Following up on one of 2016's best games with something new and unique will be a tough ask, but the announcement of Haunted Chocolatier seems to do just that. It's a game that has a lot of similarities with the former, like the visuals, character interactions, and gameplay, but will see some stark differences with Stardew Valley that will surely help it carve out its own niche. The change of tone, and the seemingly minimized farming and foraging will ensure that fans of the 2016 game can still be surprised by ConcernedApe's next project.
In Stardew Valley, players spend a lot of time socializing, fishing, collecting, and more, but Haunted Chocolatier will have more focus on different parts of Stardew Valley's core design, namely its combat. Stardew Valley involves a lot of slashing and button mashing, so Haunted Chocolatier leaning further into ranged weapons like slingshots, boomerangs, bows, and more could be a perfect way to present a change; one that could even be brought to Stardew Valley later to ensure that the game can remain a running success.
A Season Cycle Mechanic for Haunted Chocolatier Has One Obvious Advantage
By taking on the same season cycle as Stardew Valley, Haunted Chocolatier will open itself to an opportunity to play to its strengths.
Haunted Chocolatier is Putting Emphasis on Combat
In an effort to make his next game feel like an advancement over Stardew Valley, ConcernedApe has alluded to Haunted Chocolatier having 'a greater focus' on combat. It's logical to expect to spend more time in battles than in the former title, and so it has to be great if it is to uphold the sky-high standards of Stardew Valley's solo developer. Environments, enemies, controls, and weapons have to be more varied this time around if it wants to succeed in separating itself from what has come before.
Ranged attacks would do well to not only provide more complex battle mechanics, but also could pave the way for a more interesting group of enemy types. Taking cues from the likes of The Legend of Zelda where some enemies can only be defeated by being stunned by the boomerang, for example, would bring so much more strategy, and thus justify the added emphasis on combat in Haunted Chocolatier. Making firearms, or other ranged weapons standard would put the combat in an entirely different class and genre, smashing predispositions in the process.
Ranged Weapons in Haunted Chocolatier is a Big Opportunity to Better Stardew Valley
One of the key drawbacks of Stardew Valley's combat is that it's somewhat simplistic, meaning that extended periods of exploring the mines can get repetitive quickly. There aren't any bosses or significant enemies in ConcernedApe's first game, so it really boils down to mashing the attack button while consuming food to restore energy and health while descending the floors. Slingshots give players some level of diversity in combat and offer a ranged option, but they're largely ineffective in comparison to just swinging away with a sword or club until the enemy is defeated.
The developer's next game will be experienced from the same, top-down perspective, and so it has the opportunity to find a way to expand the combat to make it more memorable, challenging, or engaging. Haunted Chocolatier could do this by way of boss fights, new environments, or different approaches to combat mechanics. The latter would be a huge improvement, and ranged attacks to balance what has come before would be a smart change that brings so much more strategy, and excitement.
Haunted Chocolatier
- Developer(s)
- ConcernedApe
WHERE TO PLAY
Haunted Chocolatier is an upcoming adventure game from Stardew Valley creator ConcernedApe (Eric Barone). The game is currently set to feature a lush explorable world, chocolate making and cooking, a spooky theme, and more. There is currently no release date or time period for the game.
- Genre(s)
- Adventure, Simulation
