

In Norway. Technically in a city, but it’s very rural. About 30 minutes of walking with a descent of ~150 meters. Carrying groceries back up that hill is a big test of stamina, so we very rarely do it. We mostly drive to the store.
Your friend is full of shit. 3km is a very long distance for walking to get groceries, and I can imagine that you have to deprioritize heavier groceries all the time due to that distance. I’d recommend getting a bike or electic scooter or something to cover that distance. Basically no one in Norway would have 3km to their nearest store with walking as their only option.
I found it to be tense and interesting while playing. But looking back, I can’t really put my finger on what made it that way. I swam around and gathered resources to build boats, make food and fresh water - I can’t really ser what the big drive was. But I certainly loved it enough to finish it, which is rare for me regarding most games.