Review: Cattle Country for Nintendo Switch

Cattle Country — what a wild ride, or maybe not, depending on how you see it. It’s labeled as a “Cozy Cowboy Adventure Life Sim.” Okay, cozy — totally a buzzword nowadays. But cowboys? That’s a twist. So, yeah, let’s just dive into this Wild West thing and see what’s shaking.

You start out in the late 1800s. You get to name your character and your little mining-town plot — kinda neat. You meet some folks who just hang out there. Horses? Check. Buzzards? Yeah, they’re there too. But somehow, it doesn’t scream Wild West as you might think it would. The art? It’s okay, maybe even cute at times, but not screaming cowboy life.

Now, picture walking down a dusty road — what’s that? A bush starts shaking, and bam! Bandits. Quick draw time! But wait, if you’re not feeling the danger: poof, turn off the bandits. I mean, you might lose out on some cowboy flair, but hey, it’s your call.

The look? Retro pixel art. It’s nice with the day-night and seasonal shifts — nice little touches, though it sputters on the original Switch. Music? Meh. I thought, turn it up, it’ll be epic, right? But nope, even at max, it felt kinda meh, like a jukebox that skipped its heyday or something.

Tasks? Oh, there are plenty. You chop, you craft, you farm. Make some sprinklers, maybe even an egg. Wait, a hard-boiled egg? Farming’s about growing and selling stuff. Fishing’s there too, but a bit frustrating. Tried it? Let me know. Or just throw water traps in, call it a day.

The mining, though — that part got my attention. Deep earth treasure hunting, but watch out for bats and snakes. No biggie, you can toggle those off too. Just don’t forget your torches cuz your headlamp is more like a flashlight running low on batteries. And cook some meals, unless you fancy blacking out and waking up at the doctor’s, with a bill in hand.

Community? Well, it’s a social kinda game. You build friendships and, in turn, they expand the town. Like, be pals with the banker, get a bigger bank — just like real life, right? There’s a calendar for events and all, but making friends felt like a never-ending fetch quest.

Honestly, the friendship system’s not super intuitive. Give someone their fave gift, heart pops up, but friendship? Barely budges. Plus, finding these folks is an adventure by itself. They wander and repeat phrases. Exciting? Eh.

Here’s where it gets sticky: figuring out what’s next isn’t easy. Not a huge deal, but also kind of annoying. My gaming buddy, who loves these kinds of games, even said so. The pacing just feels off. Lost around 25 hours in and still feeling like we’re spinning wheels.

And my gripes? Oh, definitely some. UI’s a bit clunky, touch screen’s a no-go, which is odd. But here’s the kicker: glitches. Those “Software closed” messages pop up way too often. Sure, they patched a glass-crafting bug, but other issues remain. So, maybe wait for a sale if you’re tempted.

All in all, the Wild West theme is fresh air in this type of game, but you’re not getting anything groundbreaking. Cattle Country has its charm, but it’s rough around the edges. Stick around for patches, or catch it on discount. There, I said it. Cowboy life — weird, huh?