issue 1// vol 46 THROWBACK arts // no. 7 ROW BACK ‘Stardew Valley’ digs deeper than bedrock » ‘Stardew Valley’ video game review Sonam Kaloti Arts Editor keen Originally Published January 14, 2019 Suen Valley is an indie farming simulator first released in 2016 that’s now available to play on most major platforms. You play as a character who has just inherited their late grandfather's farm in Stardew Valley. You then start the game once you move and begin your life as a farmer in a quaint area called Pelican Town. You manage your energy, health, and time as you handle your farm, livestock, mining, crafting, and socializing with the various villagers. The town used to be vibrant and bustling, alongside the now-dilapidated community centre, but the ways have changed now that Joja Corporation has arrived. Joja Corp poses a threat to the community centre with its plans to convert the remnants of the community centre into a warehouse for their store, JojaMart. The market itself represents a divide amongst the villagers, since some villagers purchase their groceries at JojaMart, but in turn their patronage takes away from local businesses such as Pierre’s General Store. There are a vast variety of characters in game, with 12 characters available to romance and eventually marry. Once wed, they move in with your character and help out around the farm. There is also a chance to have children, but they cannot mature past the toddler stage at this time. Seemingly shallow at first look, Stardew Valley catches you off guard with the NPC (non-player character) backstories and dialogue. Pam, an alcoholic, offers her two cents on the world, with quips such as, “I was reading the newspaper this morning but then I got depressed. It's a rotten world, kid. Keep your head screwed on right and you'll make it through in one piece.” Talking to villagers daily and giving them gifts increases your relationship levels, leading to enhanced dialogue and unique cutscenes. Take Alex, for example; he is an athletic character who is initially superficial and arrogant. At a lower relationship level, he'll propose dialogue to your character such as, “If you weren't a girl, I'd ask you to play catch.” (To which you can, of course, give him a piece of your mind.) However, as your relationship develops, he tells you his tragic backstory (spoiler ahead!) involving his abusive alcoholic father who left and his mother who passed away shortly thereafter, which is why he now lives with his grandparents in the valley. All the characters are amazingly developed with real world characteristics that make them both lovable and relatable. Same-sex couples, as well as dating multiple villagers at the same time— representing healthy polyamorous relationships—are yet another charming aspect of the game. The characters may mention their sexual orientation as your relationship with them progresses, such as Abigail saying, “I didn’t know I felt this way about other girls... until I met you.” Screenshot from Stardew Valley Stardew Valley also has a four-player cooperative multiplayer mode. This allows you and your friends to live on the same farm, with the ability to date and marry amongst each other. Oftentimes, the villagers will ask you to do quests that will either further your progress in the game or increase your relationship with them. Unlockable milestones exist in the game, but there is no definite end to each save file. I was skeptical at first about how much I could possibly enjoy a farming simulator (my gaming roots are in Halo and other first-person shooters). However, I now have 96 hours logged and I’m nowhere near tired of playing. Stardew Valley is a lot more than I bargained for and I would recommend anyone to play it for a casual good time. THROWBACK Why you should listen to video game soundtracks at work » Video game soundtracks and their correlation to concentration Sonam Kaloti Arts Editor Originally Published April 8, 2019 hether or not music helps concentration has been up for debate for a long time. Classical, orchestral music is a staple for people to listen to when they want to focus. This is because listening to music with lyrics can distract our brains because our brains may try to interpret the lyrics instead of simply leaving them be. Similarly, our brains also get caught up in trying to predict howa song will continue, which means listening to music that retains rhythms and melodies helps as well. Having been diagnosed with ADHD, in my experience focusing in general happens to be one of the hardest tasks to overcome. Being a college student and having a job that basically runs on creativity and deadlines, the ability to focus easily seems like it could erase a lot of stressors. Personally, I’ve found that video game soundtracks are the real deal in facilitating concentration. It makes sense, really, as to why video game soundtracks work as well as they do. Their purpose is to immerse you into a world where you must complete tasks that require full concentration. The music motivates and inspires you to not only complete tasks with vigour, but makes you want to keep playing (in this case: finish your work) and fills you with a sense of achievement when you do succeed. During stressful periods in the game, tracks may act as relaxers or something to hype you up for what is to come. It’s no wonder this type of music can help in situations besides video games. Some people may tell you to practice yoga, meditate, and drink water—and those may work wonders as well, but I’m here to tell you to sit back, relax, and get ready to feel some intense childhood nostalgia. Halo From the incredibly famous theme song alone, the Halo soundtrack is intense and carefully curated to make you feel a full range of emotion. Orchestral and acapella compositions feature a variety of intense solos. The Halo 3 soundtrack by Martin O'Donnell is packed with epic scores that fill any listener with determination. The Legend of Zelda Music from The Legend of Zelda is creative and inspiring. It’s not as forceful as the Halo soundtrack but has a much more whimsical and adventurous sound. This doesn’t mean it doesn’t ignite the same passion to succeed in whatever tasks you are obligated to do. Regardless of which Zelda soundtrack you choose to listen to, it transports you to a world where you are the leader in a grand adventure. Minecraft My personal favourite soundtrack (perhaps of all time) is the Alpha album by C418. Unlike the more orchestral feel of the above two video games, a lot of the original Minecraft soundtrack is made with piano and synth parts. It evokes all ranges of emotions, from the beautiful melancholy of “Subwoofer Lullaby,” wonder of “Living Mice,” and raw wanderlust and pride of “Minecraft.” You feel the blissfulness of anew world with so much to see and do encapsulated by “Wet Hands,” spine- chilling fear captured in “Thirteen,” regret in “Excuse,” and pure playful happiness in “Cat” and “Dog.” I think I can safely speak for all those who spent countless sleepless nights with their friends creating a virtual sandbox escape when I say “Sweden” may be one of the most emotionally moving video game compositions ever. These soundtracks meant a lot to us as kids. They helped us conquer the Stone Tower Temple, the scarab in Halo 3's Ark mission, and visit the Nether for the first time (before the End existed). Now that we're adults, though, why not make use of this music in our adult lives? It might just make this adult thing a little easier. Still from YouTube video MythicTyrant