Review of Cattle Country for Nintendo Switch

Alright, so here we go. Imagine this: I’m sitting here in this vintage chair—uncomfortable as heck, really—typing my thoughts on this game called “Cattle Country.” It’s supposed to be a “Cozy Cowboy Adventure Life Sim,” whatever that means. You hear “cozy,” and you probably envision something all cuddly and warm—maybe a game you curl up with on a lazy Sunday or when it’s pouring outside. But this one’s got a cowboy twist. Which, not gonna lie, is oddly intriguing. Or maybe that’s just me overthinking.

Jumping in—you’re in the late 1800s, I think? Pretty sure. You pick some land, slap a name on it, and boom, the game’s like, “Hey, explore!” You’ve got these NPCs—I call them my “digital weirdos”—and you wander around checking things out. There are horses, guess that’s cowboy-ish, right? But the whole Wild West vibe is kinda MIA. It’s like someone mentioned the Wild West at a meeting, but nobody followed up. And somehow, the character art doesn’t scream cowboy. It’s more like…muddled period piece? Weird.

You bump into bandits sometimes, which I guess is a nod to the cowboy thing. Imagine you’re moseying down a road, and bushes start shaking like they’re possessed. Next thing, bam! Bandits. Do you wanna fight ’em? You can actually say, “Nah, I’m good,” and turn that off. It’s a choice. Spares the personality a bit, but hey, it’s something.

Visually, it’s got this retro pixel style that weirdly works. Day turns to night, leaves change colors—little bursts of life. But on the OG Switch, there’s this annoying stutter. And don’t get me started on the music. I thought my volume was broken. It’s like expecting a full orchestra and getting a guy on a harmonica in the next room. Even with the volume maxed, it’s just…meh.

Tasks? Oh, buckets of them. From tree-chopping to egg-boiling—gotta wonder who thought up that culinary feat—you’re hustling. Farming, fishing… ever try to fish when it feels like a narrow escape from death? No pressure, right? And mining—ah! That’s the gem! Literally. You dive underground dodging bats and snakes, making it feel dangerous. Too spooky? Just switch off the critters.

Making pals in the game should be easy—keyword: “should.” You give them gifts, and they’re like, “Wow, you made my week!” But then nothing happens. They’re elusive, too. One minute they’re there, next, poof. Ghosts? Maybe. It’s like trying to befriend wind—confusing.

The game doesn’t exactly hold your hand either. Finding out what’s next is like hunting for socks in a tornado. And I’m 25 hours deep, still scratching my head.

Interface-wise, it’s like staring at a chaotic map with too many tiny icons, and who thought “no screenshots” was a great idea? Bugs, oh, they’re there. You ever get that “Software closed because of an error” message? A joy. Said no one ever. And yeah, one bug got fixed, hooray for that.

Cattle Country wanted to be this unique cowboy spin in a world of familiar sims, but I dunno, doesn’t exactly reinvent the wheel. It’s fine, but with quirks and bugs aplenty, maybe wait for a discount. Or don’t. Depends if you’re feeling lucky, cowboy.