Far: Changing Tides
A meditative voyage through a flooded world.
Far: Changing Tides (stylized as FAR: Changing Tides) is a 2022 side-scrolling adventure puzzle game by Swiss developer Okomotive and publisher Frontier Foundry. It follows Far: Lone Sails (2018) and launched for Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X and Series S in March 2022.
In the game, players control an unnamed driver of a large boat exploring a flooded post-apocalyptic world. There is no combat; instead, players must steer the vessel, manage its sail, solve environmental puzzles, and collect resources. The ship can be upgraded with a steam engine, requiring fuel to burn and water to prevent overheating. Eventually, it transforms into a submarine, opening new routes. There is no fail state, but player choices can damage the ship or slow it down. Players may need to repair the vessel with found resources and occasionally leave it to solve simple puzzles blocking the path.
Okomotive, a team of about ten people, developed the game. Director Don Schmocker and composer Joel Schoch returned from the first title. The studio called Changing Tides a "companion title" to Lone Sails, meaning prior knowledge of that game is unnecessary. Unlike the first game's dried-up oceans, this world is flooded, with submerged cities and civilizations. The team focused heavily on environmental storytelling, using the side-scrolling perspective to tightly control the narrative. Text is minimal, and puzzles offer little guidance. Schmocker noted this helps players bond with their ship. Designing the environment was more challenging due to varied landscapes—lakes, rivers, and oceans—requiring each location to be visually distinct and more colorful than Lone Sails. With no text, the story and world background are conveyed through environmental asset designs.
The game was announced at E3 2021 by Okomotive and Frontier Foundry, originally planned for late 2021 but delayed. It released on March 1, 2022, for the listed platforms.
Reception was generally favorable on Metacritic for most platforms, though the PC version received mixed or average reviews. OpenCritic reported strong approval, with 83% of critics recommending it. Brian Hobbs of Adventure Gamers praised the environments, set pieces, ship mechanics, soundtrack, and climax, but noted finicky controls and occasional slow pacing.
Quick Facts
- Title
- FAR: Changing Tides
- Developer
- Okomotive
- Publisher
- Frontier Foundry
- Director
- Don Schmocker / Goran Saric
- Composer
- Joel Schoch
- Artist
- Don Schmocker
- Designer
- Philipp Stern
- Engine
- Unity
- Platforms
- Microsoft Windows · Nintendo Switch · PlayStation 4 · PlayStation 5 · Xbox One · Xbox Series X/S
- Released
- March 1, 2022
- Genre
- Adventure, puzzle
- Modes
- Single-player
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Far: Changing Tides was developed by a team of around ten people at Okomotive, with director Don Schmocker and composer Joel Schoch returning from the first game. The team described it as a 'companion title' to Far: Lone Sails, meaning prior knowledge of the earlier game is not required to understand the story. Whereas Lone Sails was set in a world where oceans had dried up, Changing Tides takes place in a post-apocalyptic setting where cities and civilizations have been flooded. The side-scrolling perspective was chosen to tightly control the narrative, and the game contains a minimum of text, with players expected to solve puzzles with little handholding. The environment was designed to be more visually distinct than its predecessor, featuring a wider variety of landscapes such as lakes, rivers, and oceans, and requiring more color to differentiate each location. The story and world background are communicated primarily through the design of environmental assets.
Reader's Guide
Far: Changing Tides received generally favorable reviews on most platforms according to Metacritic, though the PC version received mixed or average reviews. OpenCritic assessed that the game received strong approval, with 83% of critics recommending it. Critics widely praised the game's stunning presentation, haunting soundtrack, and unique gameplay mechanics. The ship mechanics and environmental puzzles were highlighted as engaging, with the ship eventually transforming into a submarine to open new paths. Some reviewers noted finicky controls, occasionally slow-paced gameplay, and unchallenging puzzle design as drawbacks. The game's shorter length and abstract sense of progression were also mentioned as criticisms. Despite these points, the title was deemed a worthy experience, with many comparing its meditative pace to the best moments of a long journey. The Switch port was praised for maintaining crisp and fluid graphics on the handheld. Overall, the game was seen as a mechanically varied successor that sometimes tipped the balance from peaceful to tedious, but remained an absorbing and visually rich adventure.
Did You Know?
- Far: Changing Tides was announced during E3 2021 and originally set for a late 2021 release before being delayed.
- The game has no fail state, though player decisions may damage the ship or cause it to lose momentum.
- The ship can be upgraded to include a steam engine, and players must prevent overheating by spraying water on it.
- The game's world is set in a post-apocalyptic environment where cities and civilizations have been flooded.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Far: Changing Tides?
It is a 2022 side-scrolling adventure puzzle game created by Swiss studio Okomotive and published by Frontier Foundry. Players pilot a large boat through a flooded post-apocalyptic landscape, solving environmental puzzles and managing resources with no combat whatsoever.
Is Far: Changing Tides a sequel to Far: Lone Sails?
Yes, it is the direct follow-up to the 2018 title Far: Lone Sails, continuing the journey of an unnamed driver through a drenched, ruined world. The sequel builds on the original's quiet, meditative tone while introducing new mechanics such as a steam-powered upgrade system for the vessel.
What platforms is Far: Changing Tides available on?
The game launched on March 1, 2022, for Windows PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. It spans both current and previous-generation consoles as well as desktop.
How did critics receive Far: Changing Tides?
The title earned generally favorable Metacritic scores on most console platforms, with reviewers praising its atmospheric world and gentle puzzle design. The PC version, however, pulled in more mixed or average reviews, likely reflecting technical issues at launch.
What makes Far: Changing Tides different from typical adventure games?
There is no combat, spoken dialogue, or conventional plot structure; progress comes entirely from steering the ship, adjusting its sail, and solving environmental puzzles. The design is deliberately meditative, prioritizing exploration and resource management over action or narrative beats.
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