Comprehensive Review of Mirthwood (PC)

Overview

Mirthwood is a medieval farming simulator that attempts to blend cosy farming gameplay with the harsh realities of medieval life. Despite its promising concept – a farming sim set in an era of famine, inequality, and hardship – the game falls short in execution, according to Jordan Biordi’s review. The game presents itself as a “cosy” experience, but the reviewer found an ironic disconnect between this label and the survival-oriented setting.

Story & Setting

The narrative begins with the player fleeing war-torn lands on the Continent to start anew in the Free Lands, an ungoverned island where they inherit a dilapidated farm. While there’s some intrigue surrounding the mysterious benefactor who provides the farm, the story lacks depth and compelling narrative elements.

The medieval setting, which could have been a distinguishing feature, fails to create the authentic atmosphere of medieval hardship that the premise suggests. The survival mechanics don’t generate a meaningful sense of challenge or historical immersion.

Characters

One of the game’s most significant shortcomings is its character development. Unlike successful farming sims such as Stardew Valley or Story of Seasons, which feature distinctive NPCs with unique portraits, personalities, and schedules, Mirthwood’s characters are described as:

• “Cardboard cutouts”
• Lacking distinguishing features
• Having nothing interesting to say
• Providing no motivation for player interaction or romance

This absence of compelling characters significantly undermines the social aspects that typically drive engagement in farming simulators.

Gameplay Elements

The gameplay suffers from numerous issues:

Farming Mechanics

• Control inconsistencies where players can only perform actions while facing left or right despite the top-down perspective
• The disconnect between player position and action execution during farming tasks

Combat

• Clunky and uninteresting combat mechanics
• Limited directional attacking (only left or right)
• Buggy AI that alternates between being too passive and wildly aggressive
• Lack of strategic depth despite the game’s dimensionality of movement

Social Interaction

• Sims-like conversation system with options for small talk, jokes, and flirting
• Superficial feedback is limited to plus or minus symbols above NPCs’ heads
• No meaningful dialogue or character development through conversations

RPG Elements

• Character backstory and role choices that have minimal impact on gameplay
• Morality and Renown systems that feel inconsequential due to the lack of meaningful story integration

Survival Mechanics

• Survival elements that lack challenge, with food and resources too readily available
• No genuine sense of medieval hardship or struggle

Technical Issues

The review highlights significant technical problems:

• Frequent bugs requiring game restarts
• Issues with basic functions like menu access and tool usage
• Overall impression of an unfinished, unpolished product

Visuals & Audio

The visual presentation is described as having “a nice painted kind of aesthetic” but ultimately being “generic and uninteresting.” Character models are likened to “Playmobile figures,” lacking life and personality.

The music represents one of the few positive aspects, featuring gentle ambient sounds with flute and mandolin reminiscent of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion soundtrack.

Conclusion

Mirthwood appears to suffer from a fundamental disconnect between concept and execution. While the premise of a medieval farming simulator with survival elements has potential, the game fails to deliver a cohesive, polished experience. The lack of memorable characters, meaningful systems, and technical polish results in what the reviewer describes as a “mediocre” and “amateurish” game that doesn’t fulfil its promise.

The reviewer concludes that “Mirthwood has a few good ideas, but good ideas don’t always make a good game,” suggesting that while the concept had potential, the implementation lacked the refinement and distinctive identity needed to make it stand out in the farming simulator genre.