The Wind in the Willows meets Harry Potter…? Erm, I’m not quite sure what to make of Hawthorn, and I think playing an owl has thrown me a bit and why I mention monsieur Potter. Despite your chance to play a birdie, I preferred to experiment with both an otter and a mouse. There wasn’t much between the two, so let’s say that the otter was the better of the two, simply because they’re brilliant creatures. That’s all I got. I like otters.
Anyway, there’s not much to say about this upcoming title from NEARstudios as it’s very much early days. It’s a sandbox RPG that puts emphasis on social play, though for Billy-No-Mates, it’s perfectly adequate for solo play as it’s all about crafting, gathering, fishing and exploration. If that sounds like your vibe, and with a woodland theme, then, ok. Maybe you want to keep an eye on this one.
It’s clear the game’s not ready yet, as text is plastered across the top centre of the screen to remind you that it isn’t ready yet. A disclaimer at the beginning should suffice, as this takes up too much screen real estate. Without even checking if this is suited to the Steam Deck (I never check), it’s not. It was a stuttering mess, and even with the lowest of the low settings, it didn’t look great. But… it’s a concept. It’s not ready. Hence the text.
On my beefier laptop, Hawthorn looked much nicer. The textures were good, the water inviting, and there was an element of LOTR with some of the woodland architecture. It was all very nice. Irrespective of the technical aspects, the engagement and motivation to play weren’t really something to write about, though it does have lots of potential and there will be a good number of people for whom this will resonate. Aside from the otter, I couldn’t care less about the woodland creatures, but this was cute. Until you aggressively punch at stuff.
I don’t really have too much to say about Hawthorn yet, as interested in seeing this further down the line when there are a bit more objectives and less text on the screen. Eventually, I got a little impatient and decided to explore my surroundings, and though it looks pretty and quite inviting, there’s not much to do right now. What I would encourage you to do is wishlist it now so when an official demo comes out, you’ll be one of the first to know. Maybe I might even see you there?
