Confetti’s Cozy Corner: First impressions of Tales of Seikyu
From Kickstarter to Steam early access, Tales of Seikyu is finally here! This farming/dating sim centers on the protagonist and their younger sibling Kon, who return to their ancestral land, a magical place full of Yokai, charm, and beauty. The siblings are in search of not only a community with their kind, but also to find out where their parents are. By completing quests, errands, building a successful farm, and expanding the town of Seikyu, the siblings will go on a life-changing journey that will change them forever.
Tales of Seikyu immerses players into its world through the beautiful music, sound effects, color palette, and graphics. When you begin Tales of Seikyu, the stunning graphics and music instantly hook you, encouraging you to explore and jump in the beautiful water, where I was sad to learn our protagonist does not swim.
The siblings’ journey starts as they arrive at Seikyu, anxious but excited for the adventures they will go on and hopeful that they will find their parents. From the beginning, players are introduced to many characters, some of whom are romancable. Each character’s unique style and personality shine through from interacting directly with them and how they interact with each other, or even walk around town.
There are many ways that Tales of Seikyu looks and feels like it is at an excellent place for early access, while also feeling like many improvements are needed. While the Japanese-inspired town is full of buildings and homes that layers can enter and explore, it often feels empty. Many of the NPCs are in one area of Seikyu, leaving other parts feeling hollow. The character portraits for every character, including the cats and dogs, are very detailed and fun during interactions. Some character and object interactions, however, feel clunky and labored. I encourage players to have a snack close by while playing this game because the food looks absolutely delicious and is very detailed.
One thing that is noticed immediately when starting the game is the lack of a character creator. For a farming/dating sim type of game, that was disappointing, mainly because it does not seem that the protagonist’s human form visually would affect the game’s plot. My first impression of the plot also does not strike me as having a main character that simply has to be this person, like a Wydle Flowers, where Tara Wylde is the story’s main character, and changing that would break the storytelling. You can change the main character’s clothes and choose their name, but that is as far as customization goes. In a world so beautiful, it’s sad that players cannot make their characters yet, but excited to see it come to the game according to the Tales of Seikyu 2025 Road Map!
The most remarkable feature of Tales of Seikyu is the Yokai abilities. Instead of acquiring and using traditional farming tools like a pickaxe or hoe, our main protagonists transform into different animal forms that do the work the tools would do. For example, the Boar Form can till land, cut down trees, and break down boulders. This unique feature stands out in the farming sim genre, adding a fresh take and creativity to achieving objectives.
The combat in the game is lackluster right now. When you strike an enemy, you feel very little impact when executing. Combat is not fluid, nor does it feel rewarding when you defeat an enemy. The dodge is also not the most liquid when executing, with a strange, slight delay often resulting in the protagonist being struck. As more updates occur, hopefully, combat will feel more impactful and rewarding, and players will have a better dodge option.
A significant update I would like to see come to Tales of Seikyu is accessibility options. Wylde Flowers, Coral Island, and many other recent and successful farming/dating simulators have accessibility features that slow down time, have a simpler fishing mechanic, or have easier combat interactions. While I am not a fan of most fishing mechanics, because I think that they do not have to be complicated features of any cozy farming sim, I feel giving players an option of a simple ‘press x and the fish is here’ option while also keeping the regular fishing mechanic to be more accessible for all types of players. I was frustrated, especially since there were many fishing-related quests, and I was forced to fish with the current fishing mechanics. Nevertheless, accessibility features are necessary in farming sims, especially when aiming for cozy vibes and wanting to reach various types of gamers.
Every romanceable character in Tales of Seikyu is hot. Narrowing down a person to romance genuinely feels unfair because I want to romance everyone! While progress with characters does feel slow at times, the overall vibe of Tales of Seikyu is to slow down and move at a slower pace than other farming simulators may have you pace at. Romance feels like the slowest burn sometimes, but it’s worth it! My top contender is Hephaestus because so far, I am finding his story to be the most relatable. Also, he is a GIANT, and who wouldn’t want uppies from their partner?! No matter which protagonist you choose at the beginning of the game, you can be in same sex relationships in Tales of Seikyu!
For an Early Access title, Tales of Seikyu has many positive aspects: the graphics, art style, music, cooking mechanics, sound effects, beautiful environments, and unique NPCs. From the demo to early access, there have been significant improvements in gameplay and fixing bugs. The story is charming so far, and I am excited to see the adventures the siblings will go on, and on the edge of my seat, hoping they find their parents. I am enjoying improving my farm, acquiring new Yokai forms, and exploring the world of Tales of Seikyu.
The foundation for this game is well done, and I’m confident that further refinement of the details and mechanics will lead to a VERY successful 1.0 release.
Tales of Seikyu is available in Early Access now on Steam and will be getting an Xbox, PlayStation 5, and Switch release at a later date!
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