That Lonesome Valley

Look, we all know what That Lonesome Valley is supposed to be, but that is not a bad thing at all. It has been a while since a gay themed game really blew me away, but this one here clicked with me right from the start. This is one of those games that you can easily plow through in under an hour, but it packs a real punch, and it ended up being something that left quite an impression on me. If you want a boys' love game that has some real substance to the story, I cannot recommend this game highly enough.

Ok, So Here Is The Inspiration

You do not have to have the detective skills of Batman from Batman: Arkham Knight to know that That Lonesome Valley is clearly inspired by the movie, Brokeback Mountain. If you liked that movie and the kind of relationship that those two cowboys had, I am sure you will have a great deal of fun with this story. While I would say it is more on the serious side, there are a few bits of dialogue that actually made me smile and laugh as well. So yeah, Brokeback Mountain is easily the best comparison for what you can expect here.

Two Cowboys Out In The Wild

The premise of the story that That Lonesome Valley is telling revolves around two cowboys called Jose and Bud. They are herding some livestock across the Wyoming wilderness, and we are joining them on this journey. These are two tough cowboy-type guys, but things get pretty heated on the trail, and of course, this leads to some sexual tension as well as some just plain old tension. We actually get to have a say in the way this whole thing plays out, and it is pretty interesting how they can go from wanting to trade blows one second to then getting it on in their little tent the next.

Sheep Gonna Sheep

One of the more interesting aspects of That Lonesome Valley is that this is being sold as a lewd visual novel when it is actually more than that. Yes, the game has your visual novel elements where you pick dialogue options and try to steer this story in the way you want. However, there is a whole sheepherding thing here, too. You just click on the map to herd the sheep and then take them to where they need to go. But you also have to gain their trust by feeding them and not trying to herd too many at once. If I am being critical, I wish they were cows, as I have no reason as to why I think this, but herding cows feels so much more “cowboy” than herding sheep. The game is probably going to take you in the region of 30 to 40 minutes to complete, so it is certainly not overstaying its welcome. As this features sheepherding, does that mean we can compare it to the PlayStation 2 classic, Herdy Gerdy?

Pixelated Cowboy Passion

The use of pixel art in That Lonesome Valley is very well done, and it has a ton of personality. Our two hunky cowboys are easy on the eyes, and the way that the dialogue often has much larger and more detailed sprites does a great job at showing them off. The actual game is done in a top down style, which I think looks good. The XXX content in the game is done with the same pixel art style, and it is something that I am a huge fan of. Of course, you have to have a thing for hot and hunky dudes to really appreciate the visuals of the game, but for those who do, this is a real treat for the eyes.

Pros:

• The story was well written
• I liked the two cowboys
• Herding the sheep was fun and pretty challenging
• The pixel art in this game is awesome

Cons:

• I wish they herded cows or horses, it's way more manly!
• You have to like dudes to appreciate this