It was only earlier today that we were writing about the newest comment that Eric 'Concerned Ape' Barone made about the Stardew Valley 1.5 update, thinking that there was going to be some time before it was released. Shows what we know, as only a few hours after our post, the update has been released on PC.
Being Stardew Valley's biggest update to date, that means there's a lot of new content for players to play with on PC, with other versions of the game getting the update next year. This update has a new region, new NPCs, a new farm layout, and the long-awaited addition of split-screen co-op for players.
What can be found on Stardew Valley's Ginger Island?
The crown jewel of the update is Ginger Island, an entirely new region for the world and part of the Fern Islands. There are new areas, new NPCs including Leo, Birdie, Gourmand Frog, and Professor Snail, a new dungeon in the Volcano, minigames, events, and quests here. Qi Challenges are a part of the focus on new end-game content as they let you unlock rare or unique items with them. There are also new places to plant crops with the island farm and farmhouse area, where you can plant crops in any season, and an island resort you can unlock to invite villagers to the island and give them some much-deserved vacation time.
There are also a number of secret and hidden things throughout Ginger Island. Golden Walnuts can be found throughout the area, and they can unlock new areas and content. There are pages of a lost sailor's journal that you are able to find and with them learn his story and the islands. Golden Coconuts function like geodes, in that Clint can break them open, and they give you rare island items. There are also gem birds which spawn when it rains and drop gems when approached. Plenty more also remains to be discovered.
What else is in Stardew Valley Update 1.5?
While Ginger Island has a lot of stuff going on it, is far from the only new addition to the game. The new beach farm provides a new type of farm along the water, where you can't use sprinklers, but will get random crates and is designed for foraging- or fishing-heavy playthroughs. Further options to change up your playstyle is the advanced game options, which lets you decide whether you want random community center bundles, remixed mine rewards, as well as if you want monsters spawning on your farm.
Furthering the focus on changing things up for returning players, Special Orders are more dynamic late-game quests that let you help villagers with personal projects. You can select between two of them at any time, and when completed, they result in a variety of rewards, including potential world changes, new shop inventories, and events.
The Dwarvish forge has also been added, meaning you can enchant your weapons to change them up and make new ones. Also in the realm of forging is the ability to combine two rings into one, providing you the ability to wear even more ring effects late in the game.
There's a lot going on in this update, and there's something for almost everyone here, so make sure to read the full changelog here. If it is the last update as originally planned, it is a fine sendoff to a fantastic game that likely will want you to visit and disappear to Pelican Town for a long time more. And if it's not, it still is the biggest single set of additions to the game since launch, which invites you to find new ways to play, both on your own and with friends.
