutscenes in the game to add to the atmosphere. Very much like Stardew Valley, I enjoyed how there is a town calendar that highlights important birthdays and upcoming events. I always found myself looking forward to an event as they were so much fun, and the little mini-games you could play in an event were so creative. For instance, the rodeo was not just a dance you’d watch, but you actively got to play a beat game.

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Personally, I was not a big fan of the mining in Cattle Country. Now, in terms of resource collecting, it is so efficient as you can see the materials you are digging towards, but it felt like the mining was not something I enjoyed. It was pretty much a grid-like area, filled block by block, that you get to dig down with. To get back up, you can easily place ladders for you to easily, move around. After you unlock the gun (the gun was such a fun mechanic in this game), you will start to encounter monsters in the mine, which are not as bad as they seem. The issue is, most of the time, those monsters would blend in with the mine, so it would be hard to spot them. To say the least, mining is very different from other games and does not reset every time you return, which can be good, but just does not seem as exciting.

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There is so much to do in Cattle Country, and you will never fall short on what you need to do next. Most quests are normal collections (such as collecting 100 fish), whereas others require more resource collecting. For instance, fixing the roof on the Town Hall is a great way for players to achieve something, as you can get a house upgrade out of it. What sets Cattle Country apart from other life sim games is the adventure and thrill that comes from the bandits and outlaws you encounter. As you stroll around the world, you can encounter a bandit, and then you’ll need to do a shootout, which is so much fun. Cattle Country features new and refreshing things that are not seen in other life sim games. I was surprised to see a bank building where you could deposit your money and actually earn interest.

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If you’re looking for a laid-back yet rewarding experience that blends ranch management, character-driven storytelling, and a cosy Western atmosphere, Cattle Country is absolutely worth your time. Cattle Country is filled with charm, heartfelt moments, and an immersive world that lets you live out your Western dreams! Whether you’re a fan of life sims or farming games or just love the idea of carving out a home on the frontier, Cattle Country delivers a thrilling experience. So, be sure to check out Cattle Country!

Overall: 8/10