Haunted Chocolatieris the next game byStardew Valleydeveloper ConcernedApe, and although it currently doesn’t have a release date, the developer has confirmed he is hard at work on it. At this point, not much has been revealed aboutHaunted Chocolatier, save for the game’s premise, some of its features, and a few screenshots. However, one area whereHaunted Chocolatierwill differ greatly fromStardew Valleyis in its emphasis on combat. WhereasStardew’s combat was secondary to its farm-building and relationship mechanics,Haunted Chocolatier’s combat will play a central role in its gameplay loop.
InHaunted Chocolatier, players will venture out into the wilderness in search of various creatures to kill and harvest for ingredients that they can then use to make new confections to sell at their chocolate confectionery store. Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone has confirmedHaunted Chocolatier’s stronger emphasis on combat, stating that it is being built from scratch, as opposed to being a copy-and-paste ofStardew Valley’s. With this greater emphasis on combat comes the question of whetherHaunted Chocolatierwill feature a wider variety of weapons thanStardew, and it would do well to ensure that.
Haunted Chocolatier Needs a Wider Variety of Weapons Than Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley Only Features Four Weapon Types
Combat certainly has a place inStardew Valley, as players will encounter a host of enemies while they navigate the mines in search of rare ores and materials. Unfortunately, its combat options are lacking, considering combat is really only necessary in one area of the game’s world. As such, there are only fourweapon types inStardew Valley: sword, dagger, club, and slingshot.
Each weapon type inStardew Valleyserves its purpose. Swords are the most well-rounded weapons of the four, dealing moderate damage and even giving players the ability to block. Daggers, of course, are much faster than swords, but deal less damage. Clubs are the slowest of the four weapons but have a wide, powerful swing. Finally, slingshots are the game’s ranged weapons and deal damage according to the ammo used. While these four weapon types offer a variety of playstyles, there is still more thatHaunted Chocolatiercould do with the fundamentals ofStardew’s combat.
Haunted Chocolatier Needs More Weapon Types Than Stardew Valley
IfHaunted Chocolatierends up taking more of a fantasy approach to its style and gameplay, it could easily offer players a much broader variety of weapons thanStardew Valleycould. For example, weapons like battleaxes, greatswords, spears, bows, and crossbows would all be satisfying to use while battling monsters inHaunted Chocolatier. It would also simultaneously reinforceHaunted Chocolatier’s emphasis on combatby letting players take advantage of more distinct playstyles.
Shields Have Already Been Confirmed for Haunted Chocolatier
Thankfully, it appearsHaunted Chocolatiermay already be off to a good start when it comes to featuring more weapons, asConcernedApe has confirmed players will be able to use shields, which were largely replaced inStardew Valleyby swords. InHaunted Chocolatier, shields can be used to block and stun enemies, leaving them open to more attacks. ConcernedApe has also confirmed that there will be even more off-hand weapons available for players to choose from that will “complement different play styles.”
It seemsHaunted Chocolatieris already heading in the right direction in terms of offering players more options for combat. That being said, there is the chance that it could end up being too much likeStardew Valleyand feature very little variety in its weapon choices. The hope, however, is that its combat will be more than satisfying, both from a gameplay perspective and a customization standpoint.
