Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town Review: Tourist Trap

Review based on patch 1.01.

My first foray into the original Harvest Moon series (now called Story of Seasons) was a title called Friends of Mineral Town - a remake of a 20+ year old game. It stayed faithful to the original, to the point that it was basically the same game with a new coat of paint. That is all well and good for nostalgia seekers, but for me it was too dated and bare-bones compared to what you expect from the genre today. After being let down by Mineral Town I never thought I would touch another Story of Seasons game, but then Pioneers of Olive Town went on sale.

Unlike Mineral Town, Pioneers of Olive Town is a completely new entry in the series, so it includes many of the quality of life improvements pioneered by other games in the genre, most notably Stardew Valley. The player's farm is now highly customizable, and there is better automation and ways to grow plants out of season. You no longer need shears or a bucket taking up precious inventory space to milk cows or shear sheep. There is a good variety of crop and flower options with new varieties unlocking as the years tick by. The progression overall just feels so much better than what was in Mineral Town. The only downside is that Olive Town over-corrects a bit too much and shifts the focus away from farming to manufacturing. You can't just use logs anymore. Now you have to process them into boards. Wool has to be turned into yarn and then into fabric. Weeds are made into rope which is then weaved into one-time use fish-baskets. This sort of thing makes sense in a building simulator like My Time at Portia, and Stardew Valley had this to some extent, but you could also just buy the processed products without having to make it yourself. So many items in Olive Town need processing and take so long to process that one third of the farm will likley be taken up by machines running 24/7.

Structures will not degrade over time, but weeds and puddles occur far too frequently. These have to be cleared by hand and are what I saw people complaining about the most. I thought I would hate them more than I did, but they ended up just being a minor annoyance and an eyesore.

Enough storage space to hold all the raw goods plus the various stages of processed goods always seemed to be in short supply without sacrificing yet another chunk of the farm to storage boxes. Even the refrigerator in the player's home never had enough space for the food items, so I was constantly having to look at what a recipe needed, running outside to get it from storage, and then having to run back inside. Very tedious. For some reason the silo can only hold 99 fodder while a regular storage box can hold 3,000. So what is the point of having a silo? The actual farming itself is also rather simple: plant, water, harvest. There is no fertilizer, no crop damage, and no need to improve plant quality. Feral livestock will also just appear on the player's land, which you can tame for free. I suppose it makes for a more relaxed experience, but a sad part of me can't help but wonder if someone is purposefully dumping these animals on the player's farm like a box of unwanted kittens.

They have olive trees and olive crystals in the game, but no olive egger chickens?

Besides farming, the other big draw of the genre is socializing. In Stardew Valley (arguably the best in the genre) things could get very heavy whenever it delved into real-world issues such as depression, addiction and PTSD. Pioneers of Olive Town by comparison is less serious and more 'feel good vibes'. All of the characters are written to be likeable and charming without any real baggage or problems in their lives outside of the occasional missing bike or runaway cow. They're fine for what they are, just not particularly compelling or deep. You can also get married and have a child, but the child is found (given?) by the spirits of the woods. It's pretty weird, especially when none of the locals question where you got this random child from; my dark mind immediately jumped to baby farming and baby harvesting. I assume this was done because Olive Town doesn't have a doctor, which is also weird considering it is suppose to be a tourist destination.

Marvelous Europe (developer subsidiary) donated £20,000 to part-fund the building of a new breeding facility at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland's Highland Wildlife Park (RZSS) to save the critically endangered pine hoverfly, one of the UK's rarest species. It is hard to get funding for the conservation of insects because they don't have the presence and draw of megafauna like the elephant or tiger, but are arguably more important to the health of the environment. It was an unexpected and generous gift from Marvelous.

The main story goal is actually to attract more tourists to Olive Town. Why they want or need more tourists is never explained. The town looks fairly well off and doesn't seem to be in any dire need of more visitors. What the tourists are coming to Olive Town to see is never explained either. It's a pretty ordinary looking town with nothing especially noteworthy that would make it a tourist spot. Overall I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I don't think I would play it again, but I got a decent amount of entertainment out of it.

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• SOS Friends of Mineral Town Review: Out to Pasture
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Music to Level Up Your Day: Monster Hunter Wilds

I don't know much about musical theory, nor am I a musically inclined person. However, I do love to listen to video game soundtracks. They can be a powerful listening experiences in their own right, or be as evocative as the scores composed for film. Each of these posts will feature a sampling of music tracks from a single game title, or series/franchise in some rare cases. A complete list of these can be found on the Video Game Music page.

Composer: Miwako Chinone

North American Release Date: February 2025

A guild of Hunters is surveying an area thought to be uninhabited when they discover a boy lost in the wastelands. The boy was separated from his people when a monster known only as the "White Wraith" attacked the village. This event prompts the Hunter's Guild to launch an investigation into the region.

The Nature Of A Beautiful World | (Main Theme)

The Lord of Ice | (Jin Dahaad Theme)

Earth-Piercing Bolt | (Rey Dau Theme)

Ebon Hellfire | (Nu Udra Theme)

Crested Torrent | (Uth Duna Theme)

Radiant Cry of Life | (Guardian Arkveld Theme)

"The world is vast. Detours are among people's finest prerogatives. Losing one’s way can be a wonderful thing." - Rove

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• Monster Hunter 1, 2, and Tri
• Monster Hunter 4
• Monster Hunter Freedom Unite
• Monster Hunter Generations
• Monster Hunter: World
  
• MHW: Iceborne

Harvestella Review: A Stellar Hodgepodge

Harvestella is a visual novel-RPG hybrid with strong thematic influences from Nier: Automata and a tiny bit of the farming sim genre mixed in. The storyline isn't terribly complex, but is an odd mix of fantasy, science, and religion whose logic can be hard to follow, particularly near the end when several plot threads come together. Adding to the confusion is inconsistent wording, such as referring to the planets archaically as stars and at other times just as planets.

For those interested in how strange the lore can get and don't mind spoilers, here is a summary of the plot, or at least the best I could make of it:

AI (called Seth or Omens) were entrusted with the salvation of the dying human race (because humans couldn't figure out how to save themselves or something). All the humans were put into hibernation aboard a space-station while the AI abandoned Earth (called Lost Gaia in-game) to focus on terraforming the moon (called ReGaia) using four Seaslight (giant crystals). In addition to the AI, the humans also created blond-haired little girls to act as "operating systems" for dragons (some kind of super-weapon) and the planet itself (which may have its own DNA, soul, and memories or something). The girl-system in charge of the planet discovered the internet and came to the conclusion that humans wanted to destroy themselves (despite humans creating AI to do the exact opposite). So she created the original Seaslight (called Red Queen) to emit "Gaia Dust" or "Quietus" that is toxic to anyone who inhales it, similar to the effects of real-life Lunar dust. She also ripped a scientist's (Aria) soul from her body - to stop her research or something - and held onto it for 2,000+ years before releasing it (somehow with a physical body) onto the moon via the four Seaslight off-shoots/clones created by the AI.

Meanwhile the moon, with its own girl-system or soul(?), created imitation humans (called Abels) to confuse the AI. She also created the player character by copying or transferring their real-human (called Cains) consciousness or soul from the space-station into an Abel body (where the body came from is never explained) to combat the dust. Fantasy creatures such as faeries, unicorns and sirens were created by the planets and AI for various reasons unrelated to the main plotline.

The game was a bit light on the farming aspects - you have a predefined field and barns with only 2 types of livestock, but I loved the innovations it brought to the genre. More farming sims need a watering mechanic like Harvestella's. Most of the food produced on the farm isn't sold for cash, but converted to dishes/drinks that replenish health and stamina in battle. I was initially surprised by how fast the days moved, but in typical farm sim fashion, the player can take as many days or years to complete objectives as they need. Sprinklers, an upgradable steed and eventually an airship make daily tasks go faster, freeing up more of the day as well.

The daily gameplay loop of farm work, socializing and questing was addictive, but I was disappointed by how disjointed the party members felt because they never interacted with each other. There is a food/rest/chat mechanic in the dungeons that may have solved this, but I forgot it existed. I also thought for sure that Ein's (the protagonist) immunity to the Quietus would factor into the story somehow eventually, but it never does. Instead Aria is the real main character and Ein is just there to support her. In fact, Ein came across as more of a therapist for the group during their personal stories, and in the case of Brakka, as a pest butting into business they had no good reason to be getting involved in. The personal stories for your companions are generally very good. Some are a bit on the nose, like Istina's "shadow of the past" being a literal shadow person, while others were concerning, such as Shrika subjecting an innocent man to religious persecution. But I can look beyond the blemishes to see what the writers wanted to communicate, which are mostly very positive messages.

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Ghost of Tsushima Review: Is Beauty All That Matters?

Review based on patch 2.18

In 1274 a Mongol fleet led by Khotun Khan invades the Japanese island of Tsushima. Lord Shimura and his nephew Jin Sakai, lead five noble clans against the invaders, but all fall to the Mongols superior weaponry. Shimura is taken captive, and Jin is rescued by the thief Yuna, who teaches him her ways. To save Tsushima, Jin must choose between following the samurai code to fight honorably, leading to countless deaths, or by using practical but dishonorable methods that will minimize the casualties.

The narrative is a straightforward tale that is fairly compelling, but not terribly deep. I'd be hard pressed to recall the names of any of the main cast. Too often it falls into the trap of having someone die in almost every mission - whether it makes sense or not, so you just start expecting it and emotionally distancing yourself from the characters. This made 'shock events' like the deaths of Taka and the horse fall flat. The story does a fairly good job though, of touching on morality in war and the challenges of adapting to a changing world or stubbornly clinging to tradition. The Shogun are shown as acting to preserve the aristocracy of the Samurai over defending Japan in a manner not dissimilar to how the Khan rewards obedience and punishes defiance. On the other hand, the methods used by Jin and the Mongols can be ruthless and without limits. The ending in particular was a standout moment for me, encapsulating many of the themes and challenges faced by Jin over the course of his journey: He has to battle his uncle Shimura and either kill or spare him. Sparing could be seen as Jin demonstrating how finding one's own code can save lives, and lines up with how Jin protected the lives of his people and his family by defying tradition. Alternatively, Jin killing his uncle for an honor code that has stripped him of his home and family legacy could be seen as Jin remembering where he came from, as a warriors death would spare Shimura from grief and the disapproval of his peers, who seem to view him increasingly as a failure. In this way, Jin makes another sacrifice to protect those he cares about. There are just so many ways to interpret the motives behind each ending and it is refreshing to have a story conclude with no definitive 'right' or 'best' outcome; just two equally valid options.

The environmental design and art direction for Ghost of Tsushima is so breathtaking that a lot of the game's flaws, particularly at launch, seem to have been ignored. It makes for an interesting case study in how much aesthetics can elevate an otherwise average game. It isn't even that detailed, just very visually pleasing. Cloth and metal for example are ultra realistic, while skin and plant-life are almost textureless by comparison. Not really a complaint, just an observation.

In combat Jin uses different "stances" against different enemy types: stone (swordsmen), water (shields), wind (spearmen), and moon (brutes). After killing so many enemies without taking damage or by slaying a Mongol leader, Jin can activate a special "ghost" ability that makes him invincible for a set amount of time. Using stealth, the player can evade enemies or eliminate them silently with Jin's tanto. During the late game, a blowgun is unlocked that allows the player to shoot darts that cause confusion and hallucinations in the target.

Ghost of Tsushima had the most bloated open world I have experienced in the last few years with roughly 90% of the map being populated with the same copy/paste activities: shrines, fox dens, bamboo strikes, and haikus (my favorite). Mongolians are the only dynamic world encounter and buildings have the same interiors. There are only a handful of resources to collect and animal species to encounter in the wilderness as well.

I have read that Ghost of Tsushima is best when you ignore everything but the main questline, due to how much of the side content repeats. I didn't do this and greatly regret it. If the development team didn't have the time or resources to make a proper open world with meaningful side content then they should have just made it a linear experience or leaned into a minimalist 'Shadow of the Colossus' type of approach to world exploration.

I seem to be in the minority on this, but I hated the wind mechanic which functions as a sort of quest marker. It is suppose to make the world feel more immersive, but I could never determine where the wind was pointing me. I would've preferred the option to toggle on or off traditional quest markers.

Conclusion:

The game is perfectly fine for what it is. I think I may just be jaded and worn out on open-world games with thin content. The saying, "I'd rather feel something than nothing at all" applies here. Outside of the pretty visuals there just wasn't anything meaty to satisfy or surprise me. A year later I can remember the beautiful landscapes and the amazing ending, but I can't recall any of the characters names or most of Jin's journey.

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Paleo Pines Review: Bare Bones

Review based on patch 1.4.

The focus of this 'cozy' ranching game is more about dinosaur collecting than farming, which is done primarily to earn money. To tame a dinosaur the player needs to lure it near by playing its 'Friend Song' - a series of colored bubbles. Not only does the order of the colors need to be right but the 'loudness' of each note as well. The player then needs to move the needle on a 'Friend meter' into the green zone by feeding and soothing. Too far in either direction and the tame will fail. Once in the green, the player then needs to feed the preferred Poppin (cake) type or the tame will fail. Even feeding the correct Poppin will not always result in an immediate tame, so the process may need to be repeated several times. I imagine children may struggle with this system.

Every animal has two skills: wild (Sprinter, Slasher, Discoverer, Smasher, Stomper) and farm (Waterer, Tiller, Clearer, Harvester, Tender) - that will assist with different elements of gameplay. The Wild variety are useful when you venture out from your ranch and the Farm ones will assist with planting duties.

You have to feed and interact with your dino's everyday to keep their friendship level up or they'll run away.

The farming is a bit of a frustrating enterprise because of how finicky the movement can be along with placement that makes it hard to hit the correct tiles or pull up a fence post. When ploughing with a dinosaur like styracosaurus, there will often be a missed square or two that I would have to go back in and fix by hand. Dinosaurs also spray water in an erratic pattern that makes it hard to tend to crops without multiple passes. On a positive note, this is the only farming sim that I have seen implement a convincing crop rotation mechanic by having each crop prefer a different soil type - soft, sticky or firm, and when harvested leaves behind a soil type different from the one they were planted in. It is a beautifully simple system.

There are repeating quests you can complete, although they are all the same "fetch X item - material -food" type filler. By doing enough of these your bond with NPCs will increase, opening up unique character requests and main storyline missions. Sadly, the NPCs are merchants first, people second. That is, the social elements are almost nonexistent.

Conclusion:

I was really looking forward to this one; unfortunately first impressions are important and this one launched well before it was ready. There are also a host of little annoyances such as there being no hotbar or item wheel, so you have to click through multiple menus to build or interact with anything.

With patches installed the bugs continued to be a detriment to gameplay and I inevitably lost interest. Only time will tell if it gets properly fixed in the future. Even ignoring the technical issues, there is the fundamental problem that if you took the dinosaurs out of the game there would nothing left worth engaging with.

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