Any game that sets out to do some good in this world is already on the right track towards achieving success. It is exactly that which APICO is doing. I’m talking about bee conservation and developers TNgineers are donating a portion of the money they make to various bee-related charities. APICO itself is also centred on looking after bees and collecting them within a laid-back setting. So the messaging is expected to be loud and clear.
Will APICO manage to create a real buzz with its commendable concept and be an investment worthy of your time?
It’s been a while since the main character of APICO last visited the family home in Port APICO, but after calling it a day with their city-based job, they’ve decided to finally return and get back to their roots instead. For generations, their family have been beekeepers, and now as you take control of this character, the mantle is yours. Under the watchful eye of the retired beekeeper (and full-time nan) Nana Beelia, it’s up to you to breed, collect and conserve the bees.
I don’t know about you, but I’m a complete novice in the realm of beekeeping, so deciding where to begin could’ve become a sticking point. As luck would have it, Grandpa’s Guide is in your possession and it’ll steer you in the right direction, while providing rewards for meeting necessary requirements. It does a great job as it’s full of quests that explain the ins and outs of APICO; ranging from navigating the world and gathering resources in the surrounding area, to crafting machines and tools to use. Most importantly though, the beekeeping elements are broken down to ease you in step by step.
The core gameplay sees you exploring in the hopes of finding beehives to collect bees, honeycombs, and ensure they keep breeding. With a bit of carpentry though, constructing an apiary opens up the utterly fascinating option to cross-breed and create mutations. On top of discovering new species, you’ll be able to collect honey in frames and extract it for use in manufacturing products to sell. There’s actually quite a lot to take in, but it soon becomes routine. The routine does become a tad monotonous if it’s the only focus you have.
Although there’s a day/night cycle in APICO, you don’t have to rush around as everything can be achieved at your own leisure without time constraints. There are stumbling blocks however, with NPC tasks and important items essentially off-limits until a certain threshold of bees have been uncovered. Given that one of the items is a boat for travelling to other islands in the hopes of discovering more bees, it’s a pain. Especially when cross-breeding new species is reliant upon factors you may be unaware of.
The variety of bees is pretty good with over thirty present. but discovering them all, or even half a dozen, is tricky. Just chucking a Common Bee and an Uncommon Bee together won’t naturally result in a new species. Get your character to take a quick nap while the queen is doing her thing however, and voilà, the Dream Bee is born. While the criteria is often simpler, such as breeding at a time of day, during different weather conditions, or near a type of flower, it’s not always obvious. The idea borders on annoying, but on the other hand it’s darn cool when you figure out what to do or create a new one by chance.
Given that the species of bees in APICO are largely fictional, it does feel like the developers TNgineers have missed an opportunity here. Surely there’s room to feature the special made-up types, for gameplay and fun purposes, alongside a lot more real ones to help further educate the masses. I would’ve liked to learn about the actual bees that conservation is utterly crucial for, but alas APICO sticks mainly to fantasy in that regard. At least the whole breeding aspect, and the processes surrounding it, are very informative. So you will most likely come away from the experience with more knowledge than you started with.
The aforementioned cross-breeding difficulties, which could hold you back, are alleviated slightly by some of the accessibility options. Basically, it removes the RNG associated with mutations and such, so you don’t have to get lucky – leave that to the bees. Meeting the requirements is tough enough without having to hope luck is on your side too.
Once you’re able to venture beyond the first island, you’ll truly feel free, getting to interact with new trees, flowers, hives and NPCs. Frankly, the NPCs on the whole are generally dull and engaging with them leads to limited, fairly boring, conversations. Stepping onto the icy tundra or into the swamps offers a nice change to the forest and it’s interesting to see what thrives in these environments. There’s plenty to be getting on with across the full map that’s for sure.
Should you need more, then the latest free content update for APICO adds another dimension to proceedings. The “I Can’t Beelieve It’s Not Butter(flies)!” update doesn’t just have a great name, it also introduces a decent selection of butterflies to collect. Additionally, there’s an influx of solitary bees, who like to hang out in the new bee hotels you can build. Other stuff is included in the update, but rest assured that if you’re going to enjoy what the base game possesses, then this enhances the enjoyment.
On the visual front, it has an old school aesthetic with a colour palette full of soothing tones, ensuring APICO is a very charming world to cast your gaze upon. Couple that with the relaxing soundtrack, composed of a decent amount of different tracks, and there’s a chilled out vibe throughout the experience.
Overall, APICO is an eye-opening sim that’s enlightening in regards to beekeeping and the important role bees have in our ecosystem. Having a book of quests to guide you through the various aspects of beekeeping is crucial to engaging the player from the outset. The cross-breeding element is engrossing and you’ll get the urge to discover every species across the different biomes. Plus the content update adds even more things for you to get stuck into. Sadly, the breeding routine does become repetitive, it’s hard to cause new mutations, and you could hit a proverbial brick wall. That’s not enough to be off-putting though.
