The long-awaited Version 1.5 update to Stardew Valley has been rolled out for PC, including tons of late-game content as well as a brand new farm option and "remixes" for veteran players. Version 1.5 will release for console players early next year.
Creator Eric Barone's original concept was to relive the early Harvest Moon games, but with new content and updates to keep the game fresh and new. Instead of ending the story after two in-game years, Barone wanted to keep it going. This hadn't been done yet, so he released Stardew Valley in 2016. Since then, it has received a number of updates, such as the multiplayer update that came with Version 1.3. Now, according to Barone, 1.5 is the game's "biggest update yet."
As previously teased by Stardew's creator, one of the biggest new elements with Version 1.5 is the option to choose a beach farm. At the start of the game, players get to choose between a variety of farms depending on their profit interests, such as the riverland farm that encourages fishing, or a hill-top farm that encourages mining. The beach farm in Stardew Valley is a big, sandy area, which means that players won't be able to use sprinklers when farming, but provides plenty of fishing opportunities. It should be fun for veteran players with more experience, but for players new to Stardew Valley, Barone recommends choosing another option.
Additionally, Barone details a spoiler-friendly list of late-game content additions to Stardew Valley, including new goals, new quest types, new people to meet, and new character events. But the full changelog details the most interesting additions to the game.
One of the biggest changes to the late-game content of Stardew Valley is the introduction of an area called Ginger Island. This island will include new NPCs and quests as well as minigames, puzzles, and even a volcano dungeon. The patch notes detail a new character by the name of Leo, who has "his own backstory, plot lines, events, etc.," which perhaps means another romance option for Stardew Valley.
A ton of new enemies have been added to Stardew Valley with the 1.5 update as well, most of which fall under the volcanic theme and can be found on Ginger Island. Some of the new enemies include False Magma Caps, Hot Heads, Lava Lurks, and Magma Sprites. Dozens of new items, quest items, rings, clothing items, furniture, and weapons have also been added.
Additionally, Barone has added a brand-new animal to Stardew Valley. With Version 1.5, players can now raise ostriches on their farms. Along with many quality-of-life improvements, 1.5 certainly sounds like the biggest update Stardew Valley has seen so far.
Stardew Valley is available now for mobile devices, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
Source: Stardew Valley Developer Blog