Welcome to TAG Roundup!
As 2020 has officially ended, I’m excited to announce a new format for TAG Roundup! Rather than doing a medium-sized highlight about one article followed by several bit-sized summaries, I’m going to do one long-form op ed on an article with several honorable mentions from the prior week!
Since I was busy stuffing my face and sleeping for the last two weeks, the first Roundup of 2021 will have some older stuff mixed in. Going forward, we’ll be back on the weekly cadence with recent gaming news from the last 7 days!
For the inaugural Roundup of 2021, I’m diving into one of the Average Gamer community’s favorite titles – Stardew Valley. Patch 1.5 dropped at the end of December ‘20 and I’ve got all the deets for you!
Massive Stardew Valley Update – Polygon
Stardew Valley is precisely the type of game you can get lost in for dozens of hours without worrying about your stress levels. At its core, Stardew is about farming. However, the many nuances of the game create a rich storyline and plenty of things to keep you occupied off the farm!
The game initially launched on February 26, 2016, on steam and quickly gained traction for the intriguing NPCs and variety of things you could do in the simulated farm world. Since then, Stardew Valley has made its way onto console and mobile for more fans to enjoy.
Notably, the game was created by solo developer Eric Barone. Eric continues to develop his title and the updates have flowed freely over the last several years. On December 21, 2020, Eric released what is likely the largest Stardew Valley patch ever!
Stardew Valley Changes
There are two major changes in this patch, among many other smaller additions. Update 1.5 brings an additional late-game area and allows players to farm in a beach environment.
As expected, this update adds a ton of content to Stardew, giving experienced players more to do after completing the main quests and giving potential players a great reason to get started. Scrolling through the patch notes, you’ll find new enemies, puzzles, farm animals, and even game customization!
Stardew Valley’s 1.5 update is both daunting and impressive. It feels like a new sub-campaign was built on top of the first game, ala Last of Us Left Behind.
On top of the things to do, there are also things to buy and craft! 1.5 brings 35 paintings, 14 bed variants, 10 rugs, and new flooring. If interior decorating isn’t your thing, you can choose from one of 15 new hairstyles!
Honestly, I grew up on Harvest Moon and logged a ton of hours on that game. I’ve held off when it comes to buying Stardew Valley because I know that my life would effectively be halted by my nonstop farming. With the ongoing updates, local split-screen multiplayer, and intense resource management needs, it’s only a matter of time before I pull the trigger.
Plenty of Average Gamers play Stardew Valley, so if you ever need some tips, feel free to head over to our discord!
Honorable Mentions in Last Week’s Gaming World
- VG24/7 – Microsoft adds the new Gears 5 Hivebusters DLC to Game Pass Ultimate with a new mini-campaign
- Mashable – Jurassic Park comes to VR, letting you control your very own dinosaur-ridden facility!
- Hackaday – Someone actually combined the precise aim of a mouse with the joystick movements of a controller
- IGN – Tropico 6 trailer shows off new campaign missions, buildings, edicts, and traits with the latest Caribbean Skies DLC
- Nintendo Life – An awesome visualization of Nintendo console sales over the last several decades
- Kotaku – YouTuber finds an unreleased, incomplete Simpsons game that was stored on a Dreamcast dev kit
That’s All For Now
Be sure to check in next time to read about video game current events. For more regular updates, feel free to follow our Flipboard, where we have a news feed of all the latest and greatest gaming news!
What were some of the most interesting things you read last week? Leave us a message in the comments so we can check it out!
