Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town was initially released on Feb. 25, 2021, and is playable on the Nintendo Switch and Steam. The goal of the game is to rebuild an abandoned farm. You can buy seeds, grow crops and craft things like flour. The player can even name the farm and the various animals on your land. Some areas of the farm are blocked off by broken down bridges and trees that have fallen, so have to gather materials or money to hire someone to come and fix/clear the path to the next area.
The storyline as a whole is quite enjoyable. Players can find these little creatures called spirits that you can interact with and be brought to their village. In the spirit village there are different types of spirits like the Grass, Log, Stone, Field, Care, and a few others that can give you different items for the different tasks you do around the farm. Another thing I enjoy about this game is that the crops you are able to grow match with the season, certain vegetables or flowers in spring, and others in winter.
One issue I encountered is that a player can’t just buy certain materials from the general store. Instead, you must mine for silver, iron and other gemstones. The controls are decent as they allow the player to move around smoothly and do things with ease. However, the game sometimes freezes, and you have to wait for a second or two until it runs again. Personally, I have found that other than growing crops and making the farm look nice the player really does not have a lot to do sometimes.
My rating is three stars out of five. Overall, Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town is a solid game with some issues such as lagging and a limited amount of activities to do. However, I would still recommend it to others to play.
For more information: Official Website
Written by Alexandra Hillyer, Lethbridge College
