Haunted Chocolatier’s Setting Must Find the Same Balance Stardew Valley Did

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home November 29, 2024 2 Views 6 Min Read
Haunted Chocolatier's Setting Must Find the Same Balance Stardew Valley Did

Stardew Valley struck an excellent balance with its setting, and Haunted Chocolatier is going to have to do the same in its new location. Stardew Valley‘s Pelican Town ended up being a perfectly charming setting for the game, and was one of its major assets. The new location for Haunted Chocolatier is going to need to capture its own charm. Taking a look at Stardew Valley would be a big help in remembering what helped to make its setting so effective. By hitting some similar notes, Haunted Chocolatier should be able to make its own setting just as lovable.




Visiting Stardew Valley‘s Pelican Town is a treat for both newcomers and veteran players. The town doesn’t just have necessities such as the general store and blacksmith; it is there that players will find the vast bulk of the game’s NPCs and trigger most of the heart events. Aside from their daily farm chores, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that the majority of players will be spending most of their days in the town itself. The quality of the town and its inhabitants make it so enjoyable to visit. Following up on Pelican Town will be a tall order for Haunted Chocolatier.

Steel Smallsword, Iron Dirk, and Wood Club from Stardew Valley over a screenshot from Haunted Chocolatier

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Haunted Chocolatier’s Combat Plans Demand One Big Upgrade Over Stardew Valley

One major upgrade to the foundation laid by Stardew Valley could do wonders to help Haunter Chocolatier’s take on combat thrive.

The Fantastical Side of Haunted Chocolatier’s World Will Need a Grounded Foil


Stardew Valley’s World Tinted Life With Bits of Fantasy

Even if Haunted Chocolatier and Stardew Valley have different settings, one element that is likely to remain is magical realism. For the most part, Stardew Valley‘s world is quite grounded; Pelican Town itself is a small town with modern levels of technology and design. At the same time, there are fantastical elements such as the Wizard, the monsters in the mines, and Junimos. These fantasy elements manage to blend in well with the everyday life of Pelican Town in Stardew Valley. While Stardew Valley isn’t a full-blown fantasy game, ConcernedApe did a good job of making those elements feel natural in the world.

Haunted Chocolatier Has Already Shown its Supernatural Side

Another shot at magical realism feels certain with Haunted Chocolatier‘s many ghosts seeming to herald the central supernatural element in the game. Combining that with details like monsters being more present in this game’s world than Stardew Valley‘s, then there’s good reason to assume that Haunted Chocolatier will have more of a fantasy bent than Stardew Valley. Even the game’s name alone indicates a turn for the supernatural. This is a pretty solid direction that should help the game establish its identity. At the same time, it’s important to remember one important part of the formula that helped Stardew Valley so greatly.


While
Stardew Valley
isn’t a full-blown fantasy game, ConcernedApe did a good job of making those elements feel natural in the world.

Haunted Chocolatier’s Approach Needs to Balance Fantasy and Reality Effectively

The balance of fantasy and reality is an area where Haunted Chocolatier needs to tread carefully. Naturally, there is going to be a heavy supernatural side to the game, both from its premise as well as what has been shown. However, the more grounded side of the game needs to be present as well. The characters and the player’s interactions with them will build up the soul of the game, which is just as important as any other themes that will be present. Haunted Chocolatier will need to make sure to balance both sides of magical realism to bring about the best result.


Magical realism is not only the game’s most likely direction, it’s a way for Haunted Chocolatier to tie into Stardew Valley and maintain familiarity with old fans, even if it doesn’t end up reusing Stardew Valley‘s setting. H aunted Chocolatier will likely aim to have the same sort of heart that Stardew Valley did. In all likelihood, that will come in the form of similar character interactions and stories. These moments will have to coexist with the ghosts and other supernatural elements in the game. By striking the right balance, H aunted Chocolatier should be able to recreate Stardew Valley‘s magic.

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