With Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl on the horizon, I have an itch. I want to play a post-apocalyptic open-world game that feels similar to Stalker but simultaneously brings something unique to the table. It’s a challenge, as there’s very little actually like Stalker. But then, I stumbled upon a little indie project called Fargone. It’s not immensely popular, with a low concurrent player count, but it regularly receives updates. In fact, the developer—a one-person show—recently unveiled a roadmap through the end of the year. It’s extensive and ambitious, and I seriously want more.
What is Fargone?
Fargone is a first-person shooter with RPG elements set in a living, dynamic world known as The Barrens. Here, numerous factions require your help through a series of evolving questlines. You need food and water to sustain your adventures, and numerous weapons and gear items are necessary to push deeper into the undead zone.
The most significant difference between Fargone and Stalker, aside from its art style, is that the former revolves around undead creatures. Sure, Stalker did include a few zombies throughout the zone, but they weren’t the most prevalent enemy in the game. In Fargone, a nuclear disaster left The Barrens desolate, with roaming corpses and challenging bosses around each corner.
Core Features in Fargone
- Dynamic faction system
- Settle down with the camping system or fortify an existing structure
- Scavenge, loot, and craft to improve your equipment
- RPG skill system
- Dynamic weather and biomes
- Many 100s of unique items, including weapons, equipment, medicine, and consumables
- Upcoming multiplayer component will include a co-op mode
As part of the game’s current roadmap, the team at RedDog Games is also working on:
- Modular building system
- Cooking overhaul
- Quest overhaul
- Main storyline
- Medical system
- Companion system
- Settlement system
- Improved dynamic AI
- 3rd person mode
- Steam Achievements
Related: Is Stalker 2 Open World? – Answered
My Experience Playing Fargone
Over the years, I’ve been burned by too many indie Early Access projects to count. Despite this, I remain optimistic. I’ll still try interesting upcoming games, and in this case, I’m glad I did. Straight from the get-go, Fargone thrusts you into an immersive world. I’m a massive fan of this art style and the genre, so it quickly won me over.
Like any good survival RPG, you’re given little to nothing to start your journey. In this case, a handgun and a few supplies. It’s enough to get you from the starting village to the first quest area—a Ranch down the road—but you’ll encounter numerous zombies, occasional Bandits, and perhaps a few friendly Runners along the way.
While it’s still early days for me in Fargone, I find the quests simplistic yet satisfying. They do an excellent job of pushing you in a direction and forcing exploration upon you. Then, there’s the gunplay. Most quests revolve around fighting something or other, such as Bandits or zombies. It feels good to lean around a corner and pop off a round or two with a scooped-up AK, landing the perfect headshot before the camp turns all of its attention on you.
Then, there’s the immersive, dynamic world. As mentioned, as you wander the world, you’ll encounter various groups: hostiles, friendlies, and the undead in droves. They go about their business, wandering from point A to point B. In the early game, your influence feels minor. It’s there, though, underlying every action and reaction.
While I only have a handful of hours in the game, I’m excited to jump in for more. There’s a lot of work left to do on the game, and the one-man development team is making excellent progress, but it’s almost criminal how few players it currently has.
Here at The Guide Hall, we’d like to highlight more lesser-known indie projects for our community. A significant number of games, such as Fargone, deserve far more recognition.