Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town Reviews
Though Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town looks impressive on the surface, its mindless gameplay feels both empty and unoriginal.
There are some areas in which Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town feels like it definitely needs a little more time and room to grow. The progress I’ve seen in the time I’ve played is encouraging, and I’m confident that it will offer plenty of opportunities down the way.
I used to wonder why people were so hooked on slice of life games like Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley, but now I completely understand why. Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town hooked me like very few casual games have ever managed. Something as banal as doing farm chores and committing to a routine turned into an engaging experience, slowly seeing my farm grow into a borderline agricultural empire, all while having all the freedom in the world to customize my household to my liking.
Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town is a promising start of a new chapter in the long-running farm/life simulator’s history. All the pieces are in place for an unforgettable experience, with its peaceful and serene location, endlessly customizable landscape, and an unprecedented abundance of crafts and projects to pursue. While at times unwieldy, there’s something for everyone here, especially those who are interested in the organization and production management aspect of running a farm.
The game recycles a lot of content already featured in the franchise. Although the new character customisation and photo mode is refreshing, it doesn’t seem like enough to tie us over. Despite the art style and location being different, the game as a whole remains the same. It’s enjoyable, sure. But to fans of the franchise it’s a little disappointing since we have all definitely experienced it beforehand.
Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town does have that compelling farming gameplay loop that we’ve seen time and time again in different series, but it lacks depth — much like the rest of the game — to keep farming sim veterans coming back. At a time where the likes of Stardew Valley continue to push the genre forward and provide greater longevity, it’s difficult to recommend this rough-around-the-edges excursion to Olive Town.
Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town is a great addition to the series and offers near-limitless farming gameplay. While it may appear chore based and impeded by limited stamina early on, the weapon upgrades, machines, and sprinklers offer greater freedom to get the job done, and the increased breadth of available activities ensure that there’s always something different to do. Overall, it is a peaceful and wholesome experience that can be enjoyed by casual and veteran gamers alike. So come on down to Olive Town, and have yourself a good time.
Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town is an enjoyable little farming romp; it's charming and calming, but doesn't quite capture the magic of some earlier installments. While slow load times, customization restrictions, and a few quality of life issues can make parts of your play a bit of a slog, the mines have returned, you can romance any eligible bachelor or bachelorette
To say that Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town disappointed me is an understatement. I have been playing these games since I was young, and while I don’t expect all of them to be hits, I certainly didn’t expect this level of regression either.
Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town is wholesome. It's a little naive in the way it presents the "grass is always greener on the other side" perspective on country living, but this series has been kicking around since the Super Nintendo and always gets away with it, on account of being so sweet and good-natured that it's impossible not to love.
Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town has all the important elements accounted for. There’s farming with a wide range of different crops and seeds, you can take care of animals, there’s mining and fishing, you can craft items in Makers, there’s a huge town with many people to befriend or romance and it wouldn’t be called Pioneers if there wasn’t a lot to explore too. Plus, a nice little feature is added in the form of the Sprite Village and the various special areas you can visit there. Finally there is some online gameplay added into the mix, though I do feel that could have been fleshed out some more. Overall, a very complete package that will sometimes leave you wishing for more hours in the day, in real life and in the game. There’s so much to do, that Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town is not only a farming simulation game but also a management game. The only way to let the farm thrive and have time for all the other activities is to plan ahead and make use of your little factory of Makers and recipes for crafting as best you can. As I love a good farming simulation game and am in my element in management games, it’s not difficult for me to give Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town it’s rating. The game has the right rhythm of keeping you interested by adding more new things at the right time too. I know there are more good games in the genre available on Switch, but in my opinion, this one is ace!
You can easily get yourself lost in the world of Olive Town - I've already spent more than 50 hours cultivating a farm that's entirely unique to me. Whether you want a relaxing time or a challenge, this is the game for you; Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town is so malleable that it'll work for everyone.
Story Of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town is an okay farming game but if you are expecting giant changes to the already worn out formula then you should look elsewhere.
Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town takes a fresh and engaging step forward; it is packed with varied content, adorable animals and deep customisability that will make many farming sim fans happy.
Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town is a very addictive game that when you realize, you have spent hundreds of hours. Despite its many possibilities, Marvelous has achieved an excellent playable adaptation curve, allowing us to learn all the functions without hardly realizing it. Highly recommended for those who like games like Harvest Moon or Animal Crossing.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
After a few choices of character customisation, I arrived at Olive Town and was met by the Mayor who welcomed me to the community, introduced the locals and let me know of his big plans for the future of the town: the desire for an influx of tourists. It just so happens that I had been chosen to play a big part in the Mayor’s grand plans. My dreams of a quiet rural life were not exactly what I imagined as I was quickly drawn attention to the list of village requests in the town hall.
Overall, this review of Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town may sound a touch negative, and it is in some parts. I like how it deals with progression while keeping most of its addicting farming foundations intact. Most of what it adds feels nicked from other games and has often been implemented less convincingly. Combined with performance issues and a few other missed opportunities, Pioneers of Olive Town is a solid entry in the series, but it isn't the must-have experience that many had hoped for the series' 25th anniversary.
What it lacks in technical prowess, Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town more than makes up for in sheer fun.
Pioneers of Olive Town modernizes Story of Seasons' formula in a wilder, wider and somehow easier way, but such industrial revolution often feels heavy, then ultimately lacks life, if not charm, compared to the previous episodes.
Review in French | Read full review
Story of Seasons Pioneers of Olive Town is a game that, despite not being round and presenting some questionable design decisions, as a whole manages to present a relaxing proposal, full of enjoyable hours of play and with enough capacity to position itself as a notable title within the genre of simulators.
Review in Spanish | Read full review