Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town

One strength of this farming sim is that it meets its genre's biggest challenge: how to make what are essentially virtual household chores a rewarding and sustainable mechanic. Because so many crops and manufacturing items in Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town are available early on, the monotony of farming is kept to a minimum. It's often the initial hurdle of settling into a productive loop that keeps players from becoming invested enough to stick around long-term, so the ability to adjust from normal gameplay to a simplified version with lower stamina usage and more manageable financial costs moves these early stages along at a relaxing pace.

Moving beyond that preliminary setup period is often followed by the desire to socialize with everyone in town. But this is where Olive Town totally misses the mark. Interactions with community members are repetitive and mostly meaningless. The dialogue feels robotic, to a point where it's almost more enjoyable to avoid speaking with them unless totally necessary. This is disappointing, but it becomes an even larger problem when compared to the high standards set by similar titles. As a result, the immersion of Olive Town exists when players choose to spend every waking hour maintaining crops or foraging for items, then disappears completely once players cross the border into town. That creates a big problem: There simply isn't enough innovation or investment in characters to make Olive Town an essential experience. But there is a simple delight in proven farming mechanics, cute animal interactions, several outfit and hairstyle options, and relaxing exploration that keeps players going.